With companies like VoucherCloud and Starbucks open to different methods of mobile marketing and embracing geofencing, some companies seem to be getting left behind and gathering dust. Here is a list of five companies that need to start geofencing ASAP in order to gain back their previously high held positions in the rankings.
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Groupon
We’re surprised Groupon haven’t done this already with all the massages, afternoon teas, and facials that seem to be in endless supply. With increasing amounts of customers unsubscribing from Groupon’s emails and checking the website less often, Geofencing is the perfect solution to send a notification to any customer that does happen to walk within an area with a Groupon offer. If the deal is of interest, customers can proceed to buy and redeem the voucher there and then.
This will also eliminate the need for customers to call and book in advance, and still appeal to their impulse buying side – an angle that Groupon has lost since removing the countdown clock on their website.
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McDonalds
The current healthy eating and gym craze that has swept through the US and Europe has hit McDonald’s hard with sales continuing to fall. People are just not lovin’ it and are slowly veering away from the sheer unhealthiness that is in each burger and fries. However, we do all get those cravings, and this is where Geofencing could be a helpful reminder.
Geofencing could help increase sales if a customer is within the vicinity of a McDonald’s. They’ll get a notification and that craving they didn’t even know they had will start to manifest itself, especially if they see an offer or discount that they can’t refuse.
Geofencing can appeal to our inner Big Mac cravings. They just don’t know it yet.
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Shell
With petrol and diesel prices fluctuating, it is difficult to stay ahead of the competition. But there are still many customers who don’t know which company is offering the best price – and what does it matter when your tank is low? You need to fill up and you need to do it fast, or you won’t make that wedding on time.
Geofencing could target customers who are in a 5-mile radius of a Shell pump for a long period of time. This could potentially be a customer who is driving around in circles and can’t find a pump station. Even better, if Shell offers these customers a discount, say 1 cent off per litre, then customers are more likely to fill their tanks up there and then because they’re also close by.
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ING (or any bank for that matter)
There are a number of uses for banks to incorporate Geofencing. One of them is ATMs. Do you ever find that you’re stranded at 3am and the only way to eat and get home is by paying the kebab shop guy and the taxi in cash because that’s all they’ll accept?
The nerve.
This would be the perfect time for an alert on your phone to tell you where the nearest ATM is. A targeted notification could be sent within a timeframe of 1am and 6am, and customers in more remote parts of town would be notified. In a place like the Netherlands where ATMs are as rare as pigs flying, this could be the handiest use for Geofencing yet!
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Clinique
As one of the world’s most famous classic brand of cosmetics, the company seems to be falling behind with technology. Despite being one of the first cosmetic companies to have a website, most of Clinique’s marketing budget goes on magazine adverts. So the brand really is classic in all its forms.
However, with increasing competition with the likes of MAC, Bobby Brown, and Shu Uemura, what can Clinique do to stop customers walking straight past their counter?
Well, Clinique are pretty famous for their varying sales promotion techniques, but what’s the use of them when customers don’t go anywhere near the counter to see the signs? Yep, you’ve guessed it. Queue Geofencing. Customers can receive a notification informing them of the latest sales promotion as soon as they enter the store. This will prompt them to go straight to the Clinique counter and see what’s on offer.
Not only that but Clinique are one of the pioneers of segmentation marketing, mainly focusing on individual needs such as age, gender, and skin type. They have the opportunity here to use Geofencing to its fullest potential by only sending relevant offers to the intended audience. So you can be sure that an offer on men’s shaving cream won’t be sent to a 65-year old woman.
Bottom line
As you can see, Geofencing has the ability to appeal to the spontaneous and difficult situations that people face. It isn’t all just about selling, selling, selling. It’s about providing your customers with useful information, but at the same time, appealing to their desperate or impulsive side. If you are proven to be useful and market yourself at a customer’s time of need, you will not only have created a loyal customer, but you’ve also improved your brand image by showing that you only bug them when they really need it. After all, isn’t that what Superman is for?
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What is geofencing & why I need it in my app?Download the Ultimate Guide to Geofencing for Mobile Marketing to find out more about geofencing and beacons and why to use them in your app. |
