The Waterfall Quick6 LookBook provides an insider’s perspective into how mobile fits into a retail communication strategy so that companies can execute successfully.

1. Brought to you by Waterfall Mobile
Retail
This Waterfall Quick6 LookBook provides an insider’s perspective into how mobile fits into
a retail communication strategy so that companies can execute successfully.

2. Overview
How retailers should approach mobile
Case in point
Example retail mobile campaigns with positive and negative lessons learned
Summary
How retailers can best launch an effective mobile and digital communication strategy

3. “
overview
Which best describes your mobile
It’s about limitless possibility. strategy?
Don’t have a strategy
When it comes to figuring out a retail mobile
marketing program, the good news is the bad news: Have a strategy, currently
9% refining
there’s practically an unlimited number of ways
retailers can use mobile to augment their customer 29%
communication strategy. “Good” because limitless
possibility means well thought out and executed Early stage,
strategies will return significant value. “Bad” because developing a 34%
settling on a starting point can be difficult. strategy
Consider data from the Forrester report The State of
Retailing Online 2011: Marketing, Social and Mobile, 19%
which analyzed the state of U.S. retailers’ mobile and
digital marketing strategies. Note that 71% of retailers 9%
Have a strategy, starting to refine
fall under the umbrella of not having a mobile strategy
to actively refine: Have a strategy

4. overview
What are your company’s objectives for mobile? Forrester, 2011
Given that an effective mobile
82%
strategy requires refinement, as so Drive sales to website 87%
much of mobile is analyzing metrics Improve customer satisfaction 63%
65%
and optimizing according to these 63%
insights, you could argue pretty Develop brand loyalty 65%
62%
convincingly that 71% of retailers Be a ready source of info 61%
have an ineffective mobile strategy. Improve customer acquisition 58%
57%
Taking a look at retailers’ objectives 54%
Improve customer retention 56%
for mobile sheds light on why.
49%
Drive traffic in other channels 46%
As many as eight objectives are 49%
Keep up with competitors 48%
desired by more than 50% of 43%
companies. The top three objectives Learn from mobile 41%
double as the top three objectives for 37%
Drive sign ups 35%
business in general. Clearly, retailers 31%
Location-based targeting 22%
struggle to understand where to start 28% Smartphone Tablets
and focus with mobile given the Real-time marketing 26%
23%
vastness of both retailers’ needs and Drive 1:1 dialogues 19%
mobile’s capabilities. Reduce SG&A costs 6%
6%

5. overview
Fortunately, retailers can develop the
requisite starting point and focus for a solid
strategy by taking a step back. Rather than
Which metrics do you use to measure the success of approach mobile from a mobile-centric point
your mobile strategy? Forrester, 2011 of view, they should think about mobile from
a customer point of view. This is to say that
viewing mobile as a new and siloed channel
Mobile site traffic 80% will not result in the same degree of success
Revenue via mobile 75% as seeing mobile as a complement to the
Average order value 54% retailers’ current method of engaging
Number of mobile app downloads 32% consumers.
Product searches via mobile 20%
Number of opted in mobile consumers 20% Augmenting a customer communication
Repeat visits/logins 20% strategy with mobile is straightforward:
Mobile site/app satisfaction 14% simply take mobile’s various metrics and
Number of alerts sent to mobile 8% compare and contrast them to metrics from
other communication channels like email,
online and social.

6. case in point
There’s a fancy term for comparing and integrating metrics from various channels to
understand how the channels combined can best personally engage the desired audience:
cross-channel marketing. As opposed to multichannel marketing, where each channel
works individually, cross-channel marketing has each channel working together to better
communicate with and understand the target consumers.
It’s about creating a cross-channel strategy.
The below six campaigns demonstrate successes and failures of retailers using mobile. The
campaigns’ combined strengths and weaknesses provide an ideal road map for launching
mobile effectively within a retail environment.
★ Lane Bryant ★ Home Depot ★ Tic Tac
★ Forever 21 ★ Sephora ★ Neebo

7. case in point
Lane Bryant Instant Win
In 2011, Lane Bryant, a clothing retailer with over 750 offers and the general, much larger list with offers
locations, launched a mobile instant win campaign to from the Lane Bryant corporate brand.
deliver gift cards, discounts and other deals to their
customers. With calls to action placed throughout Another aspect of the Lane Bryant campaign that
stores, Lane Bryant set out to drive in-store traffic and works well is the company’s development of
build an opt-in list for ongoing consumer continuing, two-way communication. Mobile one-off
engagement. campaigns achieve only limited success because they
don’t take advantage of mobile’s ability to maximize
One of the smartest aspects of the Lane Bryant customer lifetime value. The below message flow
campaign is data collection. For example, each store closeup shows how Lane Bryant used mobile’s
had its own unique keyword to track store-specific interactivity and immediacy to increase the value
opt-ins. This way Lane Bryant has the ability to cross- received from customers over time.
channel message specific customers with localized

8. case in point
Lane Bryant Instant Win: Immediacy makes messaging compelling
Message Flow Closeup Notice how Lane Bryant includes a time element in each
outbound message. Phrases such as “Final weekend!”
and “7 days only,” ensure that a company can capitalize
on mobile’s central strength within the digital
communication channel portfolio.
Integrate with the point of sale
By including a unique code in each message (e.g. “Show code 000307741 @ checkout”), Lane Bryant
can track exactly when and where consumers redeem mobile offers. These analytics are crucial for
developing a clear picture of mobile ROI. In addition, tying unique codes to specific phone numbers is
ideal for building out a mobile component to an existing loyalty program.
Speak in the language of the consumer
Notice how Lane Bryant uses text-speak terms like “BOGO” and “Rply.” On one hand, overdoing it on
the text-speak can make a message confusing and hard to read. On the other, including text-speak
makes a message feel more realistic for the mobile medium. Bottom line, make sure mobile
messaging is easily scanned and understood, but include text-speak to make sure messaging doesn’t
seem too out of touch.

9. case in point
Forever 21 Mobile Club
Throughout 2011, Forever 21 ran consumers may not want to find out if
various promotions for an exclusive the “special updates” are worth their
mobile club. In particular, Forever 21 while. Using something specific and
launched Time Square billboards to concrete (e.g. 15% off, first look at new
engage mobile consumers as they styles) to set the relevant context for
passed by the Broadway store front. “special updates and promotions” will
These promotions stood out as bold positively impact consumer opt-in
reminders confirming the importance rates and engagement.
of mobile in the company’s corporate
communication strategy. One other point to note on the Forever
21 campaign. Though the company
The best aspect of the Forever 21 promoted the mobile club in the center
campaign is how the company created of Times Square, there was no
creating an air of exclusivity for mobile promotion about the mobile club on
alerts. Because a mobile phone the company’s website. Keep in mind
number is more personal than other that mobile requires a commitment
points of contact, consumers will only across channels. Not only will more
share this personal information if given consumer eyeballs see the benefits of
a compelling reason to do so. The only the mobile initiative, but trust in the
question is whether the incentive program will grow as the brand
advertised is compelling enough. establishes mobile in the multiple
Without putting a stake in the ground, places consumers seek information.

10. case in point
Home Depot Scan For More Martha
Home Depot’s More Martha QR code sets out to digitize catalog
readers and turn them into customers. Upon scanning the “More
Martha” code, readers access a mobile-optimized site where they
can sign up to receive email alerts, watch a video or shop online.
The strength of Home Depot’s QR code campaign is the call to action.
Namely: (1) the reason why consumers should scan is spelled out
clearly; (2) those who don’t have a QR code reader have instructions
for how they can still access the mobile content; (3) the 2D code
integrates perfectly into the ad’s context; (4) the code links to a
mobile-optimized website that presents a user-friendly experience;
(5) content access exists across channels.
On the other hand, Home Depot should rethink its sign up
experience, given the earlier discussion about ongoing
communication being more valuable than one-off contact. As it
stands now, the More Martha opt-in is a one-click-away email sign
up form. Instead, the 2D code could direct link to the email opt-in.
Home Depot could also use a QR code-to-SMS campaign to capture
mobile phone number before linking to the mobile page. At minimum,
Home Depot should capture analytics that provide insight into the
type of person or phone scanning the Martha code.

11. case in point
Sephora Scan. Watch. Learn.
In 2012, Sephora ran a 2D code campaign for Beyond the branded QR code, another lesson
the GLO Brilliant Personal Teeth Whitening to learn from this campaign is the importance
Device. By scanning the code, consumers link of cross-channel communication for 2D code-
to a video explaining the product’s benefits. to-video campaigns. Certainly getting a user to
watch a video has value for the promoting
Notice the custom-branded QR code that brand. However, the video should lead to a
Sephora uses for this campaign. 2D codes’ way that consumers can be targeted going
customizable error correction levels allow for forward. Simple enhancements such as a
flexibility in code design, which Sephora has direct message following the video’s
used to create a more engaging and eye conclusion about signing up for the Sephora
catching user experience. list would improve the value of the campaign.

12. case in point
Tic Tac Mints Mobile App Download
For those listeners of Pandora, you probably have seen those various
ads that have popped up next to your station controls. Given that
Pandora has data on (among other things) what types of music users
enjoy, seems like a perfect arena for marketers interested in directing
content at a specific audience.
That’s what made Tic Tac’s 2011 mobile app download campaign so
compelling. Recognizing the opportunity that people listening to
Pandora are tech savvy, Tic Tac ran an ad encouraging consumers to
download its viewer app by texting MINTS to the Tic Tac short code.
Plus, the language contained in the call to action perfectly aligned with
the music-centric Pandora environment.
One issue with using mobile to advertise on digital media sites like
Pandora is that it’s tough to engage people who probably aren’t looking
at a web page constantly. Thus, the campaign’s incentive
becomes extremely important, as marketers have one shot to catch a
consumer's attention (e.g. on Pandora when a person changes stations,
adjusts volume, etc.). Is downloading a viewer app cool enough that
people will whip out their phone? Maybe, maybe not. That’s why it’s so
important to have a clear understanding of a campaign’s goals and
expectations and effectively communicate them in the call to action.

13. case in point
Neebo Mobile Coupons
Leading textbook retailer Neebo has texted the code they would then be
one of the biggest challenges of any opted in to a mobile list for future
company out there: how to market to marketing and sales promotions.
millions of college students Perfect for reaching students during
nationwide across more than 280 the various textbook and college
campus bookstores. That’s why gear pushes that occur throughout a
digital marketing has been such a school year.
key piece of engagement for the
college outfitting company. One thing to learn from the Neebo
Targeting the college-age call to action is the importance of
demographic using a mix of mobile semantics when designing a call to
and social competitions and action. Not a huge deal, but including
promotions makes perfect sense. quotation marks in a call to action
may be confusing to some potential
One such example is a 20% off targets. By bolding and capitalizing
mobile coupon campaign the they key components of a mobile call
company launched in 2011. The call to action (in this case keyword and
to action was clear with a powerful short code), the chance for user
yet simple incentive. Once students error decreases significantly.

14. Summary
To tackle the inherent challenges of mobile retail marketers as they approach mobile. 1. Use cross-channel communication
marketing in a retail environment, marketers Taken together, they represent a roadmap to geared toward ongoing engagement to
need to focus on overall marketing goals and pick and choose from in order to develop a avoid the limitations of one-off marketing.
how mobile can help augment a current proprietary digital strategy.
2. Analyze the incentives used in a
communication strategy.
Whatever the implementation eventually campaign and make sure they are
The above case studies demonstrate various chosen for retail success, three takeaways sufficient and compelling enough to drive
ways that mobile can overlap with email, remain constant. By keeping the following in user interaction.
online and social using a variety of mind, retailers will be well on their way 3. Align mobile with overall branding efforts
promotion types. Overall, each case study toward capturing maximum mobile value. to develop a consistent voice throughout
presents simply a slice of what’s possible for the brand’s marketing portfolio.
Waterfall's retail brand campaigns and We appreciate you taking the time to read through our Quick6 Lookbook. Waterfall has been assisting
reference accounts include: retailers with their mobile marketing strategies since 2005. To learn more about Waterfall, please sign
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