By Sam Molony
Almost half the world’s population owns a smartphone. Digital spending also continues to increase. Many people do that online with their smartphones or tablets because, well, it’s just really convenient.
In other words, there has never been a better time than now to tend to your company’s online mobile presence. Not only has mcommerce been on the rise, but more and more people are turning to their mobile devices to engage with brands.
If you’re planning to run a mobile marketing campaign, one of the best ways to get it right is to look to others who have had success in this area. This article will look at eight of the best mobile marketing campaigns that yielded the best results. Let’s dive in!
1. Ikea
One of the most successful mobile marketing campaigns was run by the furniture giant Ikea. The company also currently holds the title for the most downloaded app.
Why wouldn’t it get that recognition? Ikea created a mobile app that interacts with its customers. As a result, customers can get a clear idea of what Ikea products look like in their home – even before they buy them. Here, Ikea is focusing on one of the major pain points of buying furniture and using the app to engage with the customers.
That is all possible thanks to the virtual features of the app. Accessing their phone’s camera, a customer can get experimental with potential Ikea products through augmented reality.
Not only is this a practical process. It also allows the customer to have a bit of fun. Now, customers spend on average five minutes more on the app than they do on the Ikea catalogue!
2. Sephora
Emphasizing inclusion, Sephora created a mobile marketing campaign that championed its customers. The loud message was customer experience first, sales second.
That was a bold move, but it paid off because it produced a direct channel with its audience.
Because Sephora also insisted on being everywhere their customers were, the brand also created an omnichannel retail experience.
At the core of that omnichannel retail experience was Sephora’s mobile app. The app uses location-based marketing to recognize when a consumer enters a Sephora store. When that happens, the app gives the customer relevant information about the store, such as existing deals and even a customer map.
When the customer leaves the store, the app still serves a purpose. It gives users makeup video tutorials, product updates, and even the latest makeup trends, among other things.
Sephora’s goal was clear: To remain top of mind with customers whatever they do and wherever they go.
Sephora complemented the omnichannel retail experience with the sales training of its staff. The result was just what the brand needed—a potent tool for conversions!
3. Tinder and Manchester City
The Tinder Dating App combined forces with football giants, the club, Manchester City. The result? Just a match many believed was impossible!
That was not the most obvious of mobile marketing campaigns, but it worked because their partnership ensured global interaction. The marketing emphasis here, after all, was on the universal availability of Tinder. On the other hand, Tinder could get access to Manchester City and City Football Group sister club, Major League Soccer’s New York City FC football fans.
Through the app, users could access stadium events, games, and AR experiences. While doing this, they could also get a perfect love match with like-minded users in the process!
Most app users soon got on board with this odd pairing, thanks partly to the media buzz generated before the launch. How better to announce the odd partnership than by letting a blimp, yes, a blimp, fly over Manchester City itself?
4. Halifax
Halifax found themselves rewarded with a new audience. More precisely, one to the tune of over 20 million unique users! How was that possible? Through the creation of the most engaging of home-finder apps.
The Halifax app takes data from the credible property company Zoopla. It then combines this with an augmented reality layer and a practical mortgage calculator. The result is a potent marketing tool.
The app experience is just great. Who doesn’t love fun? Halifax ends up catering to all types of audiences as a result–from casual browsers of house sales to more serious property hunters.
But that’s not all. The app also helps solve people’s problems. Potential homeowners can download the Halifax Homefinder app and perform property searches. They can even discover house prices and mortgage rates on the app.
In other words, it’s a house-hunting app that markets itself as a genius helpful aid, as opposed to a sales app. Users can find all they need on the app. They do not need to search elsewhere for extra information.
Halifax’s clever marketing put them in front of an audience they had never reached before while increasing engagement levels tenfold! Now, that is a successful campaign.
5. Nissan
Nissan is known for its interactive mobile marketing campaign. But Nissan went one step further than its competitors with this campaign.
Under the campaign, users had to access the Nissan website to get to some interactive ads. After that, they’d have to type in a code to sync their phone with the website.
Once that was done, they could control the Nissan vehicle on the ad with their mobile phones! They could move the steering wheel from left to right just by touching their mobile screens. They could even park the car!
The more a person wanted to know about Nissan, the more they had to engage with the brand! Genius, right?
Nissan’s playful approach to mobile marketing opened its doors to a bigger audience. As a result, Nissan left behind its competitors who still believed in passive advertisements.
6. Nivea
Nivea broke new ground with their Sun Range mobile marketing campaign. That was one of the most trend-setting of marketing strategies. Their genius approach meant a handful of industry awards. It also ensured continued high interest in their app years after its official launch.
So, what was the campaign all about exactly? Nivea paired their mobile strategy with a print campaign. Users would remove a bracelet from Nivea’s print ads and wrap it around their children’s wrists. They would then download the Nivea app and sync it with the bracelet. So, when their children wandered off on the beach, the parents would be alerted.
Nivea’s app was not specifically about their product. Yet its message to customers resonated more with them that Nivea still ended up getting the desired conversions. For customers, after all, here was a company that just wanted to help.
7. Wendy’s
TwitchTV does not allow brands to promote on their site. But Wendy’s found a way to do just that without violating the rule – and it paid off.
Riding on the popularity of the live streaming platform for gamers and Fortnite, the American international fast food restaurant chain created a Fortnite character. Wendy’s goal? The marketing team at Wendy’s recorded the character smashing freezers.
The brand was making a clear statement. Wendy’s only serves fresh beef.
In a short space of time, Wendy’s campaign took the company into entirely new territory.
Wendy’s inventive campaign went viral, resulting in a vast drive in user engagement. The Twitch stream was viewed live more than a quarter of a million times. Not bad!
8. Burger King
Burger King’s Burn that Ad campaign was one of the best campaigns it has run so far. Under the campaign, customers who downloaded the Burger King app could use their phones to digitally burn the ads of Burger King rivals.
Why would they burn the ads in the first place, you ask? Well, for one, it’s just fun to do so. For another, those who did would get a free burger from Burger King.
The campaign worked because it had all the elements people were looking for.
Besides, Burger King managed to get a strong message across: Don’t entertain other burger joints because that’s what Burger King is here for.
Bottom Line
Mobile marketing campaigns have huge potential. They can take your brand to greater heights if done the right way. They help you target the customers where they are most active and helps your brand get more visibility.
In this article, we looked at eight of the most inspirational mobile marketing campaigns. Why not create interactive campaigns such as the ones run by Ikea, Nissan, and Burger King? Maybe you want to try out Sephora’s omnichannel retail strategy? If you want to reach a wider audience, be inspired by the Tinder and Manchester City campaign and Wendy’s.
Finally, why not find ways to help your customers in other ways, just like Nivea and Halifax did?
All these brands managed to bring their brands to life because of their ingenuity and creativity. Take your cue from them, and, with your great product, you’ll reach your marketing goals and, by extension, your business goals in no time. Good luck!
About the Author
Sam Molony is part of the marketing team at Mailshake. Sam’s goal is to inspire people to not just “hang in there” but to thrive. When Sam’s not publishing or promoting new content you can find him playing sports and cooking up a storm in the kitchen.
