In-store mobile marketing solution enables real-time targeting of shoppers in-store

The solution allows retailers to promote and increase real-time, mobile engagement in-store while tracking consumers' shopping behavior and locations. Called the Shopper Marketing solution, it brings together the physical and the digital to enable the communication of contextually relevant offers.

"One shopping trip opens up a huge opportunity for retailers to get to know their customers and promote their brand across all channels," said Dan Parker, CEO of Sponge. "We're focused on helping retailers to drive awareness, interest, desire and action whereby rather than making a blanket offer to customers, they can personalize."

Sponge, which works with brands such as Adidas, Barclays Bank and Coca-Cola, has developed a simple yet effective solution that allows retailers to engage consumers with targeted offers as they shop in-store. It relies on free in-store wi-fi into which shoppers are encouraged to log-in. After logging in, the shopper is presented with an offer, such as a free gift when a spend limit is reached, that is given after the shopper has selected their gender. A QR Code is sent to the shopper in a verification text, and this can be redeemed by scanning the voucher at the check-out.

A demonstration of the solution can be viewed online.

Consumer engagement can continue outside the store and, by using the data collected by the Shopper Marketing Solution, targeted offers and in-store promotions can be communicated via mobile SMS.

"High street stores need to work harder for retailers - they need to bring their brand proposition to life, capture data and increase engagement," says Parker. "This helps link the physical to the digital in a way that gives insight into how an individual shopper is interacting with a retail brand."

According to the press release I received, several retailers are due to use the Shopper Marketing system, which is being launched at key retail industry events during March, 2013.

Tags: brand marketing, engagement, in-store mobile, mobile shopping, QR Code, retail tools, retail trends, SMS