Have you ever made a trip to Costco and realized you left your coupons at home? Or maybe you want to snag some more of those amazing scallops you purchased at the warehouse retailer's Seafood Road Show. Costco is making shopping easier for customers in both of those circumstances — and many others shoppers may find themselves in — with its text marketing program. The big-box retailer's members can keep track of new locations opening in their area, holiday hours, and much more by opting...

Coupons are an effective way of attracting customers to a retail operation. There is no such thing as making it too easy for the public to access and redeem these offers. That’s why Bed Bath & Beyond made the move, in limited markets, to send popular coupons to customers’ mobile devices. Ease of adaptability and use The first rule in deploying a new technology is to make it easily adaptable. Customers can easily sign up with the Bed Bath & Beyond program by texting a...

In today’s competitive climate, restaurants need every advantage they can get to gain market-share. That’s what drove one IHOP franchise to take action by combining traditional media with mobile marketing. A Targeted Approach The store identified a problem that was remedied through a targeted marketing strategy. They wanted to build brand loyalty and drive traffic into local stores. The solution: Executing an integrated media campaign involving SMS marketing, direct mail and...

One selling point of SMS is its adaptability and versatility across industries. One example of a successful SMS campaign implementation and execution is Southwest Airlines. Improving Customer Service In May 2010, the carrier launched a campaign in hopes of cutting airport wait time and inbound passenger calls. The airline uses SMS to alert passengers of flight delays, cancellations and gate changes. The Old Way Wasn’t Working But why SMS? The simple answer is the old way...