It’s no secret that SmartPhones have swept the nation. There are nearly as many tech-savvy SmartPhone users as regular cellphones now. With this new, widespread technology comes new opportunities for marketers. There’s iPhone apps, FourSquare, Groupon, CitySearch and many others.
One particular mobile marketing program is WeReward. It is a user friendly rewards program available to iPhone, Android, and Blackberrys. Customers are able to take a picture of their buying experience with a business, post on WeReward, and receive some kind of deal to persuade return buys.
With all the interactive hype going around with social media, and brands trying to connect to their consumers on a more personal level, WeReward is just one more opportunity to do this. It encourages consumers to post about businesses on their social media sites and in return receive points on WeReward. For example, Starbucks may offer a WeReward of 500 points to each of the first 500 people to submit a picture of themselves drinking a Starbucks beverage. With each point being worth one penny, consumers’ points can add up and reap in benefits of sending in mobile photos with their products.
"They don't expect to be marketed to," said EffectiveUI's president, Anthony Franco, "They expect to get something done in this channel." Apps need to meet consumer’s expectations, especially since consumers are likely to tell others whether an app is good or bad.
“It enables us to create awareness for our stores when buyers are nearby, drives social sharing and gives people a fun way to interact with the Domino’s brand,” Multi Media Marketing VP of Domino's, Dennis Maloney, said. Another benefit of using WeRewards as a business is it only charges advertisers when customers actually make purchases and their WeReward budget can be adjusted at any time.
Will it be a success? It’s hard to tell. It’s a fun way to interact with brands and receive rewards for future visits. WeReward is also less invasive to consumers privacy than other programs such as FourSquare or Facebook’s Places, which can reveal a person's exact location.
