Responding to the problem, ‘I left that coupon at home,’ Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts Stores introduced a proprietary iPhone application and mobile web experience powered by the 5th Finger RedShop Mobile marketing platform. Introduced in Q1 2011, the program initiated a seamless experience between the retailer’s 756 stores and email, print and direct mail marketing programs, by pushing out offers generated through any channel onto shoppers’ mobile phones.
“We underestimated the consumer appetite for a mobile solution to the simple problem of ‘I left my coupon at home’, and are ecstatic about the rapid consumer adoption and usage of the Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts Shopping Companion,” said Patrick Collins, CEO of 5th Finger. “Our initial results prove out our hypothesis that consumers don’t crave a new way to shop (i.e., through their phone), but rather they want support in their current shopping behaviors. We are looking forward to the next version of the mobile experience that creates even more for consumers ‘in-store’ and converts shoppers into buyers.”
The initial pilot program focused on ‘m-enabled’ commerce ― tapping the power of the mobile device to support and reinforce existing consumer shopping behaviors.
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The Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts mobile experiences are built on the 5th Finger proprietary mobile commerce platform RedShop Mobile, currently serving other retailers including Victoria’s Secret, Sunglass Hut, Safeway, Bath & Body Works and JoS.A.Bank Clothiers.
For Victoria’s Secret, 5th Finger used Bluetooth technology to entice shoppers into new flagship stores in New York. As consumers walked past the participating Victoria’s Secret stores, their phones vibrated and they were invited to download exclusive content including coupons and video clips. To date, more than 60,000 handsets have been detected in the Victoria’s Secret “BlueZones” and shoppers have accessed more than 1,000 downloads and redeemed more than 600 in-store offers.
For Sunglass Hut, 5th Finger initiated the “Look Famous” campaign, asking consumers to submit their own “Look Famous” photo in order to win a trip to New York city. To participate, the consumers were asked to upload a mobile phone picture to the Sunglass Hut web site. The program was successful in driving user-generated content to the web site and motivating shoppers to visit the stores.
