Mobile Groove

Groupon’s most interesting offer to date doesn’t involve a discount but instead a deal with consumers to provide relevant offers via its new Groupon Now service in exchange for user permission to factor in location and buying habit data.

In the last week, Groupon gave mobile users in select cities the option to receive relevant, on-the-go offers (via iPhone and Android apps or the mobile Web).

In an email to users, Groupon put it this way: “If you use a Groupon mobile app and you allow sharing through your device, Groupon may collect geo-location information from the device and use it for marketing deals to you.”

Since launching its permission-based marketing service with Indian mobile operator Aircel in November 2010, mobile messaging media company Blyk reports over one million opted-in users. But the milestone doesn’t only confirm the attraction of a model that delivers advertising to people with their permission and in tune with their preferences. Blyk country manager Shubhodip (Shubho) Pal reveals the company has also tested (and proven) brand new approaches to raise awareness and acceptance of Aircel’s service among Indian youth.

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Aircel gets high marks for understanding and responding to the requirements of its user base. With some 54 million customers — 34 percent of them in the 16-29 age bracket — a permission-based, youth-centric service focused on delivering relevant advertising about trendy brands makes business sense.

Africa stands out as an exciting market for mobile marketing – provided brands learn to speak frankly (and often) to people about the products and services they offer. To achieve this agencies must develop more than effective mobile marketing campaigns; they must architect ongoing conversations aimed at reinforcing brand value and delivering people a simple and accessible brand experience. Jonathan McKay, Creative Director at Praekelt, a company that develops mobile solutions for developing markets, discusses the massive marketing opportunity in Africa and reveals (based on his first-hand experience with brands) the approaches that fly — and fail.

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With over one billion people and a voracious appetite for mobile content and information of all kinds, Africa is more than a market poised for explosive growth in mobile marketing and communications. It is also a sandbox for innovation and approaches that get amazing mileage out of ordinary feature phones and simple text messaging.

Faced with a dramatic and continuous double-digit decline in the ‘average revenue per user’ (ARPU) mobile operators have to learn how to sell more services to more customers better. But don’t think that broadcasting offers to an even broader subscriber base will do the trick. Alex Vratskides argues that operators will have to embrace other mobile marketing approaches to make a convincing (and personalized) pitch.

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A recent report from Wireless Intelligence reveals that ARPU across the 27 European Union countries has dropped by a staggering 20 percent over the last three years — and the decline continues. While prices for voice calls continue to fall, consumer demand for data usage—most notably video—is on the rise. But it’s hardly a reason for mobile operators to break out the champagne, since delivering data and video requires them to make significant investments in their network capabilities.

Mobile and social is a powerful combination. Add discount offers to the mix and the result is social shopping where interactivity with retailers, brands (and members of our social networks) is the rule. But does a lack of relevancy limit the chances for Groupon, LivingSocial and other daily deals in mobile? Lisa Ciangiulli looks at how companies like Groupon (and more importantly, mobile operators) could leverage permission marketing to deliver us mobile offers we really can’t refuse.

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The tidal wave of interest and activity around the deal-of-the-day model popularized by voucher vendors like Groupon and LivingSocial would indicate a business model built around delivering people good bargains is a great idea.

The advance of smartphones, the avalanche of apps and the heightened interest in mobile video, mobile barcodes and Augmented Reality are combining to take mobile marketing strategies and creatives to the next level. But are marketers and mobile operators getting ahead of themselves? Caroline Doussot argues there is plenty of mileage (and money) left in simple text messaging — particularly when companies ask our permission (and preferences) first.

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While our mobile devices and smartphones may be chock-full of features and functionality and our screen displays may be crowded with a wide variety of mobile applications, consumers still depend on text messaging to connect with the world around them. Whether chatting with friends and members of their social networks, or receiving alerts from banks and favorite brands, text is people’s primary communications tool.