Partnership with CrossLink Media extended 5 years
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, May 26, 2010 — The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), a joint military activity providing quality merchandise and services to the military and their families, has expanded its mobile marketing efforts to 120 primary retail stores nationwide. Since 2008, AAFES has been sending money saving offers to military shoppers’ mobile phones at seven installations through an exclusive partnership with CrossLink Media, provider of interactive mobile solutions. The AAFES Mobile Marketing program has been a great success with 2009 revenues yielding more than $600,000, which is directly linked to the mobile marketing efforts. Redemption rates for the AAFES mobile offerings have even reached as high as 30% (Typically, printed coupons average less than one percent redemption).
“Serving a diverse customer base like America’s military requires AAFES to seek opportunities to engage military shoppers through a variety of mediums,” says David Haning, Chief of Customer Relationship Marketing. “Enhancing the exchange’s value proposition through “smart” and “mobile” devices is consistent with our mission to deliver competitively priced goods and services to the military communities AAFES serves,”
After a mandatory open call for proposals from other major mobile companies, AAFES once again selected CrossLink Media as their exclusive mobile marketing partner for the next five years. CrossLink Media offers a robust, user-friendly mobile messaging platform, MessageLink, as well as superior customer service which makes them a strong partner for AAFES.
“AAFES was an early adopter of mobile messaging,” says Brad Beasley, President of CrossLink Media. “We are proud to continue our partnership by offering them an easy to use and effective way to connect with their shoppers.”
In recent years mobile subscribers have embraced mobile messaging at an astonishing rate. With more than five billion text messages being sent daily in the US[i], it is no surprise that the average mobile subscriber sends more text messages than phone calls.[ii] Coupling that with a down economy, there has never been a better time to utilize mobile coupons.
About CrossLink Media
CrossLink Media, a leading interactive mobile company, provides mobile solutions that connect brands with consumers, anytime, anywhere via their most personal device – the wireless phone. Its proprietary software platform, MessageLink, allows organizations, brands and media companies to effectively communicate with consumers in real-time and with measurable results. CrossLink Media also services brands with its proprietary Bluetooth ad-serving software, BlueLink, which enables brands to further develop their customer relationships within close proximity to the BlueLink device.
CrossLink Media creates, manages and delivers mobile campaigns via relationships with all major wireless carriers throughout the United States. Whether it’s broadcast, print, outdoor, or online, CrossLink Media cuts through the advertising clutter and creates a one-on-one relationship with the mobile consumer. For more information, visit www.CrossLinkMedia.com.
About Army and Air Force Exchange Service
The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is a joint command and is directed by a Board of Directors which is responsible to the Secretaries of the Army and the Air Force through the Service Chiefs of Staff. AAFES has the dual mission of providing authorized patrons with articles of merchandise and services and generating non-appropriated fund earnings as a supplemental source of funding for military Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs. To find out more about AAFES' history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our Web site at http://www.aafes.com/pa/default.asp.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Cinema Solutions and CrossLink Media Partner to Provide Interactive Mobile Marketing to Movie Theatres Nationwide
Introducing a SMS text marketing program tailored to the cinema industry.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA and SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, (March 17, 2010) — Cinema Solutions announces a strategic partnership with CrossLink Media, provider of interactive mobile solutions, to offer mobile marketing plans tailored specifically to the cinema industry. Cinema Solutions is well established in offering e-Procurement solutions and this partnership has inspired them to bring a technology solution to the marketing side of the business.
With more than 275 million mobile subscribers[i] in the US and more than 25% of Americans participating in at least one, and as many as ten, SMS marketing programs every month[ii], Cinema Solutions felt the time was right for a mobile offering. “Mobile marketing is proving to be a cost-effective and personal way to engage patrons,” said Anthony Kylitis, VP Marketing & Account Services. “Cinema Solutions found the right mobile partner in CrossLink Media with an offering of easy to use and measurable products that can be extended to our clients.”
Cinema Solutions’ mobile marketing program utilizes features like mobile alerts and mobile coupons to help theaters drive traffic into their locations and increase concession revenues. They can further enhance the experience to opt-in subscribers by using tools like mobile trivia, mobile barcodes, mobile voting and sweepstakes.
The mobile marketing program uses SMS technology to send short text messages to and from mobile devices. Theaters will use in-store advertising, along with all other forms of media, to promote the new mobile marketing program. In addition, they can run mobile promotions and continue to build a subscriber base through additional opt-in campaigns. Pricing has been designed to be affordable for any size theater chain and can be scaled according to the theater’s needs and budget.
“CrossLink Media is excited to be able to offer highly targeted campaigns to the cinema industry.” said Brad Beasley, President of CrossLink Media. “Cinema Solutions is an ideal partner with a commitment to offering well-developed technical solutions to their clients.”
About CrossLink Media
CrossLink Media, a leading interactive mobile company, provides mobile solutions that connect brands with consumers, anytime, anywhere via their most personal device – the wireless phone. Its proprietary software platform, MessageLink, allows organizations, brands and media companies to effectively communicate with consumers in real-time and with measurable results. CrossLink Media also services brands with its proprietary Bluetooth ad-serving software, BlueLink, which enables brands to further develop their customer relationships within close proximity to the BlueLink device.
CrossLink Media creates, manages and delivers mobile campaigns via relationships with all major wireless carriers throughout the United States. Whether it’s broadcast, print, outdoor, or online, CrossLink Media cuts through the advertising clutter and creates a one-on-one relationship with the mobile consumer. For more information, visit www.CrossLinkMedia.com.
About Cinema Solutions
Cinema Solutions, Inc. is a software company dedicated to providing advanced electronic purchasing management (e-Procurement) solutions to small-to-medium size businesses as well as large companies. All of our solutions are built on the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) deployment model. In fact, we are proud to say we were providing SaaS solutions even before the term "SaaS" was coined. SaaS is taking the software world by storm and is quickly becoming the preferred deployment model for B2B software. For more information, visit http://www.CinemaSolutions.com.
###
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
CrossLink Media Announces Solution Partnership with Rackspace Hosting
CrossLink Media Teams With Rackspace to Provide Customers with a Reliable and Scalable Managed Infrastructure
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - (April 8, 2009) - CrossLink Media today announced they have become a Select Partner in the Solution Partner Network with Rackspace® Hosting, (NYSE: RAX), the world’s leader and specialist in hosted IT services. This agreement is designed to add mutual value for their current clients and to increase targeted exposure and reputation for both companies.
CrossLink Media delivers interactive mobile solutions that create one-on-one relationships and engages mobile consumers. Its core product, MessageLink, provides an enterprise-level solution that is used by leading brands, government entities, advertising/marketing agencies and entertainment companies. CrossLink Media connects technologies in order to create a truly interactive consumer experience.
“Rackspace can provide our customers with a solid and reliable infrastructure on which to grow their business. This is increasingly important to us given our expanding roster of mobile marketing clients,” said Brad Beasley, President of CrossLink Media. “Rackspace is the perfect solution partner for us as we both share the same passion for excellence and customer support.”
“CrossLink Media is an innovative company in the mobile space and these types of relationships help us provide our customers with more value-added services,” said Scott White, director of channel sales, Rackspace Hosting.
About CrossLink Media: CrossLink Media, a leading interactive mobile software company, provides mobile solutions that create a truly interactive consumer experience. Its proprietary software platform, MessageLink, allows organizations, brands and media companies to effectively communicate with consumers in real-time and with measurable results. CrossLink Media also services brands with its proprietary Bluetooth ad-serving software, BlueLink, which enables brands to further develop their customer relationships within close proximity to the BlueLink device.
CrossLink Media creates, manages and delivers mobile campaigns via relationships with all major wireless carriers throughout the United States. CrossLink Media’s mobile network provides access to over 200 million wireless phone subscribers in the U.S. and can extend this network to reach over 2 billion consumers worldwide. Whether it’s broadcast, print, outdoor, or online, CrossLink Media cuts through the advertising clutter and creates a one-on-one relationship with the mobile consumer. For more information, visit www.CrossLinkMedia.com.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - (April 8, 2009) - CrossLink Media today announced they have become a Select Partner in the Solution Partner Network with Rackspace® Hosting, (NYSE: RAX), the world’s leader and specialist in hosted IT services. This agreement is designed to add mutual value for their current clients and to increase targeted exposure and reputation for both companies.
CrossLink Media delivers interactive mobile solutions that create one-on-one relationships and engages mobile consumers. Its core product, MessageLink, provides an enterprise-level solution that is used by leading brands, government entities, advertising/marketing agencies and entertainment companies. CrossLink Media connects technologies in order to create a truly interactive consumer experience.
“Rackspace can provide our customers with a solid and reliable infrastructure on which to grow their business. This is increasingly important to us given our expanding roster of mobile marketing clients,” said Brad Beasley, President of CrossLink Media. “Rackspace is the perfect solution partner for us as we both share the same passion for excellence and customer support.”
“CrossLink Media is an innovative company in the mobile space and these types of relationships help us provide our customers with more value-added services,” said Scott White, director of channel sales, Rackspace Hosting.
About CrossLink Media: CrossLink Media, a leading interactive mobile software company, provides mobile solutions that create a truly interactive consumer experience. Its proprietary software platform, MessageLink, allows organizations, brands and media companies to effectively communicate with consumers in real-time and with measurable results. CrossLink Media also services brands with its proprietary Bluetooth ad-serving software, BlueLink, which enables brands to further develop their customer relationships within close proximity to the BlueLink device.
CrossLink Media creates, manages and delivers mobile campaigns via relationships with all major wireless carriers throughout the United States. CrossLink Media’s mobile network provides access to over 200 million wireless phone subscribers in the U.S. and can extend this network to reach over 2 billion consumers worldwide. Whether it’s broadcast, print, outdoor, or online, CrossLink Media cuts through the advertising clutter and creates a one-on-one relationship with the mobile consumer. For more information, visit www.CrossLinkMedia.com.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Phones now: info in, info out
Source: San Antonio Express-News
When Jo Michele Pierson leaves the house to run errands, the first thing on her list is to pull out her phone and send a message to a group of 157 friends — here and around the world — about what she's doing.
Most moments of her life are chronicled like this. She's been doing it so long, via a free service called Bright Kite, that it's second nature to the 34-year-old college student.
Whether she's stuck in a line at a store, having a coughing fit at home, buying a cane-sugar Dr Pepper at Buc-ees or earning her beads at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, they'll know minutes after she does it. And they'll react, offering up their thoughts and their location.
“It's nice to get a real-time point of view of what's going on,” says Pierson. “It's interesting to know who's doing what. You have a certain level of interaction with these people even if you're not with them. It becomes a multidimensional relationship.”
These dimensions include photos, video, text messages and GPS location. And every once in a while, Pierson makes phone calls.
Welcome to the new world of geo-location, where information is the way people communicate and the wireless phone has evolved into a beacon. Combining social media, GPS mapping, Internet search engines and the multimedia capabilities of modern wireless devices, phones are now an always-on, two-way street of data that people use to navigate the world and stay connected around the clock.
With a phone, you can find your way, find a restaurant, find your friends, find a movie and find (and avoid) a speed trap.
David Lee, a software developer whose company created the iPhone app Car Spotter, says the phone's GPS function creates a new layer of information that wasn't there before — constant knowledge of location.
Car Spotter lets users leave their car in a large parking area, make a note of it on the phone, wander afar and then have a digital bread-crumb trail to follow back to their vehicle.
“People want to know where they are and what's around them,” Lee said in an e-mail interview. “It gives them bearings.”
Geo-aware applications, Lee said, save people time and money and allow “convergence” with their surroundings.
That's possible, says Dan Costa, PC Magazine's executive editor, because of the evolution of wireless phones from voice devices to computers.
“They have the computing power of a PC from 10 years ago,” Costa says. “Your phone is more powerful than your first PC was. A cellular phone connection is a cellular data connection. You can do anything with your phone that you can do with your PC.”
And it does even more — a phone is portable and most new ones have GPS capabilities.
“The thing that a phone brings that a PC can't is portability,” he said. “And they're location-specific. They travel with you. There are a host of applications that aren't just about what you're doing, but where you are. They fix you at a time and place, as well as being able to reach you. It's not about sending you a discount movie theater ticket while you're at work or home, but sending you a discount coupon as you enter the mall.”
But it's not just wireless users seeking info. Marketers are realizing the value of the phone as a pipeline to your pocket or purse.
The first wave was text messaging contests, such as the voting for “American Idol” or television news polls. Then came interactive advertising, where viewers could opt in to get text messages of trivia and promos from television shows and bands.
Now merchants are designing ways to make it worth your while to give them access to your cell phone.
A local auto dealer sends out a list of car deals for drivers who text in a special number. And an apartment ownership group has rolled a system to notify tenants of special events and send them reminders when rent is due.
Santikos Theatres has taken the lead among local companies using the technology. The Santikos Mobile VIP club takes seconds to join and puts users on a list that receives weekly text messages about showtimes, coupons and special offers.
“It makes so much sense,” says Meghan Vincent, Santikos' director of communications. “Stand in a lobby in any theater. Whenever a movie lets out, every kid that comes out of that auditorium turns on their cell phone and starts texting.
“That's our demographic.”
Right now, the system is limited in what it can do. In the future, patrons will be able to buy tickets via text message.
Vincent imagines that text-messaging will come into play in the auditoriums, too. There might be Friday night interactive trivia contests. Audience members could vote, via text, on what trailers will be shown before a movie. Or maybe there will be contests to see which high school is most heavily represented in the crowd, like a digital “spirit stick.”
And it goes further. Brad Beasley, whose CrossLink Media developed and manages Santikos' system, sees the day when theaters have designated “Bluetooth Zones.” Those would be areas where customers would have to opt in and allow Bluetooth connectivity with the theater's computer system. Once the systems are in sync, customers could receive streaming media — such as movie trailers, entertainment news, locally produced content — on their phones.
“This opens up a whole new area for marketing, advertising and for customers,” Beasley said.
CrossLink has also developed systems for military exchanges, which send coupons and news of special sales to military families. He's drafting a system for his church, which will allow the pastor to offer interactive sermons.
And the CrossLink system has been rolled out for United Apartment Group, which owns 6,000 apartments in 36 complexes all over town. Besides the monthly-rent and special-event reminders, there are plans to send news that's specific to each tenant, says Katrina Campbell of Outside The Box, a promotion company that works with UAG. Right now, that's an on-demand texting service for apartment hunters, offering the company's hottest deals.
So far, only a few tenants have opted in for the system. United and Outside The Box are pushing it for all residents of their properties.
As the program ramps up, there are numerous options still to be realized — traffic updates specific to each complex that can be sent to tenants, an ability for tenants to make maintenance requests to a centralized dispatch, even emergency evacuation messages in case of fire or natural disasters.
All of these uses become possible, says Wendy Welsh, Outside The Box president, because of the changing role of the phone.
The first generation of wireless users viewed the devices as private phones because of the high costs, Welsh said. Now, as rates have dropped and more people have dropped land lines, the cell phone is their phone of choice. That makes text communication more effective.
The basic premise behind the text messaging systems, Campbell says, is simple.
“People will ignore an e-mail and they'll screen calls. But they always read a text message. And everyone always has their phone with them.”
Costa says more and more companies and phone users will join the interactive community.
“You're going to see more people using their phone as a total communication platform,” he says. “That's where a phone still excels and can't be beat. It's still text communication in real-time, e-mail communication and in many ways it's almost faster and easier to reach in your pocket and send an e-mail than finding a computer.”
When Jo Michele Pierson leaves the house to run errands, the first thing on her list is to pull out her phone and send a message to a group of 157 friends — here and around the world — about what she's doing.
Most moments of her life are chronicled like this. She's been doing it so long, via a free service called Bright Kite, that it's second nature to the 34-year-old college student.
Whether she's stuck in a line at a store, having a coughing fit at home, buying a cane-sugar Dr Pepper at Buc-ees or earning her beads at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, they'll know minutes after she does it. And they'll react, offering up their thoughts and their location.
“It's nice to get a real-time point of view of what's going on,” says Pierson. “It's interesting to know who's doing what. You have a certain level of interaction with these people even if you're not with them. It becomes a multidimensional relationship.”
These dimensions include photos, video, text messages and GPS location. And every once in a while, Pierson makes phone calls.
Welcome to the new world of geo-location, where information is the way people communicate and the wireless phone has evolved into a beacon. Combining social media, GPS mapping, Internet search engines and the multimedia capabilities of modern wireless devices, phones are now an always-on, two-way street of data that people use to navigate the world and stay connected around the clock.
With a phone, you can find your way, find a restaurant, find your friends, find a movie and find (and avoid) a speed trap.
David Lee, a software developer whose company created the iPhone app Car Spotter, says the phone's GPS function creates a new layer of information that wasn't there before — constant knowledge of location.
Car Spotter lets users leave their car in a large parking area, make a note of it on the phone, wander afar and then have a digital bread-crumb trail to follow back to their vehicle.
“People want to know where they are and what's around them,” Lee said in an e-mail interview. “It gives them bearings.”
Geo-aware applications, Lee said, save people time and money and allow “convergence” with their surroundings.
That's possible, says Dan Costa, PC Magazine's executive editor, because of the evolution of wireless phones from voice devices to computers.
“They have the computing power of a PC from 10 years ago,” Costa says. “Your phone is more powerful than your first PC was. A cellular phone connection is a cellular data connection. You can do anything with your phone that you can do with your PC.”
And it does even more — a phone is portable and most new ones have GPS capabilities.
“The thing that a phone brings that a PC can't is portability,” he said. “And they're location-specific. They travel with you. There are a host of applications that aren't just about what you're doing, but where you are. They fix you at a time and place, as well as being able to reach you. It's not about sending you a discount movie theater ticket while you're at work or home, but sending you a discount coupon as you enter the mall.”
But it's not just wireless users seeking info. Marketers are realizing the value of the phone as a pipeline to your pocket or purse.
The first wave was text messaging contests, such as the voting for “American Idol” or television news polls. Then came interactive advertising, where viewers could opt in to get text messages of trivia and promos from television shows and bands.
Now merchants are designing ways to make it worth your while to give them access to your cell phone.
A local auto dealer sends out a list of car deals for drivers who text in a special number. And an apartment ownership group has rolled a system to notify tenants of special events and send them reminders when rent is due.
Santikos Theatres has taken the lead among local companies using the technology. The Santikos Mobile VIP club takes seconds to join and puts users on a list that receives weekly text messages about showtimes, coupons and special offers.
“It makes so much sense,” says Meghan Vincent, Santikos' director of communications. “Stand in a lobby in any theater. Whenever a movie lets out, every kid that comes out of that auditorium turns on their cell phone and starts texting.
“That's our demographic.”
Right now, the system is limited in what it can do. In the future, patrons will be able to buy tickets via text message.
Vincent imagines that text-messaging will come into play in the auditoriums, too. There might be Friday night interactive trivia contests. Audience members could vote, via text, on what trailers will be shown before a movie. Or maybe there will be contests to see which high school is most heavily represented in the crowd, like a digital “spirit stick.”
And it goes further. Brad Beasley, whose CrossLink Media developed and manages Santikos' system, sees the day when theaters have designated “Bluetooth Zones.” Those would be areas where customers would have to opt in and allow Bluetooth connectivity with the theater's computer system. Once the systems are in sync, customers could receive streaming media — such as movie trailers, entertainment news, locally produced content — on their phones.
“This opens up a whole new area for marketing, advertising and for customers,” Beasley said.
CrossLink has also developed systems for military exchanges, which send coupons and news of special sales to military families. He's drafting a system for his church, which will allow the pastor to offer interactive sermons.
And the CrossLink system has been rolled out for United Apartment Group, which owns 6,000 apartments in 36 complexes all over town. Besides the monthly-rent and special-event reminders, there are plans to send news that's specific to each tenant, says Katrina Campbell of Outside The Box, a promotion company that works with UAG. Right now, that's an on-demand texting service for apartment hunters, offering the company's hottest deals.
So far, only a few tenants have opted in for the system. United and Outside The Box are pushing it for all residents of their properties.
As the program ramps up, there are numerous options still to be realized — traffic updates specific to each complex that can be sent to tenants, an ability for tenants to make maintenance requests to a centralized dispatch, even emergency evacuation messages in case of fire or natural disasters.
All of these uses become possible, says Wendy Welsh, Outside The Box president, because of the changing role of the phone.
The first generation of wireless users viewed the devices as private phones because of the high costs, Welsh said. Now, as rates have dropped and more people have dropped land lines, the cell phone is their phone of choice. That makes text communication more effective.
The basic premise behind the text messaging systems, Campbell says, is simple.
“People will ignore an e-mail and they'll screen calls. But they always read a text message. And everyone always has their phone with them.”
Costa says more and more companies and phone users will join the interactive community.
“You're going to see more people using their phone as a total communication platform,” he says. “That's where a phone still excels and can't be beat. It's still text communication in real-time, e-mail communication and in many ways it's almost faster and easier to reach in your pocket and send an e-mail than finding a computer.”
Friday, March 6, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Please Hold, My Cellphone Is Buying a Gift
Source: Wall Street Journal
By JOSEPH DE AVILA
Retailers eager to attract holiday shoppers are expanding their digital efforts to reach them this season.
Stores like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. are using more text-message alerts to spread the news about sales. Online retailers like Buy.com Inc. are sending out daily messages on Twitter, a blogging site that uses short messages, to advertise the latest holiday specials. The Gap Inc., Target Corp., Sears Holdings Corp. and Amazon.com Inc. are pushing new mobile programs this year, too.
Retailers hope these efforts make it easier for customers to shop online, with their cellphones or even at brick-and-mortar stores. And while the prices touted digitally are basically the same as those offered in the store, retailers say customers can get news of sales earlier than with other methods, such as commercials or circulars.
This digital outreach comes as retailers worry about weak sales during what typically is their busiest time of year. Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 5, shoppers spent $14.92 billion online, essentially the same as last year, according to a report released Sunday by research firm comScore Inc. Still, on Cyber Monday, the first Monday after Thanksgiving, holiday shoppers spent $846 million, a 15% increase from last year, comScore's report said.
Connecting with busy shoppers through their mobile phones "is even more important right now" for retailers, given the tough economic climate, says Brad Beasley, president of CrossLink Media, a mobile-marketing firm.
Most cellphones support the promotional text messages. But many advanced shopping and commerce features are built for specific smart phones, such as the Apple iPhone. Most programs, like text-message alerts, require consumers to sign up either through their phones or via the Web.
Wal-Mart is sending out more-frequent text-message alerts to its shoppers who signed up for the service, says Melissa O'Brien a spokeswoman for the company. Last year, Wal-Mart sent out three alerts to shoppers' cellphones the entire holiday season. This year, the company is sending out weekly alerts that customers can tailor by category. Last week, Wal-Mart sent customers text messages detailing holiday specials on toys and home electronics. Shoppers can click on links within the text messages that will take them to Wal-Mart's mobile Web site to find additional details and reviews of that item.
Buy.com is sending out daily deals on Twitter, a Web site on which users send and share short messages via the Web, text-messages and email, says Neel Grover, Buy.com's chief executive and president. The company is sending out about 25 messages a day about new specials it is offering, Mr. Grover says.
Last month, Sears launched a new mobile Web site called Sears2Go, where customers can make credit-card purchases directly from their phones. Tom Aiello, a Sears spokesman, says one way shoppers are using the site is to make purchases while in the store after finding out that an item is sold out.
Amazon.com, Target and the Gap each recently released free iPhone applications for holiday shoppers. Amazon's application, launched last week, is one of the most robust shopping applications for the iPhone. Users can browse for items and compare prices of new and used items sold by Amazon and its retail partners. Shoppers can make purchases directly from the application.
Amazon.com released a mobile Web site optimized for the iPhone soon after the phone was released. After noticing the traffic and sales that the site got from users, the company decided to develop a specific application with richer features, says Sam Hall, director of wireless products and services for Amazon. For example, the new application lets users snap a photo of item using the phone's camera, and Amazon employees try to find similar items for sale on the Web site.
Jeffrey Donenfeld, a 26-year-old manager for an interactive marketing firm in New York, recently downloaded the Amazon application. Mr. Donenfeld says he likes being able to use it while in stores to compare prices against items on Amazon. But he will use the application only to buy products he has already researched, he says.
The Gap's iPhone application lets users mix and match clothing items to create an outfit. The components are then compiled on a gift list. Shoppers then use the application to find the closest Gap store in their area.
Target's iPhone application focuses on giving shoppers gift recommendations based on the gender and age of the recipient. After inputting this info, shoppers give the phone a shake, and a recommended gift item appears on the phone. The application gives shoppers links to Target's Web site, where they can buy the item or look for the nearest store. For the first time this year, Target is sending out text-message alerts about their holiday sales to its registered customers, too.
By JOSEPH DE AVILA
Retailers eager to attract holiday shoppers are expanding their digital efforts to reach them this season.
Stores like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. are using more text-message alerts to spread the news about sales. Online retailers like Buy.com Inc. are sending out daily messages on Twitter, a blogging site that uses short messages, to advertise the latest holiday specials. The Gap Inc., Target Corp., Sears Holdings Corp. and Amazon.com Inc. are pushing new mobile programs this year, too.
Retailers hope these efforts make it easier for customers to shop online, with their cellphones or even at brick-and-mortar stores. And while the prices touted digitally are basically the same as those offered in the store, retailers say customers can get news of sales earlier than with other methods, such as commercials or circulars.
This digital outreach comes as retailers worry about weak sales during what typically is their busiest time of year. Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 5, shoppers spent $14.92 billion online, essentially the same as last year, according to a report released Sunday by research firm comScore Inc. Still, on Cyber Monday, the first Monday after Thanksgiving, holiday shoppers spent $846 million, a 15% increase from last year, comScore's report said.
Connecting with busy shoppers through their mobile phones "is even more important right now" for retailers, given the tough economic climate, says Brad Beasley, president of CrossLink Media, a mobile-marketing firm.
Most cellphones support the promotional text messages. But many advanced shopping and commerce features are built for specific smart phones, such as the Apple iPhone. Most programs, like text-message alerts, require consumers to sign up either through their phones or via the Web.
Wal-Mart is sending out more-frequent text-message alerts to its shoppers who signed up for the service, says Melissa O'Brien a spokeswoman for the company. Last year, Wal-Mart sent out three alerts to shoppers' cellphones the entire holiday season. This year, the company is sending out weekly alerts that customers can tailor by category. Last week, Wal-Mart sent customers text messages detailing holiday specials on toys and home electronics. Shoppers can click on links within the text messages that will take them to Wal-Mart's mobile Web site to find additional details and reviews of that item.
Buy.com is sending out daily deals on Twitter, a Web site on which users send and share short messages via the Web, text-messages and email, says Neel Grover, Buy.com's chief executive and president. The company is sending out about 25 messages a day about new specials it is offering, Mr. Grover says.
Last month, Sears launched a new mobile Web site called Sears2Go, where customers can make credit-card purchases directly from their phones. Tom Aiello, a Sears spokesman, says one way shoppers are using the site is to make purchases while in the store after finding out that an item is sold out.
Amazon.com, Target and the Gap each recently released free iPhone applications for holiday shoppers. Amazon's application, launched last week, is one of the most robust shopping applications for the iPhone. Users can browse for items and compare prices of new and used items sold by Amazon and its retail partners. Shoppers can make purchases directly from the application.
Amazon.com released a mobile Web site optimized for the iPhone soon after the phone was released. After noticing the traffic and sales that the site got from users, the company decided to develop a specific application with richer features, says Sam Hall, director of wireless products and services for Amazon. For example, the new application lets users snap a photo of item using the phone's camera, and Amazon employees try to find similar items for sale on the Web site.
Jeffrey Donenfeld, a 26-year-old manager for an interactive marketing firm in New York, recently downloaded the Amazon application. Mr. Donenfeld says he likes being able to use it while in stores to compare prices against items on Amazon. But he will use the application only to buy products he has already researched, he says.
The Gap's iPhone application lets users mix and match clothing items to create an outfit. The components are then compiled on a gift list. Shoppers then use the application to find the closest Gap store in their area.
Target's iPhone application focuses on giving shoppers gift recommendations based on the gender and age of the recipient. After inputting this info, shoppers give the phone a shake, and a recommended gift item appears on the phone. The application gives shoppers links to Target's Web site, where they can buy the item or look for the nearest store. For the first time this year, Target is sending out text-message alerts about their holiday sales to its registered customers, too.
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