{"id":4702,"date":"2010-10-06T08:27:32","date_gmt":"2010-10-06T12:27:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/retailprophet.com\/blog\/?p=857"},"modified":"2010-10-06T08:27:32","modified_gmt":"2010-10-06T12:27:32","slug":"mobile-apps-we-dont-need-no-stinking-badges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.retailprophet.com\/2010\/10\/06\/mobile-apps-we-dont-need-no-stinking-badges\/","title":{"rendered":"Mobile Apps: “We Don\u2019t Need No Stinking Badges”"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Doug Stephens<\/p>\n

If marketing research has taught us anything at all, it\u2019s that consumers despise being manipulated \u2013 at least knowingly<\/em> manipulated.\u00a0 As humans we prefer not to be cajoled into working for unclear results or rewards.\u00a0 So, why then have so many retailers defaulted to employing mobile applications that essentially treat consumers like fun loving Golden Retrievers?\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Mobile app Shopkick<\/strong><\/a> for example, puts consumers on virtual steeple chase through the store, completing various tasks in order to earn \u201ckick-bucks\u201d, points redeemable for discounts and merchandise.\u00a0 Tasks may include scanning products, visiting the fitting room or looking at a particular in-store sign.<\/p>\n

Geo-social pioneer, Foursquare<\/strong><\/a>, which started more as a social game than a shopping app, has been massaged by several retailers into a pseudo rewards program, offering special discounts for location-based \u201ccheck-ins\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 The GAP<\/strong><\/a>, for example, recently offered Foursquare users 25% off, just for checking in to their local GAP store.<\/p>\n

Similarly, new entrant SCVNGR<\/strong><\/a> prompts users to go places and complete location-specific challenges and in turn earn rewards.<\/p>\n

The Games People Play<\/strong><\/h3>\n

So why has gaming become the entry point for so many of these shopping apps?<\/p>\n

For one thing, games are easy to build.\u00a0 Establishing a do this get that<\/em> convention is pretty simple from a programming standpoint.\u00a0 At least it\u2019s a lot simpler than developing loads of content.<\/p>\n

Secondly, games are a fairly non-threatening means of inducing people to trial something.\u00a0 If it\u2019s just a game, who gets hurt right?\u00a0 And given that the eventual market value for mobile applications depends largely on their number of regular users, the path of least resistance is the best path to follow.\u00a0 And that path is often gaming.<\/p>\n

But with the rush to gaming conventions, one has to wonder how long it will be before consumers begin to experience game-fatigue.\u00a0 How many goose chases can we go on before the charm wears off?\u00a0 How many places can we become the Mayor of before we get bored?<\/p>\n

Tell me something I don\u2019t<\/em><\/strong> know<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What we\u2019ve known for a long time is that what consumers really crave is control over the shopping experience and with it, the information required to make informed and satisfying buying decisions.<\/p>\n

So, rather than badges, bucks or mayoral office, the real value of mobile proximity marketing would seem to lie in delivering relevant, timely and contextual information.\u00a0\u00a0 The kind of information that can snap us out of the catatonic state a wall of indiscernible product can induce.\u00a0 The kind of information that can rocket us toward an informed buying decision.<\/p>\n

Given the digital nature of just about everything, it would seem simple enough to deliver worthwhile information to shoppers where they need it most \u2013the store floor-\u00a0 but retail has been surprisingly slow in catching up to the shopper.<\/p>\n

Some mobile apps have done a good job of trying to add value for consumers.\u00a0 ShopSavvy<\/strong><\/a> for example, offers the ability to scan products and quickly pull down information and pricing on identical products within the user\u2019s proximity.\u00a0 Best Buy<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>has been pretty boldly experimenting with QR codes<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 rich 2D codes that when scanned, link the user to relevant information and media. Point Inside<\/strong><\/a> has focused on mapping retail environments making simple things like finding the cereal aisle a lot less time consuming.<\/p>\n

Friends with Benefits<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We also know from research that people trust their friends and even strangers more than companies. In fact, According to a recent Nielsen study, 90% of Consumers trust friend reviews compared to only 24% that trust text ads delivered to their mobile phone.<\/p>\n

The End Game<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the short term, games will continue to serve as a catalyst for consumer interest in mobile shopping apps.\u00a0 The long term key however, lies in delivering relevant, timely and contextual product and service information with a tie to the user\u2019s social network for opinions and advice.\u00a0 If done properly, retailers should be creating mobile applications that become indispensible shopping assistants that their customers can\u2019t imagine being without…apps that hold real value.<\/p>\n

Ultimately a remarkable shopping experience shouldn\u2019t be something consumers have to play<\/em> for but rather something they\u2019d be willing to pay<\/em> for.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Doug Stephens If marketing research has taught us anything at all, it\u2019s that consumers despise being manipulated \u2013 at least knowingly manipulated.\u00a0 As humans we [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,1],"tags":[12,85,15,87,23],"class_list":["post-4702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technology","category-uncategorized","tag-experience","tag-mobile-marketing-2","tag-retail-marketing","tag-retail-technology","tag-trends"],"yoast_head":"\nMobile Apps: "We Don\u2019t Need No Stinking Badges" | Retail Prophet<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.retailprophet.com\/2010\/10\/06\/mobile-apps-we-dont-need-no-stinking-badges\/\" 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