10 of the Best Quotes from the Mobile Retail Summit
- Thursday, June 5th, 2014
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The Mobile Retail Summit provided some fascinating insights into the way mobile technology is bringing permanent changes to how retailers operate. The day saw 19 great presentations from brands including Dominos, Westfield and Humble Grape, and mobile experts like Amobee, Millennial Media and Donky. Weve gathered together 10 of the best one-liners from the day for your enjoyment, which youll find below.
“Geo-fencing needs to be looked at on a much larger scale than just the transaction of sending a message.”
-Paul Putman, CEO of Donky, explored some of the options that location-based services can give to retail operators, like using geo-fencing to map how your customers are approaching your store and using that to encourage footfall and tailor what offers you are presenting to people.
“For every £80 spent on acquisition, only £1 is spent on conversion.”
-Jim Rudall, mid-market sales director for MoPowered, talked about the importance of a delivering a smooth mobile experience to customers, for whom one of the major benefits of mobile shopping is the ease and convenience. 97 per cent of drop-out by mobile customers happens at the check-out, so creating a hassle-free method of payment is crucial.
“We have to be a mobile-first organisation.”
-Paul Francis, head of eCommerce at Dominos, shared his experiences in transforming the pizza chain into a pioneering mobile-driven retailer, and how important it is that no matter what channel the customer chooses to use when contacting the company, it has to offer a complete experience for them. Read more about Francis presentation here.
“The adoption rate of mobile is twice that of the internet, three times that of social media, and 10 times faster than PCs.”
-Emma Crowe, senior vice president of client strategy for Somo, talked about the fundamental mind shift that mobile has created in customers – 50 per cent of shoppers believe they are better informed than sales staff and store associates, in part because of what mobile connectivity allows them to do.
“21 per cent of the time when an app is installed, its used once.”
Tom Farrell, director of marketing at Swrve, addressed the need to build apps with lifetime value that can stand the test of high user attrition rates. He pointed to utilising the huge amounts of rich data mobile technology provides as a way of fighting back against user loss, by targeting ads with more precision than has ever been possible before now.
“Amazons one-click is almost too convenient – I got home the other day to find a guitar in the hallway my ten year-old had bought on my phone when I wasnt looking.”
-Rob Thurner, managing partner at Burn The Sky, spoke about creating connected experiences for consumers who are increasingly looking to augment their shopping experience with their mobile phone. Even something as simple as ensuring you have wi-fi in store can result in customers staying longer, spending more and returning more often.
“The mobile phone is a bit like God – its omnipresent.”
Jampps Joana Picq spoke about how many retailers still think in terms of people being “online” or “offline”, but the rise of the smartphone has obliterated that distinction. She also dealt with the importance of good app creation, noting that 87 per cent of mobile activity is via apps, rather than mobile web.
“Were a really small brand and we tried to do something innovative.”
James Dawson, the founder of Humble Grape, talked about how building his wine bar with mobile technology at the centre of his thinking allowed his company to stand out from the crowd, and meant that people could continue to connect with the brand long after they had left the bar.
“Mobiles are the devices where the high street fights back.”
During the panel debate, Mandeep Singh, CEO and co-founder of StreetHub, spoke about how independent retailers can revitalise themselves by integrating mobile technology into their everyday operations, using it to gain an insight into their customers and connect with them more richly as a brand.
“Weve taken the horse to water – how do we prove its drunk once its got there?”
Lindsay Wiles, strategic sales director at The Weather Channel, talked in the panel debate about how mobile marketing is bringing us closer than ever to closing the loop, especially with the advent of beacon technology that allows companies to track customers through stores in retail time and reach them with contextual messages.