Category: Apps

That said, QR codes are still holding a respectable place in the opinion of study respondents.

According to the results of a poll that was recently conducted by Mobile Commerce Press, there are forms of mobile marketing that consumers feel are the most effective, and others in which they have yet to see very much value.

That said, overall, it is clear that consumers do see the value of some types of mobile ads.

The survey was conducted over the first half of November and has indicated that consumers have definite preferences in the way that they want to be reached over their devices such as smartphones and tablets, when it comes to the mobile marketing strategies of their favorite companies.

Some of the top options were those that were on the very cutting edge of mobile technology and that brought to mind images of certain blockbuster science fiction films that were set in the future. This suggests that consumers are becoming quite open minded about the use of mobile commerce and in being reached by companies by way of their favorite connected devices.

Among the key findings that resulted from this mobile marketing study were the following:

• Over 30 percent of respondents felt that geolocation and location based marketing techniques were the most effective.
• More than 30 percent felt that mobile apps with a loyalty program had the greatest effectiveness.
• QR codes continued to hold a respectable position as 24.5 percent of the respondents still felt that they were the most effective form of mobile advertising technique.
• Augmented reality (such as virtual dressing rooms and print ads that “come to life” with digital media when viewed through a mobile device) was thought to be most effective by 7.5 percent of the respondents.
• The categories of SMS mobile marketing, mobile coupons, Hipcricket, and NFC technology were each valued the highest by under 2 percent of the survey respondents.

It was interesting to note the value that was placed on some of the more cutting edge technologies such as geolocation and augmented reality, which are not yet nearly as commonplace as QR codes in today’s mainstream marketplace.

This suggests that it may not be too long before the experience of the character John Anderton (played by Tom Cruise) in the blockbuster movie Minority Report, when he walked through a mall and into a Gap store, may not be too far off. Though that technology involved the use of retina scans in order to identify him and present him with personalized advertising and customer service, a similar type of experience would not be out of realm of possibility for future mobile marketing. Smartphones, tablets, or even wearable technology could be used to identify the individual through geolocation tech, in order to use augmented reality for a personalized advertising and shopping experience.

This represents the first time that AR technology has been used for managing money in a smartphone application.

Westpac New Zealand has now announced the release of an original type of mobile banking app that allows customers to be able to manage their money through the use of augmented reality technology.

The application was made possible through an international crowdsourcing effort in the United Kingdom.

This crowdsourcing occurred through the Westpac Global App Challenge – UK. This augmented reality mobile app brought together a 3D technology with a simple platform that provided a new level of dimension to the user’s ability to manage money. Simon Pomeroy, the chief digital officer of Westpac New Zealand explained that the primary goal of the bank in creating the app was to make it easy to use for the average consumer.

The use of augmented reality is a unique one when it comes to this type of mobile banking experience.

Mr. Pomeroy explained that “Once the app is set up a customer only has to tap it open and hold their credit or debit card under the camera on their phone. They then have access to a number of features that use 3D to bring the information alive.” He also went on to add that the bank is devoted to simplifying the banking experience for its customers and that this is only one of a number of examples of the ways in which they are doing this.

He stated that “This is another example of how we are using customer data in a far more personalized and visual way allowing customers to better understand and get more out of their finances.” Using AR technology can make it possible for the bank’s customers to check on the amount that they have spent on their credit cards over the prior five weeks, as well as the due date of their credit card payments, their previous five purchases, and their Hotpoints loyalty card balance.

Westpac has also revealed that it is seeking to broaden its augmented reality capabilities so that it will be more convenient for customers to make mobile payments transactions when purchasing products and services.