A smartphone friendly trivia game has been launched through a SparkBridge partnership.
QR codes are being used in a new way to appeal to smartphone users who enjoy mobile gaming as different locations in the vicinity of Park Royal North, South, and the Village will be encouraged to scan quick response codes with the new Snappz app.
By scanning, the mobile device users will be asked trivia questions about pop culture and fashion.
When the QR codes are scanned and the questions are answered correctly, the users will be rewarded points. As they answer more correct questions and continue their mobile gaming experience up through the various levels of the game, they will be able to earn more points. These can then be converted into Park Royal gift cards that can be redeemed at brick and mortar locations through the use of the smartphones.
This use of QR codes is the latest element of a broader Park Royal mobile marketing strategy.
This mobile marketing strategy is designed to link the use of smartphones to the brick and mortar shops. According to the Park Royal communications coordinator, Amanda Eaton, “Park Royal is a leader in the beyond-the-bricksand-mortar strategy.” She went on to say that the Snappz is a perfect complement to their existing strategy. She described the mobile gaming experience as being “fun and hip” and that it is focused on the latest pop culture and fashion, which the company feels will be particularly appealing to the target market of the store, young female shoppers.
The latest statistics released by the Pew Internet and American Life Project has revealed that among people between the ages of 12 and 17 years, more than three quarters are now armed with mobile devices such as smartphones. In fact, almost half of the devices carried by individuals within this demographic are, indeed, smartphones.
The same source has shown that teen girls in the older years of that age span are most likely to say that those mobile devices are their primary method of internet access. This has encouraged Park Royal to focus on a mobile marketing strategy that will bridge the gap between their physical store locations and the digital world, by way of the devices that their primary market have with them at nearly all times. Through QR codes, this bridge is quite inexpensive and easy to build and maintain.
Large companies typically lead the way with tech, but mobile commerce platforms are being pushed by SMBs.
Corporations and massive enterprises have traditionally been the leaders when it comes to being on the very cutting edge of technology, but when it comes to mcommerce, a major push is being supported by small and medium sized businesses that are not held back by the solid infrastructures and red tape restricting their larger counterparts.
This flexibility and agility of SMBs makes it possible for them to test and evolve with mobile commerce.
SMBs often find themselves in a position in which they can move quickly, making it possible for them to try out various forms of tech, such as mcommerce, and to keep up with the latest developments over these channels. Because of this, businesses in this size group are starting to play an important role in driving innovation of shopping and payments through the use of smartphones.
Studies are showing that a large percentage of SMBs are using mcommerce and mobile payments.
Recent research by BIA/Kelsey determined that approximately 40 percent of SMBs are using mobile point of sale (mPOS) technology. These mobile devices are used in store to help consumers to make purchases outside of a traditional checkout counter. It is predicted that this number will only rise as SMBs spend more money on mobility over the next half decade.
Using smartphones and tablets to assist consumers with shopping and to be able to accept both orders and payments can help to simplify the operation of the business as a whole, particularly for small retailers and mom and pop shops. A growing number of analysts are predicting that throughout 2014, there will be a broadening trend of embracing this tech in many forms.
The more mcommerce technology is used, the more rapidly mobile commerce platforms will evolve as innovations are developed to improve convenience, efficiency, and cost effectiveness. This will help in areas including inventory, paperless inventory, online banking, and m-payments that give these entrepreneurs new and innovative ways to use digital means for transacting business. Overall, this is an appealing playing field for the SMB community.
