Mobile CRM App links consumers to loyalty schemes
Scheme links to major UK loyalty programmes
A mobile App is being launched by ex-dunnhunby executive Laura Scarlett that enables consumers to interact with their loyalty schemes using their mobile devices.
Claiming to be the UK’s first mobile CRM service, it will be launched on October 3 with an iPhone APP and WAP site, followed by Android in November, then BlackBerry and Symbian interfaces over the next three months.
To be called My Pocket Angel, brands must eventually pay a monthly fee to list their loyalty scheme or brand on My Pocket Angel. They also have to pay for bundles of messages sent to their user base. Currently however, My Pocket Angel features 100 diverse loyalty brands, linking the cards to brand websites, to show the potential of the scheme.
Scarlett, who is working with mobile entrepreneur Amir Azulay on the scheme, says rich behavioural data is available to all participating brands for targeting or insights. My Pocket Angel users are fully opted-in and can answer an optional extensive profiling survey.
Users will be eventually be able to see their points balances, get special offers and see other information, straight onto their mobile devices. Llinks to remain to brand websites and call centres. A ‘buy now’ functionality can be supported.
My Pocket Angel will launch with its 100 promotion brands on Apple App Store. These will include major UK loyalty programmes Boots Advantage Card and BA Executive Club, local discount programmes like What’s on St Albans, the first paying client and niche brands Burts Bees and Muji.
Each user has to register to the service once. After that they can add as many of the brands as they want. The brands, once they are paying customer, then have the option of messaging their user community on My Pocket Angel.
Scarlett said she was using the same model as vouchers.co.uk to get the scheme running, where offers and incentives are collated into one site. In the same way, she will collate loyalty sites and schemes.
The My Pocket Angel app can also provide customers with a mobile id card which can be used instead of a plastic card to identify customers so long as the merchant has imaging scanners which can accurately read a barcode on a mobile screen. However retailers have been slow to embrace mobile as a form of customer identity, mainly due to the operational implications of scanner upgrading. (The ubiquitous laser scanner can’t read screens very well)
Behavioural analytics
Scarlett says that while this is all very interesting, it is the behavioural analytics behind the scheme that make it revolutionary.
The campaign engine, loosely based Twitter-style technology has been designed to deliver highly targeted messages into the apps and can operat either by the campaign production team at The Pocket Agency or by the brands own marketing staff via a web interface.
Using learnings from her experience at dunnhumby, in particular the analysis of Tesco Clubcard data, Scarlett says she is confident the insights generated from My Pocket Angel will transform mobile marketing to become the most significant channel for the direct marketing industry.
The Pocket Agency was created in May 2009 and is funded by a small group of individuals including Scarlett and Azulay.