Winter Wonders in Your Pocket: Seasonal success with mobile apps
Although winter is often associated with cold, it is also the season of hot sales that requires a unique approach to customer communication. This time of year, when we intensively plan for vacations, translates into changes in shopping behavior.? Therefore, using mobile applications opens the possibility of reaching customers with offers available literally at their fingertips, regardless of their location. Such direct communication allows marketing efforts to be effectively aligned with current sales trends. In this article, we present four interesting solutions for using mobile apps that have the potential to significantly increase the effectiveness of marketing campaigns during the winter season.?
In-app campaign with cross-sell products?
Choosing in-store is not always easy, especially when there are so many options. Implementing campaigns with complementary products is a way to address this challenge, offering users complementary products at key moments in their shopping journey.?
How does it work: Cross-sell recommendations are based on AI models that carefully analyze transaction history, learning which products are frequently purchased together. With this knowledge, the system can effectively suggest additional items that customers may be interested in, based on currently viewed or added-to-cart products. In the case of new or less popular items, recommendations are created based on their similarity to other more frequently purchased products.?
Scenario: Let's say a customer is browsing winter jackets in your app. When they add one of them to their cart, the app displays an in-app message with recommendations for additional products, such as warm scarves and gloves that perfectly match the selected jacket. As a result, the customer not only finds the jacket but also discovers matching accessories, enhancing their shopping satisfaction and the potential value of that order.?
Pro Tip: Implement a product rating and review system so users can see other customers' feedback on recommended products. This builds trust in the brand and increases the likelihood of purchase.?
In-app message with a price drop for recently viewed products?
Encouraging users to return to the app and complete a purchase can be a challenge. Personalized price drop notifications for products customers previously viewed are an effective strategy for engaging them and increasing sales.??
How to do it: To implement campaigns with price drop notifications, we need to prepare aggregates that provide us with contextual information about recently viewed products (ID of the last visited product, its original price) as well as those recently purchased. Then, by configuring our in-app message, we will include the created aggregates that serve as dynamic content (related to Jinja). The in-app campaign in the mobile app will be displayed after a specific event, such as opening the app, and the message will only be displayed if the product price has been reduced.?
Scenario: A regular user of your app recently browsed trekking shoes but did not make a purchase. Two days later, when the price of the shoes drops, they receive a personalized notification "Still planning to go hiking? Now the shoes are waiting for you with a 20% discount, available today only!". Such a message not only reminds the customer of the product they were interested in but also provides additional value in the form of a price reduction.?
Pro tip: The golden rule in communication - don't spam. Maintain a balance between the quantity of notifications and "super" offers in the application to avoid alienating the recipient.?
Attribute-based mobile push campaign?
Personalization is the key word that opens many doors, but for this to happen, we need to know what to base communication personalization on. Let's look at how, by analyzing attributes such as gender, age, or location, we can more precisely tailor our offers to the individual needs of customers.?
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Scenario: Our customer, a passionate outdoor enthusiast, often uses the app in search of new sports equipment and accessories. Their purchase history is extensive, and they have favorites among their preferred brands of equipment. Using data about their previous purchases and preferred brands, the store can send a personalized offer: "Hi [name]! Have you already checked out the latest promotions from the X brand of equipment? Don't miss the opportunity and visit us at the brick-and-mortar store." The message additionally includes the address of the nearest store allowing the customer to take advantage of the offer and purchase winter equipment this season. The customer receives an offer tailored to his needs, available at the nearest store. The store, in turn, can manage sales more effectively, targeting offers from specific brands to the right customers.
Pro tip: Use dynamic content in push notifications. Use variables to dynamically include customer-specific details to make your outreach more engaging and relevant. This can range from addressing customers by name to presenting products based on their previous preferences.
Personalized promotion in the mobile app with display time limitation?
Timing during the winter sales is important. The longer items don't sell out, the higher the level of promotions, and the company's profits decrease. Therefore, time is a trap, but it can also be a solution if we take advantage of limited-time promotions in the app.?
How to achieve this: Create a series of appropriately tagged promotions for winter products to create a filter from them. Next, create a personalized promotion (handbill) limited to the filter and customized by AI Engine for each app user. Then create a document with the personalized promotion, it will be used to display customized promotions in the mobile app at a certain time interval. The element of urgency mobilizes the customer to decide faster and finalize the purchase.
Pro Tip: Optimize the effectiveness of time-limited promotions by carefully choosing when to display them. Analyze customer behavior and identify peak engagement periods in the app. Run personalized promotions during high-traffic periods to maximize their impact and speed up decision-making.
Benefits?
Applying the discussed use cases to your mobile application can bring many benefits:? ?
Winter sales provide an excellent opportunity to experiment and implement innovative, unconventional marketing campaigns via mobile apps. While promotions are attractive and widely appreciated, the real potential of marketing campaigns goes far beyond mere price cuts. Success lies in the wise use of available resources - promotions, communication channels, customer data, and a little knowledge of shopping psychology. Use your potential to keep customers coming back to you in the off-season.?
Karolina Staszak , Product Marketing Manager
Ola Wyszkowska , Junior Marketing Specialist