It’s always interesting in the realm of mobile marketing to watch trends advance, retreat for retooling, and then advance again.
For a time, mobile coupons in the grocery market were among the biggest – not to mention only – forms of mobile marketing employed by supermarket chains and franchises large and small. Although this practice quickly became old hat (at least to mobile marketing junkies like me who consistently want to see what’s next), mobile marketing is returning in force to the grocery market sector.
The Kroger Co. and Cellfire Inc. have teamed up to bring customer coupons through mobile telephones and wireless devices. Customers can sign up for the service by linking their mobile number to their Kroger Plus savings card. This development is among the first for a grocery chain to tie their mobile marketing to a store-based membership or credit card and not rely solely on massive text messages or digital coupon distribution. To use the service, customers must link their mobile number to their Kroger Plus savings card.
Based out of Cincinnati, Ohio, Kroger is one of the nation’s largest standalone grocery store chains. For now, however, Kroger will test their new mobile marketing endeavors only in Georgia, South Carolina, eastern Tennessee and Alabama. So far, major consumer brands working with Kroger on special discounts, card redemption points, and mobile coupons include Clorox, ConAgra, Del Monte, General Mills, Kimberly-Clark and Unilever.
