Mobile marketing has always been synonymous with youth. Fittingly, it makes perfect sense for college bookstore operator Follett Higher Education Group to invest in the mobile channel to drive business.
With SMS marketing at the core of this effort to increase sales during the “slow season,” it appears that mobile will be a fruitful marketing resource for Follett, which operates book stores and e-commerce sites for more than 900 colleges and universities today.
According to published reports this week, the company will continue to actively test mobile marketing as a means to drive more foot traffic into its stores.
Leeann Fecho, manager of emerging media and loyalty marketing at the company, confirmed this initiative while speaking at the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition 2013 in Chicago.
Follett’s customers are mostly within the 18-24 age range, and 67% have smartphones, a figure the company expects to increase to 90% next year, Fecho said.
“Mobile presents unique opportunities to connect and consolidate the customer experience,” Fecho stated in an IRCE session titled “M-offers: Driving online shoppers to the store.”
“The value of mobile isn’t just about building offers or mobile commerce—it’s all of that, but while doing that and blending the in-store and online experience,” she added.