Express uses mobile to connect with consumers
Express uses an integrative mobile marketing strategy that is interactive and relevant to consumers personal needs. Express has seen the opportunity and used it to amplify their message across multiple platforms. With that, the brand has created a mobile campaign that provides users with the ability to interact across mobile and social platforms while enhancing the users experience. Express is utilizing mobile devices and consumer behavior to connect, engage and transact with the consumer unlike any other specialty retailer.
Express's mobile-first strategy includes:
Express's mobile-first strategy includes:
- A mobile optimized website that has a simple design and is easy for consumers to use
- Emails optimized along with social, display and ad campaigns for mobile
- Mobile ads for smartphones and androids using rich media messaging on Hulu and Pandora
- SMS alerts: ability to receive mobile alerts by texting the word START to 397-737
- Digital Passbook containing coupons sent via SMS with images and longer-form texts
- Customers can save coupon in Passbook or set calendar reminder before offer expires
- Share coupons to Facebook or Twitter
social Media
Express is active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest and Youtube. Each platform is integrated into their social media content management plan involving new style reveals, community relations, and marketing tactics such as holiday giveaways and contests. Express has seen success in the use of hashtags during their mobile campaigns such as #EXPOWNIT, #EXPCITYLIFE and #EXPSTYLE.
#EXPCollegeLife is a hashtag that was used during Express's initiative to target college students through Instagram. Express posted pictures around varies college campuses of their pop-up stores that influenced sales and consumer engagement. Reaching out to college students on their own campus made Express more relevant to the young adult audience, driving both an increase in brand awareness and a higher frequency of purchase. The more consumers interact with Express across their social media channels, the more loyal the consumer will become towards the brand. Express's decision to use Instagram as the medium to connect with their target segment was a smart strategy because that is where their audience is spending their free time, on their mobile devices.
QR codes
Express does a great job of reaching out to the growing mobile community with the use of QR codes on Direct Mail. Some QR codes take the user to their mobile site with a call-to-action to join their loyalty program and become an EXPRESS NEXT member.
I received a Direct Mail piece from Express a few weeks ago that too had a QR code on it. Once I scanned it (due to the obsession of scanning QR codes for our mobile comm class) it took me to the Express YouTube page where you can watch all of their runway shows that make up part of their "Own The Moment" holiday campaign.
I received a Direct Mail piece from Express a few weeks ago that too had a QR code on it. Once I scanned it (due to the obsession of scanning QR codes for our mobile comm class) it took me to the Express YouTube page where you can watch all of their runway shows that make up part of their "Own The Moment" holiday campaign.