The holiday season is upon us and marketers everywhere are looking for the next big holiday themed marketing campaign. Whether in-person or online, holiday marketing campaigns are a great way to increase brand awareness around such a busy time of the year. QR codes and mobile campaigns have limitless possibilities for marketers to take advantage of during the holiday season. Here are four successful holiday campaigns using QR codes and mobile:
JCPenney
JCPenney introduced “Santa Tags” to every purchase. These Santa Tags were personalized QR codes that allowed shoppers to record a voice message to go along with their gift. When the person received the gift, they could scan the QR code and listen to the personal voice message. This added a nice personal touch to gifts giving during the holiday season, especially for those people not opening gifts together.
eBay
The idea of a “pop up” store for a limited time during the holiday season is nothing knew. However, eBay, known as an online vendor, took the classic brick mortar idea to another level. In the UK, eBay set up a store for 30 days where shoppers could come in and walk around just like any normal store. But, there were no in-store purchases! All the items were accompanied with a QR code that allowed shoppers to take a picture on their phone and immediately make the purchase online. For the online shopper who still enjoys the atmosphere of walking around and shopping in-store during the holiday season, it’s the best of both worlds!
eBay also utilized possibilities with QR codes in New York and San Francisco by taking the “season of giving” to another level. They introduced the “give a toy window.” This was an interactive storefront window that showed a variety of animated toys. Each toy had a price and QR code attached that people walking by could scan on their phones and immediately donate that gift to the Toys for Tots Foundation.
Toys R Us
Everyone knows how crowded stores can get on Black Friday, especially for stores like Toys R Us where parents try to get the best deals for kids at home. But, Toys R Us made it easier for those visiting their locations. With the use of mobile phones and QR codes, customers could take a picture or scan a code off of the “store map” in the entrances of every location. Once the picture was taken or the bar code was scanned, shoppers knew exactly where they could find a specific toy in the store. This was an effective way Toys R Us added to the customer experience during busy holiday shopping times.
Bon-Ton
The Very Merry Gift Guide mobile program by Bon-Ton connected customers with a holiday themed daily sweepstakes through text messaging. Customers that signed up received fun, engaging, and personal text messages about different products and sweepstake giveaways throughout the holiday season. This campaign exceeded the companies expectations and showed customer commitment to mobile communication.
The “holiday shopping experience” is something many consumers look forward to every year. But, being present in stores shouldn’t eliminate an online or technological presence. The use of QR codes or text messaging can increase customer engagement and satisfaction for any company.
How are you engaging with your customers this holiday season? Leave a comment below!
