Tag Archives: retail

Bringing Back the Mixtape with NFC-Powered Sharetapes

Sharetapes Digital Mixtape
 

From lyrics that perfectly describe a feeling to a song that brings you back to a moment in time, mixtapes are one of the most classic and unique gifts to share with friends, family or a significant other. But who has cassette or CD players anymore?

At Tactify, we created Sharetapes–a throwback to the classic mixtape but upgraded for the digital age. Here’s how they works:

  • Upload digital media, like a Spotify or YouTube playlist, to a blank Sharetape online.
  • Share the physical card with a friend or significant other.
  • They can simply tap the Sharetape using an NFC-enabled phone (like these), scan the QR code, or enter the code from the back of the Sharetape online.
  • The media will automatically start playing!

Sharetapes are the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Share a collection of love songs, romantic movie clips or original songs with your significant other, or celebrate the single life with a weekend playlist for your friends!

Sharetapes are available for $2.49 each, or a pack of five for $9.99. Order soon to make sure you have them in time for Valentine’s Day!

Get your Sharetapes here!

 

How will the Internet of Things Impact Retail In 2015?

Retail

The Internet of Things has exploded over the last couple of years as smartphones and the ability to be always connected has become an increasingly integral part of our lives. Bonnie Cha at re/code describes the Internet of Things as “the connection of everyday objects to the Internet and to one another, with the goal being to provide users with smarter, more efficient experiences.” You can see her “Beginner’s Guide to Understanding the Internet of Things” here.

Google’s acquisition of Nest last year set the stage for IoT to expand this year and the conversation about IoT’s impact on everyday life was discussed widely at CES. Consumers are increasingly aware of connected homes and cars. A study by Affinnova showed that consumers mostly want connected home appliances and products like refrigerators that enable remote viewing of your contents and recommends recipes, smart light bulbs that notify you when a bulb has gone out and connected sprinkler systems.

But how is the Internet of Things impacting retail? First, connected home sensors that send notifications to your phone to indicate when you out of a product like washing detergent, milk, or light bulbs are great for retailers. Creating a easy way for consumers to order these products right from their phone means that retailers have the opportunity to improve customer experiences and loyalty.

Next, connected technologies like beacons and NFC will likely increase in 2015. These technologies enable retailers to communicate with consumers in a meaningful way based on their location, delivering deals and notifications that are relevant in real time. The iPhone 6 and ApplePay will also influence retailers to adopt NFC technologies for easy checkout experiences.

The most important thing for retailers to take advantage with the Internet of Things right now is data. Whether connecting your products to home sensors or using in-store location technologies, analyzing data will enable retailers to better understand their customers. When are they shopping? Are they accessing your app while in store or at home? Do they prefer app notifications, or SMS? The more brands and retailers understand their customers, the more they will be able to connect with them at the right time, place and in the right manner.

How do you see IoT impacting retail this year?

 

Optimizing Mobile For Holiday Shopping

Mobile Holiday Shopping
With Black Friday only a week away the holiday shopping madness will soon commence. Shopping this holiday season is projected to reach $72.4 billion! That’s $10 billion more than last year’s spending. For brands prepping their marketing and advertising, mobile and digital continue to play a huge role in influencing shopping and purchasing decisions. Check out these stats from Yahoo:

  • Half of holiday sales will be influenced by digital interactions
  • 84 percent of shoppers use digital tools before or while shopping, and convert at a 40 percent higher rate
  • 101.7 million US consumers will purchase on their mobile devices
  • 86 percent of retailers expect their 2014 online holiday sales to increase

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9 Facts That Show Mobile Is Ready for Another Huge Year

Untitled
Mobile is no longer the second screen; it’s the first. Consumers around the world are using their smartphones for everything from making payments to browsing the internet and brands are hopping on board to ensure mobile experiences are exceptional. Location based technologies and big data are helping apps and businesses deliver consumers user experiences that deliver content users want based on their location and preferences.

Mobile has come far in the last year with beacons and mobile payments getting a big boost. But those numbers are expected to grow even more in the next  year. Here are nine stats to prove it!

By the end of 2014, 6.9 billion people will have cell phone plans. That’s about 95 percent of the world’s population.

There are 143 million smartphones and 71 million tablets smartphones in the US.

Five percent of smartphone owners aged 18-44 can’t recall the last time they didn’t have their mobile next to them

A survey of UK smartphone users found that they use their phones for 221 tasks consuming three hours and 16 minutes per day.

In Europe, mobile commerce is expected to account for nearly 50 percent of all online sales by 2018, according to Forrester.

In the last year, purchases made using a smartphone or tablet increased 48 percent to $8 billion.

It’s just young people shopping on mobile – 25 percent of mobile shoppers in the US are over the age of 55.

Half of B2B vendors sell through mobile phones and that is expected to rise to 75 percent by the end of 2014.

Mobile advertising has doubled from $4.4 billion in 2012 to $8.5 billion in 2013. By 2017, mobile advertising is expected to hit $31.1 billion.

It’s safe to say 2015 will be another big year for mobile! What are you most excited to see?

How to Use Mobile to Increase Retail Sales

mobile shopper holding iPhone

The ability to use mobile in marketing campaigns brings heaps of opportunities to increase retail sales. At Tactify, we believe that independent stores should be able to have campaigns that are as innovative and impactful as multinational stores. No matter the size of your store or staff, there are a number of ways to increase sales and expand your brand.

First off, there are huge benefits to incorporating mobile into your marketing campaigns. Almost two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone – and 55 percent of consumers who use coupons on their smartphone end up spending more money in store or online than they originally anticipated.  A new study showed that mobile plays an integral part in the shopping experience of millennial moms – with a third saying mobile played a part in the inspiration and research part of shopping, and half saying they turned to their phones in-store to communicate with friends and family about their purchasing decisions.

So how can you increase your retails sales with mobile? Here are a few options:

  • Send push notifications using geofencing or beacon technologies to communicate with your customers based on their location.
  • Use NFC stickers or QR codes around the store offering coupons and reward points.
  • Reward customers who check in on social media and/or share their purchases with friends. Use NFC, QR and push notifications to make this even easier.
  • For iPhone users, integrate coupons and rewards cards with Passbook. Customers can easily save and access these on their phones (without a separate app) and eventually this will link to ApplePay.
  • Integrate your social media with coupons and rewards to redeem in-store or online.
  • Stay on top of the latest technologies like ApplePay to give customers the easiest and fastest check-out experience.

With any marketing campaign, make sure to use analytics to constantly evaluate and optimize your campaigns. Test which tactics get the most engagement with your customers and result in the highest ROI.

Check out Tactify’s products and mobile marketing solutions here.