Smartphone Marketing

[Fuzebuy]

Has anyone started to look at smartphone apps as effective marketing tools? If not why haven't you, in this changing landscape of emerging technology and the importance of finding ways to communicate with customers directly.

 

[Jerry Thibeau]

I hate being marketed to on my smart phone. If it does not have a "what's in it for me value proposition statement" don't bother sending it to me.

 

[davidmoon]

You may want to be more clear. No one is going to download an app just to be marketed too.

 

[Jerry Thibeau]

You may want to be more clear. No one is going to download an app just to be marketed too.

Well, well, well, look at what the cat dragged in. Were you abducted by space aliens?

 

[davidmoon]

No, but a pretty serious family situation that needed my immediate attention drug me offline for almost two months. Luckily, everything turned out a lot better than expected.

I had thought I had emailed you directly beforehand ... And addressed the situation a few months back here, I think? And I've been poking around a bit.

 

[Jerry Thibeau]

Never heard from you. Sorry to hear about your family issues and hope all is better now.

 

[Fuzebuy]

You may want to be more clear. No one is going to download an app just to be marketed too.

I was hoping to learn more about the heartburns/hotbuttons that dealers have towards this type of technology. Is it something that is on their radar and if it is what do they need it to do to make it enticing to use. It would be understood that the app would have to have some kind of a "hook" in it to entice the consumer to not only download it, but continue to use it. I'm just brainstorming right now.

 

[ed.brooks]

I was hoping to learn more about the heartburns/hotbuttons that dealers have towards this type of technology. Is it something that is on their radar and if it is what do they need it to do to make it enticing to use. It would be understood that the app would have to have some kind of a "hook" in it to entice the consumer to not only download it, but continue to use it. I'm just brainstorming right now.

Tony, your original post seemed much more like an advertisement to me than a request for information. Now that you're looking for feedback, what sort of an app are we talking about; a shopping app, a service app, a loyalty app? Lot's of variables!

 

[Fuzebuy]

I'm trying to find out more about why mobile engagement apps have not broken out in force with dealerships, I know other industrys are starting to look at them in a favorable light, I didn't know if dealers had started to talk about it and if so what their concerns were. In the interest of transparency, I do work for a company that sells that kind of technology but I'm not looking to sell right now, I'm looking to learn about needs and wants in this situation.

 

[mcampo2501]

I think what's tough about a dealer app, is that most people don't shop for a car more than once every 3 years, and in some cases much longer than that. If I were to have a vision for a mobile app that was worth having, it would have to be tied to a rewards or retention program. The tool would then help the customer through the buying process and also have value after the purchase. I don't think too many people are going to want to install an app on their phone that know they'll only use once. Car shoppers are generally looking for one of two things. The right car or the right place to buy a car. If they know what they want, they won't care where they get it and limiting their search to one dealership would be restrictive. If they're new car shoppers and are looking for the dealership at which to buy their car, they aren't going to download your app because they are sold on you yet and once they are they won't need an app to buy a new car. See what I mean...