posted by Public Relations
As the landscape of location-based social media tools continues to evolve, Shopkick has found a way to entice retail stores to participate on a deeper level.
Some users are already familiar with foursquare, which allows you to check-in to various locations, receive awards for multiple visits and find specials at nearby businesses. One disadvantage to foursquare is the fact that users don’t necessarily have to be at the location to check-in, which prevents some businesses from embracing the service because they don’t want to reward non-customers. foursquare is also struggling to successfully monetize their tool, but their recent partnership with PepsiCo may change their current business model. Regardless, foursquare doesn’t seem to be any closer to providing a solution to prevent users from checking-in without actually visiting the location.
Shopkick combats the check-in dilemma by allowing retailers to install small, physical speakers that emit an inaudible sound containing a store-specific code near the entrance. If a user has the Shopkick app installed on their mobile phone, it picks up this code through its microphone and will automatically check that person into the location. With this software, stores are sure that the user has physically entered the establishment.
Shopkick seems to have found a way to monetize the application with retailers in mind. Once a user is checked-in, they can:
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Collect kickbucks (Shopkick’s currency) by scanning QR codes via their phone on items specified by the app
- Cash in kickbucks to purchase items from partner merchants
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Present their phone to the cashier to redeem special offers
How does this translate into good news for retailers? Not only do they know the shopper is in the store, but they can influence what that shopper will look at by awarding kickbucks for scanning QR codes on specified items. Shopkick can even provide personalized offers based on a user’s buying history, which will lead them to be more likely to use the service to redeem special offers and be active. These benefits have lured major brands such as Best Buy, American Eagle, Macy’s, Sports Authority and Target.
Other Shopkick perks for retailers:
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Pay-per-visit: retailers only pay when shoppers enter their store and interact with the app
- Tracking: retailers receive statistics regarding shopper demographics
Shopkick was only available to
iPhone users prior to this month, but it recently revealed the platform is now available for Android users. This announcement comes just in time for the holiday season, which will surely increase the number of shoppers that use the app. Shopkick rewards are currently available at more than 250,000 stores in the United States, but not all stores are quick to install the hardware needed for automatic check-ins. As Shopkick grows in popularity, expect more stores to jump on the bandwagon.
Read these articles for more information:
Location-Based Shopping,
Best Buy Launches Shopkick and
Earn Location-Based Rewards With Shopkick for Android.
TAGS:
shopkick, public relations, social media, geolocation, geo-location social media, social networking, business to consumer, retail, marketing, technology, web, mobile
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