As mobile marketing gets more sophisticated, you have greater opportunities to engage your wine shop customers. Keep in mind, though, that “engage” doesn’t just mean “get them to buy.” It also means you have to entertain them. [level-members]
One example of this is a new feature of Apple’s new iOS7 mobile operating system. It’s called iBeacon, and it lets a sensor communicate with nearby iPhones. So, you can install a sensor in your shop, or in different areas of your shop, even, and send an alert targeted to that person’s location. It could be a simple, “Don’t miss our tasting at 4pm!” or a coupon or a “staff pick” kind of recommendation.
Two things to remember: First, the novelty factor. This is something that will take some time to roll out broadly. At some point, if it catches on, it becomes as regular and expected a part of the buying experience as credit card swipe machines. For now, though, it’s still got the “wow, that’s neat” factor in its favor. If you can get involved early, you can have fun with this.
Second, and more importantly, is the opportunity it gives you to win the “zero moment of truth” as the client considers her options. Tools like this make it easy for you to provide compelling content to help your customers in their decision-making.
Be sure to market these tools before they become commonplace. “Stop in to see what our shelves say to you.” with a brief explanation is an interesting come-on. [/level-members]