Traditional marketing and communications tactics have a much smaller influence on a consumer's purchasing decision whereas word-of-mouth, of which social media forms part, has the biggest deciding factor. While more than half of existing customer loyalty programmes already include either a social media or mobile communication-enabled component, this new digital offering enables a company to take this to the next level.
According to Helena Leite, CEO of CardMobili, "Our team has more than 10 years' experience in providing high-level IT solutions to major retailers and mobile operators in markets like Europe, Middle East, North America, and Latin America. When we identified that mobile is the channel for next-generation loyalty programmes and marketing campaigns, we set out to bring a solution to market that would truly support and streamline these. That is precisely what CardMobili's technology enables."
Consumers are increasingly using social networks and communities to share knowledge and shopping experiences. This has seen the mobile phone becoming more relevant than ever and is the channel with the highest reach in Africa. By encouraging loyal customers to engage with the brand through their channel of choice, it will provide an opportunity to build on greater customer experiences resulting in improved brand loyalty and overall return on investment.
"The unique digital wallet experience that our technology offers is a way to get closer to the consumer and offer them real value. By enhancing the consumer's shopping experience this has the potential to promote more frequent use of the loyalty programme and thereby boost the company's brand presence. We are excited to partner with a top market representative like DSG to bring these solutions to the African continent," adds Leite.
"Today, consumers don't need a compelling reason to leave a brand, but certainly need one to stay with a brand. Even loyal customers are making tougher decisions on where and how much money they spend," says Yaron Assabi, CEO of Digital Solutions Group.
Consumers want to buy from and work with brands that listen to, identify, and engage with them more broadly. Companies who are able to do this and roll out creative programmes with more customer-centricity and relevance will be best positioned to retain and grow their best customers.
Assabi continues, "The digital loyalty card is a keen way to simplify traditional loyalty practices. By implementing a white label solution that makes use of the best available technologies, we are able to pioneer the design and implementation of next-generation loyalty concepts for the African market."
The digital loyalty card is also a greener solution that is more cost-effective and quicker to deploy to a mass market across multiple platforms such as Apple iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and Blackberry. Additionally, as the solution is fully customisable it holds huge potential for digital and location-based marketing campaigns that can be personalised to the consumer through one-to-one non-intrusive communications.
"Acquiring new customers and retaining existing ones are vital to growing a business. Loyalty is about creating and executing programmes that drive frequent and higher margin sales. This is where the digital cards solution will take customer engagements to new levels, making the experience of building lasting relationships more fun and interactive," concludes Assabi.
