Technology

Mobile marketing solutions provider ShopText Inc. and AOL Shortcuts have formed a strategic partnership to create the first national mobile-to-loyalty card coupon network linking traditional media advertising and digital coupon distribution that greatly optimizes promotion distribution and tracking for retailers and brands.

Here is how the mobile to loyalty card network works: Retailers and brands place a call to action on their print and digital promotions instructing consumers to text a specific code word to the program’s dedicated number, 467467. Consumers “clip” the coupon from leading brands sending the code via SMS text message to that number. After confirming the user’s location, Shortcuts enables secure digital coupons to be instantly loaded onto participating retailers’ loyalty cards and redeemed when shoppers swipe their loyalty card at checkout.

This Mobile2Card couponing is be available at more than 4,000 of Shortcuts’s partner stores, and will soon be available at all 7,000.

According to Tara Trocki, GM of Dulles, Va.-based Shortcuts, the program leverages the almost universal use of text messaging and the fast-growing use of digital coupons by consumers. “Virtually all consumers send text messages on a regular basis,” she said. “And digital coupon use has grown tremendously and keeps growing. And it’s used by more types of consumers. Paper coupons were traditionally used by moms. Many people don’t like to go through the process of clipping and storing them, and then making people wait in line behind them as the coupons are redeemed. Digital coupons, because of their convenience and redemption speed, are used by all demographics.”

Since ShopText enables retailers and brands to bring their print marketing and promotions into the digital realm, it will enable them to track ad performance across all media platforms. “Brands and retailers will now be able to measure traditional, social, online and mobile media response, coupon loads and redemption in real-time from one reporting dashboard,” said Steve Roberts, CEO of Norwalk, Ct.-based ShopText.

Plus, when a consumer requests a coupon, the marketer has the opportunity to ask if they would like to receive similar promotions via text message in the future. “With double opt-in, brands and retailers can create a new direct-to-consumer mobile channel to drive commerce and loyalty,” says Roberts.

According to Roberts, ShopText integrates directly with any CRM database, fulfillment center, order management, POS or loyalty card platform, and every ShopText-enabled ad response and completion is measured in realtime so retailers and brands can immediately determine their offline media ROI. And since it’s SMS-based, ShopText works across all major U.S. mobile networks.

Shortcuts provides a national direct-to-card retailer network, as well as the scaled reach of the AOL Network of 90 million consumers and strong existing partnerships with manufacturers and retailers.

For retailers and brands, setting up the digital coupon promotions is a simple process that takes approximately three weeks – a much quicker deployment time than for promotions involving print coupons. They provide Shortcuts with details of the promotion, such as details of the promotion (value, expiration date, etc.), where it will be promoted, and what codes will be used. “They can use several codes for the same promotion, such as PRODUCT1, PRODUCT2, PRODUCT3, so they can very closely track its performance,” said Roberts. “This way they can use some for print ads, others for FSI promotions, and a third group for Facebook promotions, for example.”

Retailers and brands interested in participating in the program can contact tara.trocki@teamaol.com.