Ace Tests Weather-Related Mobile Marketing

St. Louis -- The weather has a way of influencing what people do, including what they buy. Ace Hardware is taking advantage of this fact, sending shoppers coupons via text message for, say, snow shovels when a big storm is coming."Weather drives shoppers into hardware stores more than to any other retail segment," says Rick Baalmann, president of Ace Hardware St. Louis, a 12-store franchise that is offering the program. "Our target 'psychographic' market for this program, more so than a demographic, is people who want to save time, receive information quickly and succinctly, and who embrace the latest technologies for accessing news about products that make their lives easier."Ace Hardware is the first customer for the new weather-linked text service, provided by Aisle411, a mobile marketing technology company based in St. Louis. The program garnered more than 1,000 new users in a recent two-week period, with a less than 2% opt-out rate, Baalmann says.Aisle411's proprietary data management system is tied into multiple weather systems that provide weather metrics by ZIP code. Preset motivators such as precipitation, notable temperature changes and extreme weather warnings trigger automatic text alerts -- coupled with related promotions predetermined by Ace store managers -- to customers within those ZIP codes who are active in the program.The text service is the core of Aisle411's new "Helpful Hints" initiative, a series of mobile marketing programs that may be pushed to a retailer's database of cell phone numbers. Among the ancillary programs in use by Ace is a reminder service: Customers are advised on pre-set dates that, for example, it's time to change a furnace filter or smoke alarm battery, and receive a coupon for those items with the message. In addition, local events like parades and football games generate promotions for chairs, flags, tailgating items and other "helpful hints" for products related to the occasion.The more helpful and relevant the text messages, the more likely a retailer will be given permission to continue text marketing to consumers, who can opt-out simply by entering a specific code, notes Nathan Pettyjohn, founder and CEO of Aisle411."Mobile marketing is more than just a short text campaign," he says. "It should be part of an overall initiative that leverages current media vehicles such as Web, e-mail, print and direct mail marketing. A call-to-action added to these marketing elements helps build subscribers to mobile campaigns, just as it can drive consumers to a website."The "Helpful Hints" service is marketed to Ace customers through in-store signage, handouts and stuffers -- created by Deep/Marlin Network, Springfield, Mo. -- and through direct mail and e-mail communications with Ace customers. Ace is sending a "$5 off a $25 purchase" coupon via text message to new subscribers, who also are entered to win a shopping spree.Baalmann says other Ace stores outside of his franchise are considering Aisle411's "Helpful Hints" service, while Pettyjohn reports additional retailer customers, including one national and two regional supermarket chains, to be announced in the first quarter.

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