Even Supermarkets Are Going Mobile

There is an article in today’s Wall Street Journal about Unilever testing mobile coupons.  Unilever is one of the biggest packaged goods companies in the world.  Their brands include: Breyers ice cream, Dove soap, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, and Lipton tea. 

This test will take place at a Shop Rite store in New Jersey.  They will offer coupons via a mobile device.  The customer can download the coupons into the phone and then have the phone scanned at checkout.  If this works, no more cutting coupons.  How many times have you cut out a coupon only to leave it at home?  Most customers today bring their mobile phones with them to the store. Just think of the promotional tie-ins you could do with supermarkets and your events with this technology?

This is just another example of mobile marketing.  All of us in the event and entertainment business really need to jump (with both feet) into this technology.  I believe that we could become the standard bearers for this non-traditional marketing. 

Ticketmaster came close with mobile technology in the last few months with their BlackBerry app.  But they didn’t seal the deal.  Most Ticketmaster venues use scanning technology now for tickets.  If a customer can now buy tickets via the BlackBerry then why do they still have to print the ticket out?  Why can’t the barcode be scanned from the BlackBerry? 

Last year at the Event & Arena Marketing Conference, Tickets.com showed us mobile ticketing.  They showed us not only technology that places a barcode on the mobile device, but captures data.  This data is then marketed back to the customer.  This even includes knowing when the customer has entered the venue.

When I go to this year’s conference, I will be asking everyone these questions: What are you doing with mobile marketing?  What are you doing with your mobile data capture?

Have a great weekend!

TM’s Mobile App Is Close But No Cigar

So I downloaded and tried the new Ticketmaster app for BlackBerry.  It does work.  In fact it might run faster then its computer, internet cousin.  The problem is that this 21st century ticketing tool is missing a very key ingredient. Why have a mobile ticketing device if you can’t finish the job. 

As with Ticketmaster.com you have four choices for receiving your tickets; 1) you can print at home, 2) have them mailed, 3) pick them up at a TM outlet, or 4) pick them up at the box office.  

A mobile device is just that, a mobile device.  You can take it with you.   So why can’t you use the BlackBerry as your mobile ticket?  The technology is there.  Other ticket companies such as Tickets.com are already using it.  Why can’t you purchase your Ticketmaster tickets with the phone, and then bring that phone to the event where the ticket taker scans the mobile device?  All Ticketmaster venues are going to scanners.  Why can’t they send a QR code (barcode) to the mobile device like they do for the print at home option? 

Make this mobile technology able to complete the ticketing process from start to finish and you will have one cool app.

Live event marketing question of the week?

Should venue marketers pass the 15% media discounts to the shows or should the venue get to keep it?  Look forward to your comments on this one.

Have a great weekend?

 

Mobile Ticketing Is Finally Here!

Last year at the Event & Arena Marketing Conference I was introduced to the world of mobile ticketing.  Tickets.com had a break-out session where they introduced this technology. I thought it was cool then and still think it’s cool.  Now, almost a year later both Tickets.com and Ticketmaster are finally rolling out mobile ticketing to the mainstream. 

Starting sometime this month Ticketmaster will start offering tickets via an app for BlackBerry devices.  I signed up yesterday for email updates of the service and when it will be available.  I am still not sure exactly what the service will be able to do or not do.  Details seem to be scarce.  I hope that it not only lets you buy the tickets via the cell phone but places a barcode on the phone so you can scan your phone when you enter the venue.  To just purchase tickets with your mobile device and still need tickets mailed or printed on a printer is not exciting or new.  That would be the same as buying online.  I wait for the big roll-out.  You know I will tell you what I think when it’s released.

Tickets.com is rolling out their technology around the start of Major League Baseball.  The roll-out begins with 13 MLB teams.  Their technology will let you buy tickets via the cell and place the ticket barcode on the phone for scanning.  MLB needs to get some credit on this.  The old school sport is going 21st century.  This is a positive step forward for sports and entertainment.

Aspen Dinner Club

As you may be aware my brother Jim has started the Aspen Dinner Club.  This monthly “get together” is a spin-off of the Aspen Live Conference.  The goal of this dinner club is for all of us live event peeps to hang out, have a bite to eat, mingle, and brainstorm about marketing of our live events.  What started in L.A. has now spread to NYC, Indy, and Austin.  More cities are still forming and should go online in the next few months.  They meet the first Thursday of the month, so tomorrow April 2nd is the next date.  If you are in any of the fore-mentioned cities and want to go, check out Jim’s blog for details at http://liveworksnews.wordpress.com. Also contact him if you want to start one in your city.  I am trying to help start one here in Boston.  We hope to have it up and running by next month.