Mobile wallet technology is taking the world by storm and shows no signs of slowing heading into 2016. During a webinar titled, “Mobile Wallets: The Next Big Mobile Channel,” Urban Airship explained to attendees how Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Android Pay can be effectively implemented as a platform for mobile engagement.
Powered by Loyalty360, Thursday’s webinar proved to be a rich discussion about how mobile wallet technology can improve customer engagement, build brand loyalty, and provide consumers with a new channel on which to interact with the brand.
Judy Chan, Urban Airship’s Senior Product Marketing Manager, introduced attendees to the capabilities of mobile wallets. Chan explained that there are two sides to mobile wallet: The side of credit card storage and payment, and the lesser-known ability to store non-payment items, including special offers and coupons. Chan focused on these non-payment components and how to leverage them to increase and prolong customer engagement.
Chan cited studies that show smartphone subscription continuing to grow year-over-year, creating a prime environment for brands to engage users through mobile technology.
“As marketers, you now have a unique window of opportunity to get ahead and establish your brand within this (smartphone) ecosystem,” Chan explained. “Mobile wallet is more than a payment tool; the ways it can be applied are endless. It can go beyond payment to offer value to your customers.”
Stephanie Capretto, Digital Strategist for Urban Airship, offered several examples in which mobile wallet was used in a creative and engaging way.
Most airlines have adopted the idea of digital boarding passes, but Alaska Airlines took it to the next level with its dynamically updating mobile wallet. The boarding passes change as soon as a departure time or gate is changed, and even sends a push notification to the traveler, removing the headache of constantly needing to check updated flight data.
Capretto also noted that because users rarely delete individual passes, simply updating with coupons is a great way to continually engage customers over time. What’s more, location-based technologies like Geofence and Beacon can be an effective addition to a mobile presence; timely notifications are able to engage the customer at the point of purchase, leveraging location data to increase messaging relevance.
In speaking to mobile wallet’s ability to communicate cross-channel, Capretto said that mobile wallets could be used as part of a bigger marketing network.
“With this (cross-channel) capability, you can now extend your reach to go beyond apps; you have a whole new marketing platform that leverages your existing channels,” Capretto
explained. “With this, you can acquire new customers and deepen engagement seamlessly.”