August 2017 - Shopkick

Navigating the complex laws of alcohol advertising

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Kick Writers

The marketing of alcoholic beverages and products can be extremely complicated. Not only must brands confirm they are marketing to consumers that are of age, but they also have to navigate different state laws and requirements. Today, in the US, each state (and even individual counties within the states) have specific laws regulating the marketing, sale, and shipping of alcohol to its residents.

These laws date back to the period of after the end of Prohibition in 1933, when federal and state laws created a three-tiered system for manufacturing, distribution, and sales of alcohol. First, manufacturing: licensed producers are the only entities who may make wine, beer, and spirits. These licensed producers may then only sell alcohol products to licensed distributors, and then these licensed producers must only sell these products to licensed retailers. After this, licensed retailers may then sell alcoholic products to consumers. This system may seem convoluted today, but at the time, politicians wanted to ensure each portion of the alcohol industry acted entirely independently. This system gave local politicians the ability to grant licenses only to producers, distributors, and sellers they deemed “fit”.

The complicated nature of these various laws can cause many companies to give up and avoid marketing alcohol altogether. However, location-based technology enabled by mobile now solves many of these challenges, and can achieve great results for marketers of alcohol. These solutions can deliver location-specific messages and offers, by targeting consumers who live in the appropriate states and counties that allow consumers to receive incentives for scanning or buying alcohol. To understand how complex this is, let’s look at a couple of examples:

In Pennsylvania, the relevant law states “it shall be unlawful … for any licensee … to offer or give to trade or consumer buyers any prize, premium, gift or other inducement to purchase liquor or malt or brewed beverages […].”
In Georgia, the relevant law states that “no Manufacturer, Producer, Shipper, Importer, Broker, or Wholesaler, nor their employees, agents, Representatives, or anyone acting on their behalf, shall directly or indirectly […] Give or offer to give […] things of value in connection with the sale of Alcoholic Beverages […and…] cooperative advertising and incentive programs shall not be deemed to constitute a [prohibited] partnership agreement.”

At Shopkick, it is our priority to understand these complex and varied laws so we may offer incentives to our consumers based on where they live, what stores they visit, and what type and brand of alcohol they purchase. Shopkick customizes each marketing program to offer incentives, specifically “kicks,” for scans of alcohol in one state and kicks for purchases in another. So, although a consumer may live in a state where we may advertise and offer kicks for scanning an alcoholic product, we may not be able to offer kicks for purchasing an alcoholic product, or vice versa. This specialization allows Shopkick to quickly set up customized marketing campaigns for alcohol (and other products) even in the face of the complex marketing laws.

We work with many wine and spirits manufacturers across the country to navigate these laws, and have seen great results in rewarding consumers for engaging with their brands and products both online and in-stores.

Shopkick named top app in ComScore’s 2017 Mobile App Report

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Kick Writers

ComScore released its annual US Mobile App Report that charts trends in the mobile app landscape. The report explores the dynamics of mobile media consumption, breaking down app usage and behavior by audience segments, and uncovering other insights to help advertisers and publishers take advantage of these trends.

One of the major takeaways from the report is that apps are dominating consumer’s digital media habits, with 57% of consumers’ time spent using digital media now taking place in mobile apps. Consumers are also fairly established in which apps they use, with most of their time concentrated in their top apps. 90% of mobile app time is spent in consumer’s top five apps, and 50% of time is in their top app.

With consumers’ time being concentrated in a small number of their favorite apps, it’s critical for marketers to understand where their target audience spends time in order to effectively reach and engage them.

While the most popular apps by time spent are predominantly Facebook and Google, a more nuanced look at the top indexing apps by age segment reveals social and entertainment affinity among younger adults, and news and retail affinity among older adults.

Shopkick is reported as one of the top apps for Gen Xers (35-54), the age segment that is most likely to download and use retail and shopping apps.

Shopkick was also identified as one of consumers’ top hidden gems, defined as “the one app that you love, but that you think is not widely known or not used by many people, but think it should be.”

Read the full Mobile App Report here

Date night outfit ideas on a dime!

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Kick Writers

As a mommy of three boys who desperately looks forward to a date night with the hubby when the opportunity arises, one of my first thoughts on the subject is usually “What am I going to wear?!?!?” This is always a bit of a struggle, as my normal wardrobe consists of business casual for the workday and yoga / athletic wear for the after hours baseball games and kids sporting events that consume nearly every evening. Needless to say, neither my closet nor my budget allows me the luxury of Jimmy Choo’s and a fabulous new little black dress to wow the hubby. So, what is a girl to do when looking for a fresh date night outfit?

Utilize the All-Powerful Pinterest

More often than not, a few lingering minutes on Pinterest actually does my heart and my fashion sense some amazing good. Many times I stumble across a date night outfit that I LOVE, and then I head straight for closet with that inspiration to see if any of my current clothing items can work together and achieve a knock-off version of that style. It is always amazing to me when I find a gem buried in the back of my racks that is just what I need to pull an outfit together.

Raid a Friend’s Closet

As a mom on a budget, one of my favorite thrifty tips for clothing is to have a friend or sister who will share her wardrobe with you. Even if your bestie isn’t the same pant or shoe size, many tops and accessories can be made to fit a variety of people. Plus, if you both share what you’ve got, it doubles the options for both of you and gives a lot more possibilities for new outfit combos.

Shop Used Clothing Options

Another way that I keep my date night wardrobe hot without breaking the bank is by buying used. From thrift stores and garage sales to Facebook marketplace and Ebay auctions, there are TONS of very nice clothes out there that can be purchased for pennies on the dollar because they hung in someone else’s closet for a bit before finding their way to you.

Mix up an Old Favorite

If your husband is anything like mine, he remembers baseball stats from 2 years ago, but likely couldn’t tell you what I wore the last few times we had a date night. Being a woman of opportunity and budget, I use this to my advantage and recycle old date night outfits. Of course, I remember what I wore and like to keep things fun and fresh, so I mix up that repeat dress with a fun cardigan, a different shoe choice, and maybe a scarf or belt accessory.

So now that you have some ideas brewing on HOW to find fab outfits, let me give you some advice on WHAT to wear! Here are my favorite “go-to” ways to dress amazingly using a lot of what I already have on hand.

Dress Up Jeans with a Sexy Top

Whether you are into a super skinny pencil jean, a slightly distressed boyfriend style, or even white or brightly colored denim, pairing jeans you already own and love with a sexy top is a great way to create a new style without having to reinvent the fashion wheel. My most recent favorite is my dark grey skinnies paired with a slightly sparkly black top. Depending on the date, pair with either heels or flats to finish the look. You can find affordable options at T.J. Maxx or Marshalls (and don’t forget to earn free gift cards while you’re shopping!).

Monochromatic with a Jacket

When I was in high school, my mom warned me never to wear the same color on top and bottom. As I grew older and learned to beat to the rhythm of my own fashion drum, I found that I really love pairing a monochromatic outfit with a jacket, blazer, or cardigan of some sort. All black is a favorite for its slimming quality and goes great with my cutesy cropped jean jacket for a casual look, as well as with my khaki blazer if I want a bit more sophistication. I also sometimes opt for a monochromatic gray outfit when I am feeling edgy and pair it with a stunning leather jacket. If you want a bit more depth and color, add a scarf to the mix and you’ve got a great date night style.

Show A Little Skin

As a mom, I am not normally the epitome of a sex kitten when I am in my natural habitat of work or home. My husband thinks I am beautiful no matter what I wear, but one of the things that I have come to realize is that choosing an outfit for date night that shows a little more skin than normal really gets him excited. While I stay away from these styles for the office or PTA meetings, I do have a few outfits in my repertoire that I bring out especially for him. Ideas to try include off the shoulder or no shoulder tops, shorter than normal skirts or dresses, low cut blouses or those with open back designs.

No matter what style, fabric, color, or genre your date night outfit falls into, be sure that you have fun with it! The sexiest outfit you will wear is one that you feel beautiful, confident, and fabulous in.

National Breast Cancer Foundation Wins $50,000 Donation from Shopkick!

Posted on August 23, 2017 by Kick Writers

Please join us in congratulating our Kicking for a Cause champions, National Breast Cancer Foundation!

Over the past month, users joined one of 5 charities to earn as many kicks as possible to keep their team in the lead. The National Breast Cancer Foundation team collected over 12 Million kicks alone to snag our winning $50,000 donation!

“Thanks to Shopkick and their users for their support of our mission to help women now facing breast cancer,” says NBCF Founder & CEO, Janelle Hail. “Their donation of $50,000 will allow NBCF to provide thousands of free early detection and patient navigation services to women in need across America.”

We are thrilled to be able to support such an amazing organization helping women and families affected by breast cancer every single day.

All 5 charities will remain available in the Rewards Mall for a limited time, so we hope you will continue to kick for a cause with us by donating your kicks to National Breast Cancer Foundation or to the charity of your choice through the app now!

Donate your kicks now

Holy wholesale: Boxed brings smart shopping to Shopkick

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Kick Writers

Holy wholesale! Boxed, the awesome online wholesaler, has launched with Shopkick. Stock up on just about everything you need and get free gift cards in return. When you visit Boxed or make purchases from them through the Shopkick app, you’ll be able to earn Shopkick points (called “kicks”). Redeem those kicks for free gift cards to stores like Best Buy, Sephora, and much more.

Bulk shopping means big savings

Wholesale sizes mean you get more for your money and shop less. Boxed delivers bigger savings without membership fees everywhere in the lower 48 states. What’s not to love about a 2 day shipping time? You even get free samples with your delivery! Boxed has the A+ lineup you need to stock up for back to school shopping in minutes. Don’t have Shopkick? Download it today and join the millions of Shopkickers who have redeemed over $63.8 million in free gift cards.

5 apps that replace Cartwheel & still save you money at Target

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Kick Writers

With Target’s Cartwheel shutting down in a week, you might be left scrambling to find an app alternative. Don’t fret — here are some other apps that can replace Cartwheel and still save you money at Target.

Retale

Never miss a deal again with Retale. Check out weekly ads and circulars from local and national retailers (including Target). Find the best offers that save you money. Browse by product category (deals on pet food, anyone?) or by store. You can even get store locations and opening hours directly from the app!

Shopkick

With Shopkick, you can earn free gift cards to Target without even buying anything. Just open the app at the entrance of your local Target or grocery store, and scan products around the store in a fun treasure hunt to earn points (called “kicks”). Get bonus kicks if you purchase a featured product and submit your receipt in the app. Redeem your kicks for free gift cards to Target, Walmart, Amazon.com and much more. Don’t have Shopkick? Download it today.

Earny

Price matching is so much easier with Earny. Based on receipts emailed to your inbox, Earny searches for price drops on your recent purchases and claims the difference on your behalf if you didn’t get the best price. Earny will notify you on every refund you get. Earny always has your back.

SavingStar

SavingStar is a digital coupon app for thousands of grocery stores and drugstores that is linked to your individual store loyalty cards. You choose the digital coupons you want to use and the reward is applied to your loyalty card. When you reach $5 in savings, you earn cash!

SnipSnap

Mobile coupons made easy — SnipSnap lets you take a picture of printed coupons and transforms them into digital, mobile-ready ones. You can also browse an online directory to take advantage of coupons that other friends have “snipped.”

Impact of video on in-store activity

Posted on August 18, 2017 by Kick Writers

In today’s attention-based economy, marketers must seek out advertising formats that their target audience will engage with and not block or skip. As consumers have become skillfully adept at evading interruptive marketing messages, some advertising formats stand out as particularly effective at capturing consumers attention and driving key brand metrics. Two formats in particular, video and incentive-based rewards, are consistently ranked among the most positive forms of advertising, and viewed most favorably by consumers.

Video is one of the most engaging ways to reach consumers and capture their attention to tell a brand’s story. In fact, the rise of video advertising can be attributed to the fact that short-form video is a true win-win for consumers and marketers. Consumers get branded content that is more dynamic, educational and entertaining while marketers have a greater opportunity to engage, tell their brand or product’s story and build meaningful relationships.

On the Shopkick platform, we’ve found video to be a particularly powerful driver of brand metrics across the purchase journey. While planning their shopping trip or building their list, users can watch a branded video at home or on the go, and be rewarded with kicks, our in-app currency. After viewing, they can save the featured product to their shopping list. Engagement rates for video are much higher than industry standards, as the incentive for viewing drives up Shopkick average completion rates to 94%, compared to industry average of 68% (IAB 2017).

On Shopkick you can connect the viewing of the video to in-store activities like product engagements and purchases. Users are incentivized to visit the product in-store, and are rewarded for picking up the product at shelf. At this point, users who have watched the video are already aware of the product attributes and benefits, and with the product in-hand, we’ve found they are much more likely to purchase. For example 24% of unique scanners watch the brand video and 32% of receipt uploaders watch video.

An example of how video works in the Shopkick platform:

To reach and engage their target audience, marketers must understand the types of content consumers seek and deliver it in the right context to build awareness and ultimately drive sales.Reaching consumers before they get to the store is critical to establish awareness, affinity and get on the shopping list, ultimately increasing likelihood of conversion and purchase.

To learn more about Shopkick Video, contact us today!

Meet Shopkick at the Path to Purchase Expo!

Posted on August 17, 2017 by Kick Writers

Planning to attend Path to Purchase Expo in Chicago? We’d love to meet you!

With 97% of CPG purchases still happening in-stores, it’s critical for marketers to have the right strategies and solutions in place to reach and engage shoppers where they are spending their time and their money.

Shopkick is the most engaging rewards app that bring moments of joy to everyday shopping by offering fun ways to earn rewards. For brands and retailers, Shopkick provides high consumer engagement along the entire path to purchase. Our unique pay for performance model has been proven to deliver high ROI, driving incremental foot traffic, visits to shelf, and sales.

Schedule a meeting with the Shopkick team to to learn more about how our valuable shoppers can help you achieve your shopper marketing goals, or simply visit us at our booth #737 to take the app for a spin and get a free gift card!

The event takes place September 26-28 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center and is the world’s largest gathering of shopper and retail marketing professionals.

We hope to see you there!

New gift cards now available on Shopkick

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Kick Writers

Want stuff from Amazon without spending a dime? Shopkick, the free app that rewards you with gift cards for shopping online or at your local grocery store and mall, just added Amazon.com Gift Cards to their list of rewards. Amazon.com Gift Cards never expire and can be redeemed towards millions of items!

How does it work?

During your normal shopping runs, earn Shopkick points (called “kicks”) simply by walking into stores like Best Buy or OshKosh B’gosh and opening the app at the entrance. At the grocery, scan product barcodes around the store to earn kicks. It’s like a fun treasure hunt! No purchases are necessary to earn kicks, but you can earn bonuses if you make a purchase and scan your receipt.

When you’re at home or just browsing on your phone, earn kicks for visiting online stores like Groupon or Spring and making a purchase through the Shopkick app. In no time you’ll be racking up hundreds or even thousands of kicks! Redeem those kicks for $5-$25 Amazon.com Gift Cards or many other free gift cards from retailers like Best Buy, Sephora, Target, and Walmart.

Don’t have Shopkick? Download it now.

Happy Shopkicking!

*Amazon.com is not a sponsor of this promotion. Except as required by law, Amazon.com Gift Cards (“GCs”) cannot be transferred for value or redeemed for cash. GCs may be used only for purchases of eligible goods at Amazon.com or certain of its affiliated websites. For complete terms and conditions, see www.Amazon.com/gc-legal. GCs are issued by ACI Gift Cards, Inc., a Washington corporation. All Amazon ®, ™& © are IP of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. No expiration date or service fees.

Shopkick’s Blue Birthday Bash is coming

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Kick Writers

Free gift cards as party favors? This has got to be one very special celebration! August marks the Shopkick app’s 7th birthday, which means there will be tons of opportunities during the Blue Birthday Bash to earn Shopkick points (called “kicks”) when you shop in stores or online through the app. You can immediately redeem those kicks for free gift cards to Amazon.com, Best Buy, Sephora, Target, and more.

How to earn free gift cards:

Between 8/18/17-8/20/17, earn thousands of kicks when you walk into stores like Target and Carter’s and open the app. It’s that easy! You can also scan products for kicks in a fun treasure hunt game at your local grocery store, Target, or Walmart. Who said birthday party games weren’t rewarding?

The party doesn’t stop there — it’s moving online too! On Monday, 8/21, earn 2x kicks when you make purchases from Boxed, eBay, Groupon, Jet, and Spring though the app. Talk about a great party favor!

Find out which of your favorite stores and brands are participating in Shopkick’s Blue Birthday Bash here.

Don’t have Shopkick? Download it now.

Happy 7th birthday Shopkick!

Top takeaways from Mary Meeker’s 2017 Internet Trends Report

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Kick Writers

Mary Meeker’s annual Internet Trends Report is essentially required reading for anyone who works in tech and advertising. In 355 slides, she analyzes relevant trends in internet adoption, advertising + commerce, media + entertainment, gaming, enterprise healthcare, China, India and startups.

In this post, we break down some of the key trends that advertisers need to know:

Meet consumers where they spend their time

The shift to mobile continues as consumers increasingly concentrate more of their media time in mobile at the expense of other channels. However, advertising dollars have not kept pace resulting in a $16 billion opportunity based on the gap between consumer time spent in mobile and advertising dollars spent in mobile. It’s critical for marketers who seek to build relationships with consumers to meet them where they are spending their time. In today’s advertising economy, consumer attention is the new currency.

Challenges in cross-channel ad measurability

While advertisers rely on measurable engagement metrics, there are still widespread challenges in measuring ROI and offline metrics like conversion and revenue. Before even measuring sales, most marketers and platforms are still trying to figure out if and how their digital activities drove in-store visits. For example, Snap recently acquired PlaceIQ, and Google have Facebook are now attempting to track store visits and sales through POS data. In 2016, Deloitte reported that digital’s influence on in-store sales surpassed 50%, influencing 56% of all in-store retail sales. Yet understanding this influence on a shopper-level is still a challenge for most retailers. In fact, 67% of retail executives said their greatest obstacle in offering an omnichannel experience is tracking customer analytics across channels. See more on how Shopkick measures online to offline attribution here.

Understand the ads that consumers want

Consumers increasingly view non-native advertising formats as both interruptive and annoying, which is why ad blocking software penetration continues to grow. Already close to 20% of US consumers have it installed and that number is much higher in developing markets like China and India. However, there are ad formats that are viewed more positively, particularly incentive-based video ads tied to mobile app rewards, social click-to-play and skippable pre-roll. For example, 68% of consumers view mobile app reward video ads as positive vs just 19% for mobile app pop-up video ads. This has implications for viewability and engagement going forward, and incentive-based video will continue to grow with consumer favorability.

Shopkick has seen tremendous results with rewarding users for watching video on our platform. Our engagement rates are significantly higher than industry standards, with a 93% completion rate vs. 68% (IAB). Video is also a powerful driver of in-store activity, increasing both product engagements and purchases. See a case study from Barilla on the power of incentive-based video on driving in-store metrics here.

Incorporate gamification tactics to optimize loyalty and engagement

Mary Meeker examines best practice gaming mechanics like repetition, planning workflows, solving puzzles, completing projects, leveling up, and competition. Successful non-gaming companies have also incorporated these tactics into their products to optimize consumer learning and engagement.

Shopkick is a shopping rewards program, and like many other loyalty programs, we have incorporated conventional gaming tactics into our app to keep our users active, engaged and retained. As a result, users report feelings of great satisfaction and accomplishment after having earned rewards and accumulated kicks. Advertisers should incorporate these mechanics into marketing strategies on a campaign level or when selecting advertising partners. These tactics can be leveraged to keep consumer’s attention, keep them engaged, and keep them loyal.

To read the full Internet Trends Report, view here.

Want to treasure hunt for free gift cards?

Posted on August 9, 2017 by Kick Writers

Turn your next shopping trip into an in-store treasure hunt. Aside from the tons of fun you’ll have, you can also earn hundreds of Shopkick points (called “kicks”). You can redeem those kicks for free gift cards immediately to stores like Target, Walmart, and Amazon.com and much more. It’s that easy! All you have to do is open the Shopkick app and scan select product barcodes. Wondering where to find scans? Target, Walmart, drug stores and grocery stores typically have the most kicks for scanning, but be sure to check the Shopkick app for the latest inventory.

Don’t have Shopkick? Download it now.

How to scan:

Step 1: Find a product to scan

Look for the barcode icon on products in Shopkick.

Step 2: Visit a store with scans

Locate the product to scan (double check to make sure it’s the right one).

Step 3: Tap “scan barcode” open the camera

Hold up the camera to the barcode, and you’ll instantly receive your kicks!

Remember, you can only earn kicks for scans performed while in the store.

Here’s what Shopkickers love about scanning:

Shopkick spreads smiles one scan at a time! I love seeing other shopkickers in the store. It’s like a secret society when you both see that blue kick circle light up! – Michelle N.

My kids treat scans like a treasure hunt! We enjoy the time together and all get exercise walking round the stores. I’ve used my kicks to buy them gifts that were out of my budget. — Ashley G.