Month: November 2017

Continue the battle to defend net neutrality

Posted on by Kick Writers

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just behind us and the busy holiday shopping season still very much in swing, our free and open Internet is still at risk. We have tried to fend off the attacks, but the Federal Communications Committee (FCC) is now calling for a December 14 vote to end Net Neutrality as we know it.

What is Net Neutrality?

Right now we have access to every website from every Internet connection in the world. This freedom of information is easy to gloss over and often taken for granted. After all, this is all we know – the Internet started this way and has always been this way. Net Neutrality is the basic principle that protects our free speech on the Internet.

What are we fighting for?

Today, this very fundamental right is under threat. The companies that provide the Internet network connections (telecom and cable companies mostly) want to charge more for our right to access certain websites depending on the content within them. This will mean that the Internet will become more like cable TV, and will offer premium ‘channels/websites’ for an additional fee.

Furthermore, the free and open internet is fueling economic growth with e-commerce growing to nearly $400 billion in retail sales last year. Our current net neutrality rules support innovation and free and open competition for retailers and entrepreneurs.

The FCC recently released a draft order that would end this open commerce. Without net neutrality, internet service providers will be able to favor certain websites and e-businesses, or the platforms they use to garner new customers. They can control the speed at which content is delivered to visitors based on how much the websites and businesses pay.

What can we do about it?

At Shopkick, we proudly join many major tech companies including Airbnb, Reddit, and Pinterest in the fight to save Net Neutrality. Together, we can stop censorship and corruption. Our recent letter to the FCC warned of this disastrous net neutrality reversal.

This is one step in the right direction, but everyone’s help is needed. Join the battle to save the Internet.

QSR customer experience: How mobile apps are enhancing restaurant visits

Posted on by Kick Writers

A positive, memorable QSR customer experience can turn a casual visitor into a restaurant regular. However, QSR companies are challenged with the limited time they have to spend with their customers. The focus of the visit is a fast, convenient meal, but the in-restaurant experience is what will either drive them to return or to seek other options in the future. How, then, does a QSR location create a positive and memorable customer experience in the limited window that a typical customer will spend in the restaurant?

QSRs must take advantage of mobile app technology to enhance in-person interactions and drive value for consumers beyond simply a quick and low-cost meal. Marketing professionals looking to create a memorable QSR customer experience must be prepared to deliver that experience rapidly and in a manner that is easy to interact with while on the go. More than a few QSR brands have managed to get this right by offering engaging mobile apps. Let’s explore ways your QSR company can model the most crucial techniques of these successful mobile marketing strategies.

Using Technology That Matters to Customers to Drive Positive Experiences

Many marketing professionals are surprised to learn just how important mobile technology is for QSR customers in the digital age. In a National Restaurant Association study, one-quarter of QSR customers state that technology was a factor in their decision to visit a restaurant.

qsr restaurant experience for customer

Some suggestions for how a QSR company can interact with its customers during a visit are:

  • Increased personalization: Your Pie is a QSR that focuses on custom pizzas for its customers. They keep a history of all orders placed via their app so that they can use it to inform on future selections. So, for example, if a customer ordered a gluten-free pizza in the past, and the company came out with a new gluten-free menu item, they can target those specific customers with marketing for their new product. This increases the personalization of the interaction with the QSR. The consumer will feel like the app understands what’s important to them and is designed to cater to them.  
  • Rewards management: In the past, Dunkin Donuts used a card-based rewards system. In 2014, the brand rolled out a new mobile-based program and saw its participation numbers rapidly increase. Their app has garnered 10 million downloads and has significantly increased the company’s revenue. They have seen rewards upsells be particularly profitable. When a customer uses the mobile app in-store to redeem a free coffee, for instance, they’ll very likely buy another menu item in addition to redeeming those points for something. Making it easy for a customer to cash in on rewards also makes it easy for them to spend more while in your restaurant.
  • Deliver branded content: Companies can encourage a greater customer connection to their QSR through branded content within an app. Panera Bread uses branded content to improve customer relations. Content that’s directly related to a customer’s prior purchases is displayed to them via the restaurant’s app. So, if the consumer ordered an apple fritter in the past, they might see an article about apples. If they like spicy food, the company will share content about exotic spices and the countries they come from. This is a clever way to use branded content while also keeping customers engaged during their visit.

The window that QSR companies have to make an impression is short, which is why Your Pie, Dunkin Donuts, and Panera have each designed their apps to work quickly and be used while their customers are waiting in line. Failure to deliver a timely message could cost your company a sale. Thankfully, this is where geolocation technology comes in.

Why Location Technology is Key for the QSR Customer Experience

Even the best mobile campaign will fail to gain customer interaction if the timing isn’t right. This is where beacons can be used to capitalize on perfect timing and create a better QSR customer experience. When you’re trying to enhance your in-store marketing, you want to be able to automatically note when a customer has entered or is near a location. Location technology, such as beacons, makes this possible.

Beacons, for example, work with mobile apps to help provide a positive QSR customer experience via:

  • Push notifications: Push notifications can be used to remind a customer that they have downloaded your app and can use it to benefit themselves, such as by taking advantage of a promotion.
  • Improved retargeting: A customer can allow a company to gain information from prior purchases and other app-related details. A QSR can then use that information for retargeting, such as creating recommendations based on location. This is not something that’s possible without geolocation technology.
  • Managing store traffic patterns: Technology like beacons can also be used to better determine peak times and customer behaviors, as well as determining purchase intents that drive sales. These insights can be collected via mobile devices teamed with a beacon, and that data can be used to advise on everything from future marketing plans to staffing needs and store hours.

Geolocation technology is a critical aspect of creating engagement via mobile while a customer is in your restaurant as they allow you to gain data and insights on customer behavior. You can, in turn, use that information to improve the customer experience. If, for example, you notice a peak wait time at 1 pm on weekdays, you can then increase staffing, or add other options like mobile ordering, to improve QSR customer experiences.

Mobile apps make this new wave of marketing in the digital era possible. The stories of the QSRs above who have taken advantage of app technology all showcase examples of how QSR companies can easily leverage mobile apps and beacons to improve services, gain greater customer interaction, and offer greater value to their restaurant visitors. This is possible even when time is limited as mobile can conveniently connect with those customers the second they walk through your doors—quickly enough to create a memorable QSR customer experience.

Shopkick helps partners leverage beacons and other geolocation technology to improve the customer experience for QSR companies. If you’re interested in seeing what this unique technology can do for your restaurant, contact our team today.

Image courtesy BodnarPhoto

Posted in b2b

Get paid to shop online: Free apps for mobile shoppers

Posted on by Kick Writers

Remember when cellphones first became popular and they were used to, well, make phone calls? These days, phone calls are actually only one of a million ways I seem to use my cellphone (i.e why we now call them “smart”phones, ba-da-bing). It’s a map, a camera, an address book, a way to get messages to friends and family, a portal to the world, and, maybe most importantly, a way for me to do all my shopping at tons of stores no matter where I am physically.

get rewarded to shop onlineI’ve suddenly remembered I was out of face wipes while at coffee with one of my ladies. A few clicks on Amazon and a new pack was on its way—and I didn’t have to spend my social hour trying to remember a mental shopping list. Or, let’s say I’m out of snacks for the kids’ lunches. I can buzz on over to my Target app to order crackers and trail mix while getting a much deserved monthly pedicure. I can even order my family’s dinner at Panera while I’m walking to my car in those silly flip flops and have a big brown bag of soups and sandwiches waiting to be picked up in minutes.

It’s all very convenient, but what makes it even better (and also more fun) are apps that let users get paid to shop online—for free! Imagine this: you order all the things I described above and, oh, you also get paid to do it. Okay, now stop imagining because it’s real! Here are some of my favorite apps for mobile shoppers. Give them a shot so we can all get paid to shop online for free, together! Maybe we can squeeze a second pedicure in this month thanks to the extra space in our budgets. See you at the spa!

Checkout 51: A Free App to Get Paid to Shop Online

My phone has so many functions that I can no longer live without—alarm clocks, notepads, and my work email, just to name a few—but I think the feature that has emerged as my clear and absolute favorite is, without question, the camera. I’m an Instagram addict—and I know I’m not alone! There’s nothing like posting a pic of some clever latte art or a floral arrangement I made for our mantle and just waiting for the little hearts to come pouring in from all my online buddies.

But, I also use my camera for more functional reasons, too. I use it to snap pictures of important slides during presentations at my office and to take pictures of important receipts so that I don’t lose them in the junk drawer. I think that’s why I’ve come to like Checkout 51 so much. It’s basically a rebate app, where you get paid to shop online for free after you make your purchases.

I like to use it both in-store and online. When you use it in-store, you just snap a quick picture of your receipt for purchasing certain products and offers and get paid; when you use it to shop online, you do the exact same thing with your purchases there. Easy, easy, easy!

Pro tips: The Checkout 51 app lists its new deals on Thursday of every week. And, it’s an especially effective choice if you’re in the market for free apps that pay you to grocery shop because you can use it with Amazon grocery.

Get Paid to Shop Online With the Free App BeFrugal

Another thing about my smartphone that I’ve gotten too used to these days to live without is the easy access to information. The website I search the most on my phone is IMDB, short for Internet Movie Database. It seems like I’m always having conversations about actors and actresses, like, “Was James Franco in this?” or, “I know Anne Hathaway was in that.” Sometimes, the only way to settle these debates about who was in what and when is to open up IMDB. What, I wonder, did we ever do without such quick access to information?

This next shopping reward app, BeFrugal, is a cool one because it’s also based on information. It’s another rebate site that gives you cash back for making certain purchases online. I’ve gotten deals for as much as 30% back! The rebates go into your account, and then you can cash them in using your PayPal account. Again, this one is also super easy.

The info part that I like so much is that, with BeFrugal, if you find another site offering a higher percentage back, BeFrugal not only applies that higher rate to your purchases, but it also gives you an extra 25% on top of it. How cool is that? Um, a whopping 25% more cool, I’d say.

Shopkick: The Best App to Get Paid to Shop Online for Free

Games. Have I mentioned the games on my smartphone yet? I’m a big fan of the popular puzzle ones, especially Candy Crush. Man, have I spent a lot of time crushing those little candies!

What I love about this third app, Shopkick, is that it turns any and all shopping into a game. The way the app works is that it gives you points, called kicks, for all kinds of things. When you go shopping at a store, this includes paying you to scan barcodes, purchase featured items, and even to simply walk into some popular retailers.

Shopkick also gives you points for the shopping you do online, as well as browsing webshops, watching videos, and, of course, making purchases. I love using this free app to hunt down piles of points and then convert them into gift cards to all my favorite stores. It’s soooo much better than Candy Crush since it comes with big savings!

So there you have it, three of my favorite apps that will turn your phone into an even more useful part of your life than it already is, i.e. a headquarters for getting paid to shop online with free apps. And, you can even combine apps like Checkout 51 with BeFrugal and Shopkick to take all your savings to the next level—and for doing things you already do!

Sometimes I try to think of ways my phone could be even more useful than it is now. Unless it actually grows legs and goes out and does all my shopping for me, thanks to free shopping rewards apps, I’m not sure it’s possible.

Start getting paid to shop online with Shopkick. Download the free shopping rewards app and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered the fun of shopping with us on your team!

And, if you love social media as much as you love your smartphone, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Image courtesy Yastremska

Deck the halls with Overstock deals

Posted on by Kick Writers

Deck the halls with Overstock deals on Shopkick! Shopkickers can now shop the latest in home trends at surplus prices to earn more kicks towards a free gift card of their choosing.

‘Tis the season for Overstock deals

In addition to low prices, Overstock constantly features additional sales, clearance items, and flash deals on everything from furniture, decor, and jewelry. Overstock also makes it easy to find what you like by filtering searches by category, room, style, and price.  

Earn kicks for shopping online

Adorn your home with holiday trappings or brighten up the kitchen with the latest appliances and quality cookware that will make preparing that next celebration feast a joy. Visit through Shopkick to get your kicks!

Shopping for Overstock deals on Shopkick

Follow these steps to start earning your free gift cards while getting the best deals on Overstock:

  1. Download the Shopkick app
  2. Find Overstock under online stores
  3. Shop your heart out

Happy Shopkicking!

Have you earned kicks by shopping online through Shopkick yet? Watch this video to see how it’s done.

 

How to increase market share of a CPG product using a mobile app

Posted on by Kick Writers

It’s no secret that many CPG product categories have fierce competition and are often purchased on price. This is perhaps why the CPG market is considered to be the most difficult for even established brands to grab a larger share of. If your goal is to increase market share, a mobile CPG marketing strategy that penetrates a consumer’s time in-store could help you achieve it.

increase a product's market shareMobile app marketing is a cost-effective method for increasing market share for CPG products. Alternative options, like ramping up advertising spend, are expensive and not always guaranteed to offer a significant return on investment. Marketing via mobile apps, however, can give you a competitive advantage by differentiating your product as they reach customers in the moment of truth in-storen, driving consideration for your product.

Below, explore how your company can leverage mobile tools like geolocation, timely contacts, and shopping rewards to deliver the conversion you’re seeking from your marketing dollars. Strategies for how to increase market share of a product can be as simple as partnering with a mobile app.

Common Barriers to Market Share Growth in the CPG Industry

There are several common market share growth barriers in the CPG industry that could block your attempts to gain attention for your products. These barriers are the things that keep consumers from choosing your product, despite advertising and shelf visibility, so you must find creative and effective ways to combat them in order to grow.

Generally, a market share growth barrier will fall into one of the three following categories:

  • Loyalty: It seems odd to treat loyalty as a negative, but it certainly is when a significant portion of your product’s target demographic is loyal to a competitor. Customers who are already engaged with a brand are five times more likely to choose that brand’s products over another.
  • Similar products: The CPG market in the US alone is worth $670 billion, which should confirm to any CPG marketer that competition is fierce. If your product is difficult to differentiate from others in its category, it can be next to impossible to make a dent in your market share. The less your product stands out, the harder it will be to garner new attention from consumers. This is especially true if your product’s price point is higher than your competitors’ without offering some additional benefit.  
  • Price point: About 10% of consumers are willing to stick with the lowest priced product, even when they’re aware of a similar product which will provide a superior experience. Consumers who are focused on price point will always be focused on price point. Because of this, pulling these consumers to your brand will only work if you discount your prices lower than others. However, as soon as your price increases again, you will likely lose that customer—and the market share they represent.

A majority of the issues that CPG brands run into when trying to increase market share for a product is that their barriers span all three categories. Their product may be difficult to differentiate from others and may not have the lowest price point, meaning they can’t gain the price-conscious consumers. However, they also haven’t earned the loyalty from consumers who are focused on quality over price. One strategy to stand out from the CPG crowd and combat each of these barriers is utilizing a mobile app to showcase and differentiate your product.

Learn How to Increase Market Share of a Product Using Mobile Apps

Despite the common barriers listed above, it is still possible to gain greater market share in your category. One of the most effective marketing strategies you should leverage is mobile shopping apps. These apps allow you to reach out to customers when they are in the moment of making a purchase decision. Third-party apps in particular, like shopping rewards apps, are ideal for increasing market share as they allow your brand to connect with a new and receptive target audience.

Here is how mobile apps help you combat the barriers to increasing market share of your products:

  • Compete against lower price points without cutting prices: If you don’t want to lose margin by discounting, or want to focus on quality, shopping apps offer an alternative to incentivize price-conscious shoppers via rewards. While consumers don’t receive an immediate discount, they do earn rewards points for their purchases. This allows them to feel thrifty and budget-minded while eliminating the negative impact of discounted prices on your bottom line.
  • Utilize geolocation to gain contextual relevance: Shopping apps can be designed to work hand-in-hand with beacons and other location technology. Via these technologies, shopping apps notify a consumer when they’re near your product and provide information about it. If you’re in a product category with high competition, this can allow you to gain the attention of your target audience at the right moment—i.e., when they are ready and able to make a purchase decision.
  • Convert loyal customers with a trusted audience: Consumers who use shopping rewards apps tend to be very loyal to their favorite app. Often, their trust of the app will extend to any featured product or brand as well. This can be enough to pull a competing brand’s loyal customer to your side of the endless CPG aisle.

Shopping apps can increase your product’s market share without the high expense of awareness campaigns or competitor acquisitions. By partnering with a well-established third-party shopping rewards app, you can easily overcome common market growth barriers like competitor loyalty, lack of product differentiation, and price-focused consumers. Mobile shopping apps allow your product to stand out on overcrowded store shelves by communicating in the moment to an engaged and interested audience.

Shopkick’s mobile platform is used by a wide range of partners looking to increase their market share. If you’re interested in learning more about what Shopkick can do for your brand, contact our team today.

Image courtesy dolgachov

Posted in b2b

Leading cereal brand

Posted on by Kick Writers

Growing market share during the key Back to School season

Campaign Goals

A leading cereal brand wanted to grow their market share at Target during the key Back to School season by reaching moms and families looking for quick and easy breakfast solutions.  The brand wanted to drive engagement and sales across the brand portfolio, as well as educate about an in-store promo where shoppers could get a discount by purchasing multiple products.

Shopkick Solution

Shopkick first leveraged in-app content to engage shoppers, grow awareness of the in-store offer and build intent to shop. Next Shopkick motivated to store and offered rewards for engaging with products across the brand portfolio on the crowded cereal shelf, effectively shutting out the competition. Finally, through Shopkick’s proprietary location technology, Shopkick messaged shoppers in-store, letting them know about the in-store promotion where they could get a discount for purchasing multiple products.

Results

The media components of this program not only drove people to the store, but drove incremental sales for the cereals. Of the shoppers that purchased the brands’ cereal during their Target shopping trip, an avg. of 82% were not planning to purchase the product prior to their visit.  

82%

Incremental sales

28%

Share stolen from competitors

47%

Future purchase intent

Details

Goals

Grow market share

Drive multiple purchases

Drive sales and ROI

Retailer Distribution

Target

Products Used

Lookbook, Promo Unit, Scans, In-store offer, Purchase validation

The CPG Industry Trends of 2018 That Brands and Retailers Must Prepare For

Posted on by Kick Writers

The CPG Industry Trends of 2018 That Brands and Retailers Must Prepare For

There was a time when both consumers and industry experts believed that the retail sector was safe from the impact of increasing online sales. CPG brands appeared to be firmly attached to local brick and mortar shelves. That, however, is no longer the case as access to rapid shipping, curbside pickup, and mobile shopping have impacted every industry revolving around consumer packaged goods.

As recently as 2013, online sales of CPG products accounted for as little as 1% of total web sales revenue; however, it’s anticipated that by 2025 that will jump to 20%. The widespread use of online ordering, coupled with a growing consumer dependence on technology, has led to a major shift in how consumers make purchases. Emerging CPG industry trends for 2018 will require brand managers to shift the way they approach marketing by focusing on how they reach out to consumers in the digital space, as well as on how they advertise in-store and on shelves.

Amid this change lies opportunity, however. Our global marketplace has created an environment where CPG brands no longer have to think locally—or even nationally. Instead, they are able to successfully connect with consumers in brand new global markets never open to them before. Brand managers must capitalize on the digital 2018 CPG industry trends by gleaning insights from companies who have been early adopters of the digital forward march—and by leveraging mobile and web-based tools to understand and influence modern buyer behavior.

A Newly Globalized Marketplace: The Top CPG Industry Trend of 2018

In the past, CPG brands were limited to the consumer segments local to them and, as a result, focused the bulk of their marketing attention there. However, the most influential 2018 trend in the CPG industry is access to new, emerging markets of consumers. The internet now allows brands to get in front of millions of consumers that have not, in the past, been a marketing consideration, meaning there is a need for realigning marketing strategies in order to increase market share.

This was the case for Nestle when they chose to roll out their offerings in China’s ready-to-drink coffee market. The company quickly realized that Chinese consumers were not as willing to spend money on this product as American consumers—the price had to be right. The company reduced their costs by 30% by creating a supply chain within China and passed that on to the consumers. This decision allowed them to grab a market share in China, where they continue to be leaders in the ready-to-drink coffee market.

Before Nestle entered the Chinese market, they had, of course, done their research. However, until they were directly operating in the market, they couldn’t definitively predict sales. By tracking consumer behavior, however, they were able to adjust their strategy and successfully align their product with the needs of the Chinese consumer.

CPG brands, then, hoping to jump on the industry trends of 2018 by growing into new digital and global markets must adapt their advertising to genuinely speak to a vast pool of consumers based on geographic segments. The key takeaways for digital marketing and brand managers are:

Understand the new market:

As business goes global, you must be prepared to segment your marketing to focus on what’s important to consumers in different regions. In the US, consumers who drink Nestle’s coffee products are looking for a quick and easy ‘pick me up’. In China, the consumers were more focused on price. Understand what’s important to consumers in a given market and you’ll be able to cater to them. While that may be the price point, brand perception and quality can also be major converters as well.

Establish local contacts:

While the internet has allowed CPG brands to globalize at a rate never achievable before, the need to have a local presence still has not changed. Establish contacts in the local market when going global so you can continue to meet specific cultural and regional consumers needs.

Don’t anchor to a specific plan:

Nestle did research on what price points Chinese consumers found acceptable in their segment, but, in the end, that research didn’t align with the actual buyer behavior. They could have chosen to pull out of the market; instead, they shifted their plan to focus on what was important to those consumers. By reevaluating their position, they turned the push into the Chinese market into a success story simply by recognizing what was most important to consumers and then capitalizing on it.

Trending in 2018: An Increased Need for CPG Brand Connections

The adage used to be “The customer is always right.” However, in today’s digital marketplace, it seems that the most relevant adage is now closer to, “The customer is always informed.” This is another significant trend that is going to change the way the CPG industry must think of marketing due to an increased importance placed on consumer connections. Consumers no longer only want information about a product; instead, they want to connect with the company behind it.

Most consumers used to only research high-ticket items. Due to the ease of garnering information online, however, many modern consumers research every purchase. In fact, it was estimated in one study that nearly one-third of all purchases, across all categories, were spurred by a recommendation on a digital platform.

Consider the case of Harry’s, an online shaving and razor start-up company. It was started by two hopeful entrepreneurs who bought a defunct factory and wondered what to do with it. Then, they realized that a solution-driven approach was one which could guide them. Consumers of both genders always needed razors. Ideally, they needed them at a decent price and on a consistent basis. That’s when the founders decided to fill that need. They opened their factory doors, and even their company books, and approached those consumers in a straightforward manner. They even went so far as to create a biography about their brand.

Initially, the strictly online brand didn’t have much of a following. But, eventually, that strategy of being genuine and open with consumers worked. Today, Harry’s is a $100 million company with a significant base of loyal, dedicated consumers. By letting consumers in on their company’s journey, they turned their razors into a lifestyle.

Companies can take tips from Harry’s to create a brand that truly speaks to, and connects with, consumers. The key takeaways are:

Share your story:

Every brand, whether established or new, has a story—and consumers want to connect with it. By encouraging consumers to interact with your brand, you create the relationship needed to keep them coming back.

See a need, fill a need:

Razors are a fact of life for men and women alike. By seeing that need and filling it in a convenient and interesting way, Harry’s created a niche presence for themselves within the market.

Never underestimate the power of word of mouth:

Much of Harry’s business can be attributed to their willingness to connect with consumers via social media and other online mediums. One satisfied customer told their positive brand story and created ten more customers. Get customers to want to share your brand’s message by showing them its human side.

Shoppers Seek Out Sustainability: An Ever-Growing Trend in 2018

The next big trend is one that was spurred by necessity: sustainability. Consumers want to purchase from brands that are environmentally friendly. This trend is particularly noticeable in the CPG industry. Per one study, it was noted that 81% of consumers are willing to sacrifice convenience and comfort to reduce their environmental impact. If those consumers are willing to sacrifice, they expect it from their brands as well. Often, brands don’t have to change the way they do business to achieve this, though. Instead, they just need to make their sustainability efforts more visible.

General Mills is one such company which has clearly stated its dedication to sustainability. The brand focused on reducing carbon emissions at its plants and is also spearheading clean label movements designed to minimize ingredients in foods in order to limit the need to source and transport these products. The company CEO, Ken Powell, reported that demand from employees and consumers is what led the brand to make a change, stating that customers “want to know that the company that makes [their] food shares [their] values.”

Sustainability will continue to be a growing concern for consumers, which is why companies need to be prepared to meet that need. This could require changing ingredients and packages, or an action as simple as making public commitments to reduce waste, water usage, and carbon emissions.

The key takeaways for CPG brands in 2018 are:

Share your customer’s values:

Modern consumers care about their impact on the environment and want to work with companies that share those concerns. Consider ways your brand could reduce its environmental impact.

Discuss your goals publicly:

General Mills made its announcement not as a means of tooting its own horn, but instead to double down on a private commitment. By publicly stating that they were planning to reduce their environmental impact, they made it clear that they were dedicated to the cause.

Encourage customers to participate as well:

Encourage customers to participate in sustainability efforts by taking their own small steps in improving the environment. Ask them to then share those stories with your brand. This creates a sustainability partnership between you and your customers which will help keep them engaged.

Tying the CPG Industry Trends of 2018 Together with Consistent Engagement

Globalization, sustainability, and consumer connections are the three major trends which will be prevalent for the CPG industry in 2018. A lesson that all brands can derive from these trends is that the CPG industry must find a way to create an ongoing dialog with consumers. Brands must be attuned to what consumers in new markets want. By connecting with and understanding consumers, brands can create an engaging story that will keep them invested in their products.

While brands may see the globalization of markets as a challenge, there is also great opportunity. Brands can reach out to consumers they never could have in the past through the digital marketplace.

Here are just a few ways your brand can communicate with consumers about those trends:

Create a social media presence:

Consumers demanding greater transparency need more opportunities to interact with your brand. About 22% of the world’s population uses Facebook and nearly 70% of your North American customers are on the platform. If they’re on the platform, you should optimizing your presence there as well. This step is an important part of brand transparency, as through social media you make your brand accessible. This is also a good place to drive sustainability initiatives, as you can share your company’s plan for an environmentally-friendly future and get consumers to provide feedback on those plans.

Use data to develop experiences:

Consumer mobile data can help you target the right individuals at the right time, as well as glean what’s important to them. Many consumers use their mobile devices as they shop, to gain more information on products and companies. By using data about their buying behaviors to target them with offers, you can improve conversions and increase market share. This can help when approaching the globalization of brands, as you can see what’s important to consumers in different geographical areas. It can also help with creating a strong buyer connection by allowing you to get to know your loyal users on a deeper level.

Encourage customer interaction:

When consumers have a question or a concern, answer it. But also, encourage them to share their story with your brand. Consumer-generated content can help to humanize your brand and your products. This is another avenue for voicing sustainability efforts, as you can encourage consumers to share their own efforts for improving the environment.

Build new relationships with shopping apps:

Shopping apps allow you to get your brand in front of consumers who otherwise may never have heard of it. They give CPG brands a significant advantage as these apps can be used both online and while shoppers are visiting brick and mortar locations. Essentially, you can connect with these consumers via their mobile device and give them information about your brand. By doing this on a mobile shopping app platform, you gain the opportunity to interact with a new audience—and at the moment when they are ready to make a purchase. This is particularly useful when entering a new global market in which consumer buying behavior is invaluable, and when trying to create that sometimes elusive consumer connection.

CPG brands are facing a challenging time in a crowded global marketplace, but it’s also a time rife with opportunity to leverage the available resources in the digital space. Shopping apps can be an empowering tool in your brand’s efforts to seize on trending CPG opportunities in 2018. They allow you to connect with consumers in new global markets by using geolocation technology to make them aware of your brand as it enters that market. They allow you to create a personal experience by allowing for naturally engaging interactions. And, they can even be used to share advertisements and information about your sustainability programs.

As consumers constantly carry mobile devices that keep them connected to the internet, you can travel with them through their purchase journey. You can create a relationship that will get them to remember your brand and seek it out in-store. CPG industry trends of 2018 are tied deeply to the internet, so using an internet-based platform to capitalize on them is imperative for any brand looking to increase market share in 2018.

Shopkick provides a mobile-based shopping app platform for brands to gain an edge in the growing global marketplace. For more information about becoming a partner with us, contact our team today.

Posted in b2b

Free shopping apps that pay you in Amazon gift cards

Posted on by Kick Writers

Man is it a lot of work trying to stay up with the latest tech! I totally had to have the iPhone X the day it came out, so I called ahead to my local AT&T store. When I found out they would have six of them in stock on a first come, first serve basis, I decided to spend the night camping out in a tent on the sidewalk. I mean, have you seen the iPhone X? It has a face scan you use to unlock your phone! It’s so cool! How could I pass that up?

So, yeah, I’m the guy who gets each new iPhone on the day they come out, but I’ve camped out for other tech, too, everything from Playstations to the Xbox and even Black Friday sales so I could score a major markdown on a new tablet. Yes, it takes dedication—but it’s also really fun!

amazing gift cards shopping rewards appsThe thing that starts to catch up with you after a little while, though, is all the money you spend. It’s expensive to be an early adopter! I know that the other techies who camp out in front of AT&T stores love to bemoan the prices as well. What they don’t know, though, is that there are actually ways to use that new phone or tablet to download free apps that pay you to easily earn Amazon gift cards just for shopping!

With these apps, you can haul in Amazon gift cards for things like going to stores, shopping online (my personal favorite), and scanning new or featured products. Pro tip: you can then buy some of your necessities with the Amazon gift cards that the apps pay you, stuff like paper towels and shaving cream, etc., and save your hard-earned cash for new tech—even if you have to camp outside to get it. Here’s what you need to know about my favorite free shopping apps that pay rewards in Amazon gift cards.

Meet Your New Favorite Tech: Shopping Apps That Pay You Amazon Gift Cards

Believe it or not, I’ve made some really great friends camping out waiting for new tech toys. There was Steve from the PS4 line, who’s as big an NBA fan as I am. Then there was Lisa in the iPhone 7 line; we still like all of each other’s photos on Instagram. And, of course, Carlos from all those years ago waiting for the first iPad to go on sale. I just recently went to his wedding!

I think we’re a special breed, those of us who care so much about technology that we’re down to camp outside of stores on shopping center sidewalks. Maybe that’s why they’ve all appreciated it so much when I’ve introduced them to another very good friend of mine: shopping apps that pay you Amazon gift cards.

Shopping rewards apps are actually one of my favorite uses for the new technology I’m always chasing. They’re pretty simple, really. How these apps work is that they let you earn points for shopping. So, let’s say I have to run out and get some stuff at Target. The shopping rewards apps give me points for things like going into the store, points for scanning barcodes of featured products, and then finally for buying household items I always need. Then, when I have saved up enough points, I can trade them in and—boom!—it’s Amazon gift card time. Hello cord extenders for my new Super Nintendo classic edition!

The Best Free Shopping Apps That Pay You in Amazon Gift Cards

Ok, so I’ve gotten so into these apps, that I’ve now transferred them through the cloud to, I think, three new phones (but who’s counting, besides my wife?). Here are a few of the ones I love to use the most:

  • Mobee: Mobee turns you into a mystery shopper, which means that it gives you secret missions (way rad) at stores and restaurants in your area. These usually last between 10 and 15 minutes and they almost always  require you to do something like take a picture of a display in a store or tell them what you thought about shopping there. Then, you get points for the missions you complete, points you can swap for Amazon cards.
  • Shopkick: Shopkick is my favorite shopping app because its interface is, in my humble techy opinion, the most engaging. Shopkick turns trips to stores like Target or Best Buy into mini scavenger hunts for points, called kicks. You can easily fit hunting down kicks into your normal shopping routine—or spend a little extra time hunting for them. With Shopkick, you get points for just walking into the store, for scanning barcodes, and, of course, making purchases. It’s so much fun that I’ve got most of my tech friends using it, too. We’re always texting each other tips about how to up our weekly point earnings.

Shopkick gets my vote for best shopping app because the tech it uses turns shopping into a game, which makes me so much more likely to actually head out to the stores instead of putting it off and putting it off until I have to—or my kid is actually out of diapers.

So yeah, these days I’m talking my friends’ ears off about the iPhone X I camped out for and how many points I’m earning in my never-ending quest to score free Amazon gift cards just by shopping. What can I say, as any tech nerd will tell you, part of the fun of getting a new toy, app, or device is talking about it!

Ready to use your smartphone to turn shopping into a game where you win Amazon gift cards? Download Shopkick for free and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered the rewards of shopping with us—and how fun our tech is!

And, if you love using your smartphone to stay up on social media, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping inspiration.

Image courtesy Denys Prykhodov

The best shopping apps to make money fast (for what you buy anyways)

Posted on by Kick Writers

I have a lot of friends these days who I only follow on Facebook and rarely see in person. Life has taken us in different directions, or to different cities, or just to places where we don’t have the time to get together on the regular like we once did.

As much as I miss them, I love seeing all the interesting things that my old friends get up to. I have a friend from high school who went on to become a fashion model on Instagram and another who lives in LA following her passion to become an actress. A college friend, Dan, is actually a motivational speaker; he travels from city to city sharing tips with people looking for advice, mostly on how to improve their finances. His key phrase always sticks in my head: make money while you sleep.

make money fast on free appsMy friend Dan’s big financial advice is to develop passive income streams, like rental properties or investments that help you earn money while you’re focused on your day job. Which of course got me thinking about… shopping.

Hear me out! I’m a big fan of shopping rewards apps to make money fast while buying the things my family needs anyway—and there are plenty of these apps out there to choose from! I can guarantee you’ll find one you love using to easily earn shopping rewards you can cash in. I even have my own version of my friend’s saying now, although I’ve yet to tour the country giving speeches about it. My saying is: find apps to make money fast for what you buy anyways. Pretty good, right? I know my bank account thinks so. Here are a few of my favorites.

Earny: Quickly Earn Money for Online Shopping

One thing I’ve learned from my friend’s posts on Facebook is that a key to financial health these days is to diversify, diversify, diversify. So, the first of my favorite rewards apps that actually works to pay me for online shopping is… drumroll, please…. Earny!

Earny scans your email archives for receipts from online shopping, then compares whether prices have dropped. If they have, Earny helps you claim the difference in price, either through the retailer or through your credit card company. This is a super cool app to make money fast for what you buy online.

Shopkick: The Best All-Around Shopping App to Make Money Fast

I had a chuckle the other day while I was watching one of my friend’s motivational videos. He said something about how there are certain things in life that you just can’t turn into money-making opportunities, like when you have to run errands all day or when you are getting some of your shopping done on your mobile phone or online. I couldn’t help myself, I had to reply in a comment, “Um, hello? Have you heard of Shopkick?”

Shopkick is my favorite and truly the best of the apps to easily make money fast because with Shopkick there are so many fun and easy ways to earn points, called kicks, that you can then turn into gift cards for Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, or tons of other great stores.

With Shopkick, you earn points just for walking into certain stores! Then, it also gives you points for scanning barcodes of featured products, and, of course, for ultimately making your purchases. Shopkick, like the other shopping rewards apps on this list, is a free app that even pays you to grocery shop!

Pro tip: you can use both of these apps together, doubling your points and money back. I know, right? WOW!

Once my money-motivator friend heard about how Shopkick works, he became an immediate fan as well. He even messaged me personally to tell me that he was going to start telling the people he coaches about Shopkick and the other shopping mobile apps.

Yes, I know, I probably spend a little too much time on Facebook, just like everyone else, but little interactions like this are a really easy way to stay in touch with old friends. It’s always nice to catch up with them—and it’s even nicer when you can pass each other tips on how to make the most out of your finances and your next shopping trip!

Get to know one of the best apps to make money fast for the shopping you do anyway. Download Shopkick’s free app today and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered how much you can earn with the help of our free sidekick.

And, if you’re on social media catching up with friends, be sure to also join Shopkick on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for a little daily shopping inspiration.

Image courtesy LightField Studios

How to easily earn free gift cards just for shopping online

Posted on by Kick Writers

I’ve always been sort of old school, at least when it comes to my coffee preferences. While the ladies at work love to rave about spiced this and spiced that, I’ve always preferred just plain old no-frill lattes. Why mess with something so good? This was true, at least, until I discovered the flat white. It was L-O-V-E love at first sight!

get gift card rewards for shopping onlineA flat white is kind of like a fancy latte, just a little smaller and much, MUCH foamier. It’s amazing, and I thought it was going to be my new favorite coffee drink—until a third surprise contender entered the race at the last minute that is. Winning out for best coffee ever is (drumroll, please): coffee that I pay for with free gift cards for online shopping!

Okay, I know this last one isn’t really a type of coffee drink, per se, but I think you get my meaning. The absolute best coffee is the one you get as a reward, rather than having to pay for it out of your monthly budget, especially when—let’s face it—there are some months when we all have to skip the fancy stuff to save a few bucks by drinking the breakroom coffee at work (read: the holidays).   

It’s not just coffee, though. In my personal experience, everything tastes, looks, or wears better when you pay for it with gift cards earned through shopping rewards. Movie theater popcorn? Smells so much better. Lotion from Sephora? Feels aaaa-mazing. Even paper towels ordered from Amazon seem a little more absorbent when you pay for them with a free gift card.

And, once you get the hang of how to earn free gift cards for online shopping, you’ll start having a whole new set of favorite things, too… things you pay for with those gift cards.

Free Gift Cards for Online Shopping: How Rewards Apps Work

Discovering that you can get free gift cards just for shopping online was kind of like discovering the flat white. I’ve always shopped online, but I’ve kept my savings techniques to the basics. I like that what I buy gets delivered right to my house, and I like that I can sometimes save with lower prices. I was content there. I’d known about (and loved) apps that pay you to grocery shop for a while—and these apps are easy to use—but I didn’t know about online rewards options.

Much like how a flat white is just a foamier variation of a latte (a gloriously foamier variation), apps that give you free gift cards for shopping online are basically just a variation of apps that you can use in brick and mortar stores. To take this idea back even further, you can even think of them as a replacement for multiple rewards program cards, if that helps.

There’s really nothing complicated at all about how they work. The best shopping rewards apps give you points for a activities that you probably already do when you’re online shopping anyway, like:

  • Visiting online stores: This one’s easy, just browse an online store and earn some rewards points. That’s all there is to it.
  • Viewing select products: Hey, what do you know? This one is also easy! You just look at the listings for select products, and you rack up some points.
  • Making mobile purchases: Super weird, this one’s easy, too! (Sensing a pattern here?) Buy the things you were going to anyway and easily earn rewards points.
  • Watching videos: Last but not least, you can also find shopping rewards apps that give you points for watching videos about products online. Easy, easy, easy.

The Best Apps for Earning Free Gift Cards for Online Shopping

Okay, so, at this point, I think I know what you’re thinking: where is the best place for me to go to get one of these bad boys? Well, Starbucks, of course… Oh, wait! You meant where can you get a shopping rewards app that works well for shopping online, didn’t you!

Here are my favorite picks for online shopping rewards apps:

  • Swagbucks: Swagbucks is a cool program that gives you points for things like using their search engine for web searches, filling out surveys, and—ding, ding, ding—shopping at certain online stores. Once you have 450 points, you can cash them in for a free $5 Amazon gift card or for many other online hotspots, as well.
  • Ebates: Ebates lets you earn cash back from online stores, too. You get a $5 welcome bonus for signing on, then, with Ebates, you can also easily browse plenty of promo codes and coupons to push your savings even further.
  • Shopkick: Shopkick is my personal favorite. I just have the most fun with Shopkick. This free app gives me points, called kicks, for all the activities I do online anyway, including visiting online stores, learning about products, buying household items, and even watching videos from various brands—as well as in store. I also love that Shopkick boasts a great sense of community on all of its social media channels; I often find myself on there sharing tips about shopping, enjoying the jokes Shopkick makes, and the funny gifs other Shopkickers post in response—or even just chatting away about my family and how I tackle our budget.

Anything you buy is sure to seem a little bit better when you purchase it with a giftcard you earned for shopping activities you would have been doing anyway, right? I even have more fun doing the actual online shopping—and I can’t recommend apps like Shopkick highly enough. I mean, everyone shops online these days, so why not earn yourself some rewards points while you’re at it?

Start earning free gift cards (and flat whites!) today—just for shopping online. Download Shopkick’s free app and join a community of creative Shopkickers who’ve already discovered how much they can earn just for shopping online.

If you love social media as much as you love coffee, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping inspiration.

Image courtesy Pixabay user HutchRock

Get ready for our Black Friday and Cyber Monday event

Posted on by Kick Writers

Save the date! Our biggest kick event yet is coming up starting Black Friday. Give thanks with family and friends this Thanksgiving, and then let the holiday shopping begin!

You can get thousands of kicks when you walk in, scan, and make purchases in stores like Walmart, Target, and more. Plus, earn double the kicks in store when you use your linked card to purchase at stores, including TJ Maxx.

Looking to shop online? You’ll also be able to earn more kicks than ever when you shop online at stores like Walmart.com, eBay, Groupon, and more through the Shopkick app. Get a head start and begin planning your kicks now!

Happy shopkicking!

 

Check out the Black Friday & Cyber Monday kick plan!

Take a look at the plan below, or see it here.