Dear Reader,

In this edition of Netsize Insights we explore the business opportunities at the intersection of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and mobile. We look at the mobile CRM strategies brands and retailers are pursuing to bring value to the customer and drive results. To help you navigate this new terrain we have collected insights on mobile CRM from a variety of sources, including exclusive interviews with industry thought leaders, as well as a detailed examination of how a new mobile payments solution currently deployed in France is helping retailers and merchants drive sales and improve CRM.

We hope you enjoy reading this newsletter.

Kind regards,
Alexander Vlasblom
Communications Director

Mobile CRM is the new mobile imperative

Research from companies (including mobile marketing and advertising company Hipcricket) suggests that mobile Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is an untapped opportunity for companies and brands. Hipcricket's last consumer survey,released in December 2010, reports that consumers have a strong interest in approaches that incorporate loyalty mechanisms such as clubs, communities and coupons.

Specifically, the Hipcricket survey found that 57 percent of consumers in the U.S. would be interested in opting in to a brand’s loyalty club via a mobile social networking application such as Facebook.

Read a selection of excerpts from our exclusive interviews with mobile movers and shakers.

Luxury brands and merchants warm to mobile CRM

An increasing number of high-end brands are integrating mobile into cross-media strategies aimed at alerting affluent, on-the-go consumers about exclusive products, shopping hours and drive deeper customer engagement. What is the role of mobile in the mix?

Read more about how luxury brands are using mobile to boost CRM and drive sales

Paul Berney: Mobile CRM Deepens Customer Engagement

From display ad campaigns aimed at boosting brand awareness to more ambitious cross-media strategies focused on creating long-term customer loyalty, brands have never been more active in mobile. This massive shift from experimentation to execution does more than mark a new and dynamic growth phase in mobile marketing. It also signals a new, sharp focus on Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and more ambitious campaign objectives around customer acquisition and retention.

We catch up with Paul Berney, Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) CMO, in an interview with the Netsize Guide to discuss how and why the mobile marketing business ecosystem must harness mobile to develop ongoing campaigns aimed at driving customer engagement, boosting CRM and enabling transactions.

Read more on Mobile Groove

Wringing more value out of mobile payments and CRM

In retail the end-game is no longer about enabling one-off interactions that result in the sale of goods and services. The winning approach is the one that turns a transaction into a customer conversation. Against this backdrop, an effective mobile payment system must do much more than manage and enable transactions. It must also enable the retailer to communicate with its customers and build mutually profitable relationships.

As a result, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is top of mind with an increasing number of retailers, taking a central role in strategies aimed at optimizing customer relationships to boost both business profitability and customer satisfaction.

Put simply, retailers are waking up to the imperative to harness mobile – as they did the Internet – to interact efficiently and effectively with their customers.

Read more

Digital Canadians: New Delvinia report reveals mobile shopping trends

On both sides of the Atlantic, the surge in visits from consumers to mobile retail sites during the last holiday season is indicative of a seismic shift in how consumers – particularly smartphone owners – are researching and purchasing goods and services on the move.

In a survey report on Mobile Commerce published by Netsize last year, respondents identified search and discovery of content and offers to be the primary rated characteristic for a good shopping experience on mobile, mentioned by 73 percent.

How should companies respond to this new breed of digital shopper? Delvinia urges merchants and marketers to pursue mobile retail and shopping strategies aimed at allowing consumers to interact with retailers and brands (and benefit from offers) using their mobile phones.

Read more