Prominent Retailers Leading The Way in Tech Shopping Boom

By Melissa Michael 

A recent Chadwick Martin Bailey study showed that smartphones are now a significant aspect of the shopping experience - over 50% of today’s estimated 69.5 million smartphone users in the U.S. use their device while shopping. As consumers get more tech-savvy and reliant on their smartphones and mobile devices, retailers have had to develop increasingly more sophisticated digital systems and programs to keep up with the wave of the mobile shopping phenomenon. This holiday season is going to unveil some of the latest initiatives and developments in the mobile app shopping world from some leading retailers.

Wal-Mart recently announced one of its latest ideas – a superior iPhone app that enables users to add shopping list items by speaking, typing or scanning bar codes. It also provides the price, local store availability and, in select stores, aisle location of those items. Likewise, Apple unveiled new app features, one of which allows shoppers to purchase a product through the app and then proceed to picking it up at a store.

Another example of innovative social media and mobile advertising campaigns is Macy’s augmented reality campaign which has just launched, in time for the Holiday season. Previously Macy’s asked customers to mail their Make-A-Wish Foundation Santa letters. This year, consumers mailing their letters at Macy’s “Believe Stations” in-store can take photos with the campaign’s animated stars. Macy's Believe-o-Magic app was created and developed to run across mobile Web, tablet, Web and Facebook. Consumers can get instructions via the app which allows them to step into the frame and take a photo, which can also be uploaded into a holiday card template to share with friends and family via email or Facebook.

Retailers have realized that consumers are tapping into "turbo-charged technology," as Candace Corlett, president of consultancy WSL Strategic Retail explained it. “Shoppers want to compare prices, receive discount offers, buy products and even get in-store maps through their handheld devices”.

The data around people using their mobile devices and tablets for shopping activities is now well established. As a reminder, a study from comScore showed that 63% of tablet owners have made a purchase with their device and 31% of mobile owners have used their smartphones. This isn’t anything that new anymore. Many retailers know that consumers are using their mobile devices and tablets to make purchases and compare prices, what they do with that information now is the critical point.

To better serve the tech-savvy holiday shopper, 50% of leading retailers in the US have significantly invested in mobile-optimized websites, according to the NRF's Shop.org digital unit. One in five retailers have invested funds in creating tablet apps with innovative ideas such as the Wal-mart and Macy’s mobile innovation. The important thing to remember is that it is not just about creating any app – it must be a successful one. According to Dan Shust, head of innovation at digital marketing agency Resource Interactive, "a successful app has a great deal of utility or entertainment or some combination of the two.”

Cortlett has stated that retail strategy has become “a high-pressure game” and retail businesses need to get on board quickly with mobile advertising and app world innovations or risk being left behind in the wake of this tech-shopping boom.

Mojiva Inc and Microsoft enter Global Agreement

Excellent news announced today for both Mocean Mobile and Microsoft Advertising!

Microsoft  Advertising has chosen Mocean Mobile to help power their push into mobile ad sales.  As reported on the Microsoft Advertising blog  “…This agreement will provide mobile developers and publishers a true global “one stop shop” for monetizing their mobile advertising inventory with comprehensive, easy-to-use and well-documented ad solutions for Windows Phone, iOS, and Android apps as well as mobile browse..”

Microsoft is yet another major mobile publisher that is utilizing the Mocean Mobile platform, and is committed to giving its sales team and mobile marketers the most comprehensive display advertising technology available.

We’re proud of the mobile ad server we’ve created as it’s providing Microsoft the ability to serve rich media from almost every RM provider in the industry, detailed forecasting, to allow sales teams to sell inventory with complete confidence and enhanced reporting to ensure campaigns are delivering with precision.

In addition, the global agreement also outlines a strategic relationship between the Mojiva Ad network and the host of Microsoft properties through The Microsoft Ad Exchange for Mobile.  Exciting stuff for all involved!    

For more information, email hello@moceanmobile.com

Upgraded Mocean Mobile SDK Gives Developers More

The upgraded Mocean Mobile Universal SDK gives developers more revenue making opportunities with expanded rich media and ad network plug-ins.

Mocean Mobile recently released an update to their universal software development kit (SDK). We’ve been listening to the developer community which has been asking for more flexibility in who they can rely on for ad fill and unique display ad units. I’m proud to say, the latest release is a much lighter version and was written to give a much greater range of choices.

Benefits of the upgraded Mocean Mobile universal SDK include:

·         Streamlining of the 3^rd party library integration, ensuring minimal payload upon application downloads and launch.

·         Access to 50+ 3^rd party, server side integrations.

·         Integration with any 3^rd party SDK for additional reach/functionality; opening more opportunities to work with partners at any level of relationship – from backfill to direct sales. 

·         ORMMA/MRAID compliance, ensuring rich media support across the board.

So what does this mean?

It means that developers who rely on Mocean Mobile’s MAST for Publishers platform to monetize their display ad space can plug in any number of a wide variety of mobile ad networks, display ad networks or other server side fill partners. As we all know, in the fast moving rich media market, publishers are often asked to accommodate different rich media vendors from one ad campaign to another. This latest SDK release enables developers to utilize any leading rich media vendor as they wish. 

Some of the rich media partnerships that app developers can leverage with Mocean Mobile include Celtra, Sprout, Crisp, Meteor Group, Phluant Mobile, EyeWonder, and Rich Mob, just to name a few.

As for the server-side integrations, here is just a random snap shot of the 50+ 3^rd parties our app developers can utilize; Adfonic, Admob, ATTiBusiness, Brightroll, City Search, DoubleClick, iAds, iVdopia, Nexage, TAPTAP, WHERE, and Yellowpages.

We think it’s critical for developers to have this flexibility in order to maximize their potential for display ad monetization. So far, the reaction to our new SDK has been very positive. Lets us hear your thoughts.

For questions on the updated Mocean Mobile universal SDK, please email avale@moceanmobile.com.