Mr. MacKenzie

Mobile Technology

Mobile Messaging as a Service Tool

By Josiah MacKenzie, Founder, Gradigio Group

Technology provides us with a platform to deliver extraordinary experiences and memorable service. And perhaps nowhere is this more obvious than in mobile communications. Think about it: what other device are people carrying around with them all the time? What other device continuously transmits data on location and proximity, serves as an on-the-go-guide, and links all areas of our personal and professional lives? Smartphones are ubiquitous with business and leisure travelers alike, with Neilsen projecting one in two American mobile phone users will own a smartphone by Q3 2011. Internationally, Italy and Spain have even higher smartphone market share than the US. Yet since mobile devices are always with us, our sensitivity to privacy is much higher. Mobile messaging done incorrectly will likely be seen as abusive and damaging to your brand. There must be a coordinated effort to deliver the right information at the right time - and only with the recipient’s explicit permission. For these reasons, the biggest opportunity I see in mobile communications is using it as a service channel - not as a direct sales or marketing medium. Let’s examine how mobile messaging can be used for service.

Opportunity: Pre-stay text messages

Many hotels send out booking confirmations and welcome emails to their guests. It’s a great opportunity deliver useful information, upsell to value-added packages, and inquire about any special requests the guest may have. But it seems SMS text messaging could be much more effective than email for these purposes. If I’m on the go I may not want to check email, but would appreciate a text message a few hours before my arrival asking if I have any last-minute requests. A number of software vendors have already developed tools that integrate with your existing booking systems and would make this process easy. You would have to collect the mobile number of guests and ask their permission to send updates, but this is becoming increasingly valuable to have in your database. Opportunity: Concierge services during the stay

Guests checking into the Andaz 5th Avenue in New York City receive a business card from their host. On one side are regular contact details, but the other side says: “If you are out exploring the city and need anything, please call or text me at +1 347 XXX XXXX” How accessible is your guest services team? How difficult would it be to implement a program like this? You could even setup a dedicated SMS text messaging support number on Google Voice and have a front desk host manage all the text messages from their computer using the online dashboard - which would be a lot faster than typing everything on their mobile phone.

Opportunity: Departure and post-transaction messages

For reasons mentioned above, you know I see the value of supplementing hotel confirmation emails with text messages. Right after I check out of a hotel, I would be open to receiving a text message asking if my stay went smoothly, and if there is anything the hotel staff could do to make it better next time. If done correctly, this could be a great chance to gather guest feedback. You could solicit guest reviews through 3rd-party mobile websites and applications - nearly every popular review website has one - or you could ask people to call in and leave feedback in a voice message. UK-based BigEars has tested this format inside and outside of the hospitality industry, and found that many more people leave voice feedback since it can be done on the go when traveling. But this could be done for more than just the hotel stay itself. Seth Godin once shared an example of pharmaceutical companies fighting drug counterfeiting in Africa by allowing customers to send an SMS message to the company to ensure authenticity. How could you extend the bigger concept of post-transaction messaging to develop an after-sale connection with the customer? After someone makes a purchase from you, what additional information, education, instructions, support, discounts, upsells, or service could you provide?

Opportunity: Bridging the online-offline gap with QR codes

Some innovative hotels are using Quick Response (QR) codes to provide information via mobile phones. Originally developed in Japan in 1994, this technology is making inroads in the US and elsewhere as a way to bridge the online-offline gap. When scanned, a QR code can direct someone interested in a product to a webpage with more information. For example, Tailor Made Hotel in Buenos Aires posted a QR code poster on its hotel lobby window. Passersby scan the code with their phone and instantly connect to the Tailor Made Hotel Facebook page to learn more about the hotel.

Opportunity: Location-based messages

GPS location awareness in mobile phones is one of the most powerful features from a communications perspective, and I feel we as marketers are only beginning to understand the vast potential of this. Built-for-mobile location-based networks like Gowalla and Foursquare enable brands to monitor when fans and followers are in close proximity, and to communicate with them through their mobile devices. These technologies allow you to deliver exceptional service experiences to your customers at just the right time. KLM Airlines recently experimented with an interesting campaign taking advantage of this. The airline decided to use this multitude of available mobile and social data to surprise their passengers waiting at Airport Amsterdam Schipol with personalized gifts. KLM monitored the social web for passengers that checked-in through Foursquare or Twitter. They then searched their social profiles for information such as their favorite activity and interests to obtain gift ideas before setting out to locate the passenger, either at their departure gate or again through information shared through social networks. Based on data that passengers shared, the KLM customer service team found the passengers and surprised and delighted them with the personalized gifts. Again in this example, the work to implement a similar campaign isn’t overwhelming. It simply requires us to use a little creativity and think of mobile messaging as a service tool.

How do you plan to use it?

Josiah MacKenzie is the founding owner and marketing brain of the Gradigio Group, a San Francisco-based collection of media properties catering to the hospitality industry around the globe. He also has roles in other ventures, with business interests in North America, Europe, Southeast Asia and Australia. Mr. Mackenzie has published over 100 articles, and has appeared in the Washington Post, MSNBC.com, and Entrepreneur magazine. His new book, The Savvy Hotelier's Guide to Hotel Marketing Ideas, reveals over 1,000 of the most profitable marketing tactics used by hotels. Mr. MacKenzie can be contacted at 415-671-6235 or josiah@gradigio.com Extended Bio...

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