The Gift Experience provide customers with innovative voucher codes to revolutionise shopping experience
The Gift Experience provide customers with innovative voucher codes to revolutionise shopping experience
UK online gift retailer, The Gift Experience has announced the addition of Quick Response (QR) codes to its affiliate programme, providing its affiliate-referred customers savings and increased access to mobile shopping.
The relatively new technology of QR codes (a specific matrix barcode, readable by dedicated QR barcode readers, and smart phones with a barcode reader app) allows The Gift Experience to drive consumer traffic from web or print direct to The Gift Experience mobile site, where consumers can shop and redeem the discount provided by the QR code.
The Gift Experience QR codes are integrated into the Voucher Management Tool provided by international affiliate network Webgains, to allow multi-format tracking across mobile, web and print.
Integrating vouchers across channels
The Gift Experience QR code works displaying a 3D barcode on a webpage, within a banner or as an image. The customer then scans the code with any barcode scanner app on their mobile phone. This automatically opens The Gift Experience mobile site on their phone.
Hidden within the link is a branded voucher code that will offer the customer a specific discount on their order. The code is then displayed on the landing page and is automatically applied to the basket. Since the Webgains Voucher Management Tool attributes the branded code to a specific affiliate, as long as the code is used on either The Gift Experience mobile site or standard website, the sale will track, and commission will be attributed to the relevant affiliate.
Steve Yates, The Gift Experience online marketing manager, said: “This is a really exciting development for consumers, as it means that their mobile phones can become a much more powerful shopping tool. The tool allows easier access to a wealth of m-commerce sites. We are also going to use the codes on the flyers we send out with all our packages. Because we thought the costs of production and distribution could be prohibitive on an untested concept, we felt it would be a safer option to release it on web first to ensure the technology was accepted by customers. We have received fantastic feedback and will continue to develop the idea as much as possible.”
Opening up multichannel opportunities
Robert Glasgow, managing director of Webgains, added: “I think this is a fantastic idea and really innovative. It’s great use of our Voucher Management Tool, it adds another dimension to The Gift Experience affiliate programme and positions them as a progressive online retailer. Given the way our Voucher Management Tool works, affiliates can use this tool for offline and print media, so it opens up a lot of opportunities.”
The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) conducted a study of consumers in the UK, France and Germany in August 2010 asking respondents about their awareness of, and preferences for, mobile response options, and how they felt these enhanced their engagement with advertising. The research revealed that, on average, 25% of consumers would be more likely to respond to an advert if it provided a mobile response cue.
