Authors: Teresa Böhm, Carolin Hirsch, Kim Laranjeira, Kristina Lobe, Beate Riechers, Steffen Müller, Hendrik Niedenthal

1. The rise of SoLoMo

In recent years an increasing shift in media habits can be observed. The massive proliferation of smartphones has opened up new fields of marketing and greats enormous potentials (Stanley 2010). Within these developments a new trend – called “SoLoMo”- is arising. Although there is no consistent definition to this trend, SoLoMo represents a movement that meets the needs of users and integrates their daily offline life into the online world. It is a combination of social applications and creating local content on mobile devices. The three basic pillars of SoLoMo ‘Social’, ‘Local’ and ‘Mobile’ offer a modern perspective of how to interact with customers. It means to offer users an added value by supporting his needs and wants to interact and recommend with his community wherever he is at the moment. Social – in the sense of an online community. Similar to existing social networks like for example Facebook, the recipients can interact and produce their own content, which they share with other customers wherever and whenever he is on his mobile phone. The new aspect and perspective for companies is the local component. To offer the customer an added value when he is close to a shop helps to apply for a new target group and bound them to a brand: walk-in customers (Socha 2012).

2. Requirements

The technological development in the mobile sector is one basic requirement for the rise of SoLoMo. Applications as Near Field Communication (NFC), Quick Response Codes (QR-Codes) and Global Positioning System (GPS) are only keywords and an abstract of new possibilities. Particularly important for “SoLoMo” marketing are Local Based Services (LBS) that allow companies to contact their local clients directly. This helps to reduce the amount of waste coverage in marketing. As well measurements are relieved as SoLoMo campaigns can directly be tracked and measured (Socha 2012).

3. Objectives

SoLoMo marketing regulates the five main objectives. It offers a new possibility of customer acquisition: to bound walk-in customers. Despite that companies can easily increase their customer retention with price comparisons, company information, recommendations, word of mouth and a direct communication with their customers. Through check-in functions more benefits can be given to the client, that creates an added value for the use of the application. The benefits can occur as couponing or discounts which also helps to strengthen the image of a modern, communicative company. Through applications short and important information of products or the company itself are easily shared with the customer. In the center of all SoLoMo activities lies finally sales as the last objective of SoLoMo (marketing2null.de 2007).

4. Strategies

Strategies of “SoLoMo” focus on the interaction with the customer, to integrate them in activities and to create thereby an online and offline experience. Information and notification can be given about products or features to let customers learn and educate about the company and to create traffic in stores. SoLoMo applications should help to build a relationship between company and customer with a continuous contact and a rising community of people who like to talk about the company and its products. This community is one basic pillar of SoLoMo. Therefore it is important to identify local influencers and to gain them for oneself creating access by being available whenever they prefer. In summary, it is essential to equip each channel and each application communicative, so that it can result in a direct dialogue between companies and customers and transaction (Socha 2012).

From the set of strategies different tactics derived and displays in a large variety. Examples from experiences are the campaign “Getaway Stockholm” by MINI, and as well the campaigns of Bing together with Jay-Z (cf. Microsoft (no date), cf. Blog mit Speck (2010), cf. Jung von Matt am Neckar (no date)).

5. Conclusion and Perspective

Recent developments demonstrate that “SoLoMo” marketing measures have a huge potential in a new field of interaction with your customer. SoLoMo will become even more important because of the smartphone and internet access development. It can be conclude that SoLoMo will not be a temporarily movement – it will be a serious communication channel for companies. Therefore companies should not miss to build a relationship through SoLoMo with their customers now. This can only work if the client’s needs are at the center. „Commercial exploitation of SoLoMo potential will therefore only succeed if a clear benefit is offered to the user.“ (Ringel 2011). The walk-in customers can be attracted and bounded to your store. Beside that SoLoMo offers simple methods of campaign measurements in comparison to traditional marketing measures.

The possibility to proclaim your opinion all the time demands the allover standing question if SoLoMo leads to ‘grassroots-Marketing’ in the future. Everyone has the possibility to share, communicate, interact, recommend and criticize. It offers a wide range of possibilities and as well disadvantages for companies with several affordable objectives.

Sources:

Blog mit Speck (2010): Kostenloser Kaffee bei Vapiano für Foursquare Bürgermeister: Internet: http: //blogmitspeck.de/2010/05/19/kostenloser-kaffee-bei-vapiano-fur-foursquare-burgermeister/, query: 15th of April 2012

JUNG von MATT am Neckar (without date of publication): MINI Getaway Stockholm 2010. Internet: http://www.jvm-neckar.de/2010/12/01/mini-getaway-stockholm-2010/#/?ps=1&pd=0&mt=getdataflow, query: 07th of April, 2012.

Marketing2null.de (2007): Mobile Marketing: Klassifizierung und Ziele mobiler Marketing-Kampagnen. Internet: http:// www.marketing2null.de/2007/08/09/mobile-marketing-klassifizierung-und-ziele-mobiler-marketing-kampagnen, query: 10th of April 2012.

Microsoft (without date of oublication): DECODE JAY-Z WITH BING. Internet: http://bing.decodejay-z.com/?fbid=e6PBPG4zVg_&wom=false, query: 07th of April 2012

Ringel, Tim (2011): SoLoMo – Die social local mobile Bewegung. Internet: http:// www.marketing-börse.de/Fachartikel/details/SoLoMo-%96-Die-Social-Local-Mobile-Bewegung, query: 09th of April 2012.

Socha, Sebastian (2012): Kennzeichen des „SoLoMo“ Konsumenten 2012. Social, Local, Mobile gehören zusammen – Aktuelle Inforgrafik zeigt warum. Internet: http:// blog.kennstdueinen.de/2012/02/kennzeichen-des-solomo-konsumenten-2012/#/more-10889, query: 08th of April 2012.

Stanley, Morgan (2010): Internet Trends. Internet: http//www.morganstanley.com/institutional/teachresearch/pdfs/MS_Internet_Trends_060710.pdf, query: 08th of April 2012.