Adopting Mobile; Lessons from the Taxi Industry

On my way to an appointment recently I was taking a moment to look at a building and a taxi approached me.  On it's way it gave me that familiar, brief and subtle nudge - hoping that I was in fact looking for them, and in need of a ride - a honk.

Jerking me from my momentary trance, the honk made me look, but no I didn't need a ride and I looked away.

It got me thinking about how other people and industries try to get consumers to notice their brands or services.  By shouting out their message to create awareness and hoping that we need them or have any interest.

Like the rap of the tongs on the bbq grill by the hot dog vendor, or the shaking of the cup by the guy on the street looking for change these obtrusive signals are not to far off from traditional advertising.

Shout loud, shout often and hopefully people will come to you.

The taxi industry (barring the aforementioned driver) has adapted quickly however to the use of mobile and if they can, anyone can.

Independent mobile services like Hailo let users connect with a cloud based dispatch system, that through GPS allows drivers to see available fares and claim them for their own.

Not to be overly facetious, but what a novel concept and what a rewarding experience for the customer that every industry should heed as a lesson.

Using a  mobile app to hail a taxi lets the customer identify their need on their terms, through their device, when and where they want it.  Payment, thanks and future notices all go through the device.  As a set of basic principles these should be standard to marketers and embraced through mobile.

Think of how this can change grocery shopping.  The roles of the weekly flyer driving you to your retailer and brands promoting new products on TV have well-valued, long-standing traditions that continue to drive sales.

Mobile however let's retailers know when a customer is coming to the store, when they are at the store, where they are in the store and the length of time at a particular location.  The power of this information partnered with functionality like meal planning, making your grocery lists and the checkout experience have tremendous potential to deliver the same value (and sales) to grocers.

Advancements in analytics and customer segmentation have brought customization and personalization to direct channels like email and direct mail, but there is still room for more.  Focusing on the stated need by the consumer supported by behaviour allows for more meaningful and relevant engagement.  Not shouting.