Moosejaw Bites Into mCommerce

Hip and happening outdoor gear and clothing retailer Moosejaw Mountaineering (#297 on Internet Retailer's top 500 of 2006 is blazing new trails in mobile marketing. Recognizing its key demographic spends more time texting than talking or emailing, Moosejaw joined forces with mobile marketing firm Messagebuzz Inc, and introduced "Moosejaw Texting."

With the intention of making their customers' day "fun," Moosejaw allows customers to subscribe to the Deal of the Day or the quirky Daily Remark texts. Apparently the company had no idea how successful the "Moosejaw Texting" strategy would be. For example, this message achieved a jaw-dropping response rate of 66%:

“Text me back with rock, paper or scissors. I already know what I’m throwing and if you beat me I’ll add 100 Moosejaw Points to your account now.”

Fun, quick (the longest message would be 8 characters) and a bit of playful generosity. Everybody in the customer loyalty program who replied to the text message got the points, even if you didn't pick the correct "paper" option. Another promo asked their text-list to message back with their least favorite flick and rewarded them with 20% off coupons. Humor + Discounts = Customer-Engagement-Marketing-Genius. Throw in a little customer service to the mix: the texting goes both ways -- customers can text product or order questions or just random messages to THEJAW.

HOW DO YOU GET M-TAILING?

Moosejaw uses Seattle-based mPoria's GoMobile! m-commerce platform. When customers place an order by phone, it's processed just like an online order and payment processing is handled by Paypal Mobile Checkout. Retailers and etailers can subscribe to GoMobile for a monthly flat fee based on SKUs with three tiers: $69.99, $99.99 or $149.99. mPoria also runs a shopping portal that charges 5-20% per sale. Even if you don't have a mobile presence, you can choose your site colors and upload a logo and mPoria will get you up and running for a modest set-up fee of $99.

You gotta check out the live demo, super fun, even if a search for Lionel Ritchie yields no results.