Play the game, not the field: Mobile strategies for 11/11 and 12/12 2018

Started by Chinese company Alibaba as an anti-Valentine’s day for singletons, November 11th has grown into one of the biggest shopping periods of the year for retailers – and their apps.

Last year, for example, our data revealed that advertisers saw a 58% increase in purchase rate on 11/11 when compared to the average for the week. With these numbers, the competition can only become more intense – so how can e-commerce players in Asia change the game?

The promotional potential

Looking at mobile creatives and tactics from previous years, there is a clear pattern when it comes to how companies advertise on 11/11 and 12/12. By using vouchers or codes, a lot of businesses attempt to increase conversions and loyalty by giving something back to the buyers who visit their app during this promotional period. This often includes:

• Special prices for entire catalogs or specific products and brands
• Exclusive discounts
• Cashback (e.g. if a user spends a certain amount, their account is credited for their next purchase)
• Lucky draws (e.g. where users are offered the chance to win a free prize)

With record sales figures for mobile shoppers in 2017, these strategies remain key for 11/11 and 12/12 – but by gamifying the brand experience companies can achieve even more success during this busy buying period.

Gamifying the shopping experience

Interactive, or Playable, ads are no longer exclusive to the gaming sector. E-commerce companies can now take advantage of these to combine their existing promotional strategies with games that engage and acquire users. We’ve found that these ads increase user engagement by 60%, and in terms of preferred ad formats, are second only to rewarded video.

This concept is taking off as it allows brands to connect with consumers and offer them incentives in a whole new way. Let’s look at some of the best examples of how this can be done.

Slot machines

Once users hit the winning combination, they receive a discount voucher which can only be redeemed within the app.

Scratch and guess

Customers use their fingers to wipe away an image, which reveals part of a code or details for getting cashback.

Match the prizes

Another great way to offer prizes. This gives users the chance to win something by moving items around to make 3 in a row.

Getting creative has never been more crucial in today’s crowded app landscape – and this is especially true when competing for consumers during holiday seasons. Gamifying the shopping experience can diversify a mobile marketing strategy at the right time and strengthen the interaction between the user and the brand – so e-commerce companies would be wise to play along this November.   

Want to know more?

If you’re looking for ways to gamify your app experience or are struggling to get the best out of the creative you already, get in touch.