Mobile Advertising - A Case Study of Eastbay.com

When it comes to the latest in sports fashion apparel, where do customers turn to? One place to consider is Eastbay.com. I clearly remember the first time I placed an order with this company. It was during the summer of 1998 when a buddy of mine brought the direct-mail catalog with him to school. My initial impression of the catalog left me with this feeling of amazement. I was impressed with the wide selection of shoes and sports apparel this company offered. At that time, I was a huge shoe collecting fanatic, and much to my surprise, there were shoes that Eastbay.com offered that my local Footlocker or Champs did not have. Since then, I have watched the company grow, continuing to offer its customers the widest selection of sports apparel in the U.S.

The company has undergone many changes over the past 12 years. While many other businesses have been forced to shut down their doors of operation, Eastbay.com is still thriving, making them a clear example of a business that is recession proof. In my opinion, I feel that the primary reason why they have been able to withstand the economic downfall is due to their brand reputation. Furthermore, they have learned to address the needs of their current customer database by giving them even more options to shop, be informed, and stay connected with their brand. Mobile advertising is an important aspect of the company to remain competitive and to differentiate themselves from the competition.

Developing a mobile version of the actual website was the first step to providing a platform for customers to engage and participate in an interactive online environment. Unlike the website, the mobile site is much more compact, can easily be scanned through, and doesn’t have long pages of continuous text across the page. The goal here to be keep it simple, and present the customer with products they are likely to purchase right then and there from their mobile devices. However, the mobile version is entirely different that the website. The lack of interactive content and overall levels of engagement are simply not present. Simple things such as: zooming in on a product, or reading customer reviews on existing purchases are nowhere to be found. This presents a huge challenge for customers that may be interested in a making a purchase, but need the confirmation from other customers that whatever it is they are buying is worth it. I’m glad that they have a mobile version of their site, which is a good step towards the right direction in generating more sales and building their brand, but it is only the first step.

Shopping for the best deals online sometimes takes a little patience and motivation to search for bargains. The prices you see on the website aren’t always what you must pay. Chances are, if you aren’t using any discount coupons during the check out process, then you probably aren’t getting the best deal possible. Eastbay.com offers customers with loyalty rewards programs that are designed to entire the customer to make more purchases in exchange for: coupons and discounts, cash back rewards, college savings, points, and even frequent flyer miles and hotel rewards! How exciting is that, right? Eastbay.com generates a majority of their sales through many of its affiliate sites. Customers are motivated to take advantage of shopping through an affiliate because they are rewarded for it. For example, if a customer makes a purchase off one of the affiliate sites, then they might receive 5 frequent flyer points for every $1.00 they spend. Good idea? Of course!

Mobile advertising can help any business create positive results. Keeping the customer informed, engaged, and building a community of people that share a common interest to participate in meaningful conversations is what mobile advertising is really all about. The content offered should be authentic, and should be supported by the likes and/or dislikes of others through customer reviews and ratings. Fortunately, Eastbay.com realized the importance of social proof, and why the opinions of the marketers that work for the company don't mean as much as the opinions of their customers. Sharing the content is just as important. Eastbay.com has done a fairly good job making their product offers easy to share with their friends on Facebook. Lets see if they can bring their mobile advertising to another level, by introducing fun games for mobile users such as a: three-point shooting contest, home-run derby, touchdown action; all aimed to encourage the customer to participate and be a part of a community formed form within the brand.