UK: Kellogg’s and United Biscuits to offer cashback mobile couponing service

FMCG SUPPLIER NEWS

RetailTimes.co.uk - Dec 4th 2012, 10:09

Kellogg’s and United Biscuits have signed up to trial a cashback mobile couponing service from Shopitize. 

A group of 1,000 plus savvy shoppers in Britain will start to receive deals from Kellogg’s and United Biscuits today (14 November 2012) when the couponing service goes live.

Kellogg’s and United Biscuits’ exclusive deals for Shopitize users feature some of the nation’s favourite products, including McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes, Kellogg’s Special K, Crunchy Nut and Coco Pops breakfast cereals, Pringles and Special K Cereal Bars. By taking advantage of these offers through the Shopitize platform, they’ll save up to 50% from standard retail prices, the company claims.

According to network giant Cisco, Shopitize is one of Britain’s top six innovators. The firm has developed a promotional platform and apps to deliver exclusive deals to registered smart phone users. Once installed, they’ll begin to receive exclusive deals on their phones.

All users need to do is visit their supermarket and buy the products featured in the Shopitize app. Using the app, they take snaps of their paper shopping receipts, which are then automatically processed and validated by the Shopitize mobile ecosystem. Consumers are rewarded by cashback either by PayPal or cheque.

“Mobile technology is becoming more and more integrated into our everyday lives, and Shopitize is the first mobile couponing system we have seen that operates right across the retail trade,” said Sam Blunt, brand experience and digital controller at Kellogg’s UK.

“As a leading brand, Kellogg’s aims wherever possible to embrace and support innovation that could enhance the shopper experience and Shopitize has the potential to do just that.”

United Biscuits endorses this vision and said it is looking to add Shopitize’s digital shopping channel to the mix of its marketing campaigns. According to the manufacturer, the big win the user gets from Shopitize is the fact the app gets round the challenges associated with redeeming paper coupons in store. With Shopitize, there is no need to scan a mobile barcode at the till, which supermarket tills can struggle to do.

“With a wealth of information at their fingertips, consumers are savvier than ever,” said Irina Pafomova, Shopitize’s managing director. “They’re also much less likely to be swayed by traditional, in-your-face advertising and commercials.

“Instead, they want to be entertained and engaged by marketers. As more users join and use Shopitize to share their shopping data in privacy, brands will be able to better target the profiles of consumers and offer them highly personal and exclusive offers based on their precise shopping behaviour. This can drastically improve the efficiency of their promotional spends.”

Shopitize said it is offering to consumers an easy, highly rewarding and a fun way to shop for everyday items. These three things define a positive shopping experience for consumers in today’s market and are set to drive the adoption of the app by users, it said.

Shopitize claims it is dedicated to becoming a leading player in mass personalisation of promotional offers that are individually tailored to shopping behaviour, lifestyle and real-time context of consumers.

In doing so, Shopitize said it puts the consumer in the centre of the buying circle and gives brands the tools to join each consumer’s circle of trusted brands. In turn, consumers are able to monetise their loyalties, while brands optimise their marketing spend, resulting in savings for both.