Print ads are now providing consumers with a way to learn more as well as make an actual purchase.
Multichannel shopping experiences are stepping up to a new level as smartphone shoppers take advantage of after Christmas deals through m-commerce opportunities they’re discovering in print ads.
Opportunities such as scannable barcodes and price comparisons are appealing to consumers.
Shoppers who want all the savings but without the lineups can now find some of their favorite stores in the convenience of the pages of the magazines and newspapers that they read. Many ads are now including m-commerce friendly options, such as URLs of mobile optimized sites, as well as QR codes and other barcodes that can be scanned through a smartphone’s camera feature.
Now, Dwell Media and AhaLife have taken this m-commerce trend to a new level.
A partnership between Dwell Media and AhaLife has created new multichannel m-commerce shoppable magazines that allow consumers to turn their smartphones into showrooms and then make a purchase of the products that they want. It works in a way that can be considered a hybrid between a catalog and a magazine. This means that it will not only provide product price lists, but it will also help to encourage consumers to take that extra step and make a purchase.
The result of the partnership is the Dwell+AhaLife shoppable magazine app. It is available in both print and digital forms for a seamless m-commerce experience. It combines information in a magazine with further research and information that can be found quickly and easily with a smartphone. Any item can be scanned with the mobile device through the application, allowing the user to be directed to the AhaLife site. There, more information can be discovered, and all it takes is a tap to make the purchase.
A desktop version of the m-commerce app has also been developed to allow users of laptops to simply click on the item about which they would like to learn more. They are then offered comparable purchasing options. Though it is a simple concept, it is one that has not yet been presented by large retailers, giving it a first to market advantage.
