Motorola's recent launch of the Mobile Loyalty Solution, which it bills as part of its “mobile commerce platform,” demonstrates the company’s understanding of target customers’ needs. Many shoppers have been eagerly awaiting the day that shopping by mobile phone would become a reality. Thanks to Motorola's new service, which can be treated as either an extension of existing loyalty card programs or as the basis for new digital ones, those customers’ dreams have been fulfilled.

The service makes it possible for retailers to send offers and incentives to customers’ mobile phones and also use it to build a database of shopper's preferences and regular purchases. Customers, on the other hand, can text message a code to certain retailers, indicating their interest in receiving offers on their mobile phone. They then may receive a mobile application with a barcode that can act as the shopper's identifier. Alternatively, they may receive a mobile loyalty card—an electronic card that can be scanned at the point of sale.

At launch, Motorola's loyalty solution was received positively by retailers and consumers alike. Retailers praised it for making their brands more approachable by allowing them to contact consumers in a way they want to be contacted. They also enjoy the fact that a customer database can be easily built in a financially viable way—an improvement over conventional customer loyalty programs. Customers also gave it the thumbs up, as the new loyalty solution may help them avoid the trouble of registering for membership cards.

“With a growing number of smart phone users and the enhanced capability of their operating platforms, an era where a constant digital connection via a mobile phone enhances the consumer’s shopping experience has begun,” said Dana Warszona, Global Lead for the m-commerce portfolio within Motorola’s Enterprise Mobility Solutions division. She adds, “from enabling consumers to easily search for product information to completing transactions, the mobile phone has become a business-critical tool that retailers must incorporate into their strategy to meet the needs of customers, now and in the future.”

Understand and meeting customers’ needs is a crucial step in building a successful brand. Motorola continues to strengthen its brand image through innovation that is relevant to both retailers and consumers. By carefully researching the target market and analyzing their needs, Moto has leapfrogged its competition in mobile commerce as well as creating a new way to differentiate from competitor brands. Offerings such as the Mobile Loyalty Solution define Motorola as not just a provider of sleek, sturdy phones, but also a trustworthy, helpful shopping assistant. In doing so, Motorola demonstrates how well-executed market research can give companies a better understanding of their customers’ needs, which products or services are in heavy demand, and what opportunities exist for their brands.