Paperless: The Ticket to the Future
- Jul 22nd, 2010
- Posted by Isabella
- Posted in Barcodes, Mobile, Southwest Airlines, Tickets, advertising
In an effort to couple consumer convenience with increased brand revenue, savvy marketers are taking advantage of the mobile platform for ticket purchasing and distribution. Allowing consumers to buy tickets (and use them) directly through a mobile phone provides a more flexible, efficient experience for the consumer and countless opportunities for brand marketing.
Recently, ESPN has partnered with StubHub to create the StubHub Mobile Ticketing Center, which allows consumers to purchase tickets through their mobile devices. In March, Fandango launched a mobile ticket program that delivers movie tickets in the form of 2D scannable barcodes via text or picture message. The barcode eliminates the need to print tickets at home and to stand in line at the movie theater to purchase tickets. A movie theater in Singapore launched a program in which participating movie-goers receive a text message with not only their barcode ticket but also with related coupons and interactive entertainment.
Marketers can take advantage of barcode tickets to offer incentives and discounts for enhancing the consumer experience and increasing opportunities for revenue. For example, the barcode could serve not only as the entry ticket to the movie, but also as a discount coupon for a bag of popcorn or a soft drink. Perhaps the barcodes could also unlock an interactive game related to the movie that attendees can play while waiting for the previews to start. Brands could also give consumers the opportunity to opt-in for a variety of future discounts and updates that will be automatically pushed to their phones.
Southwest airlines built an entire iPhone application to enhance the flyer experience. Among other useful features, the application allows users to purchase tickets, check into their flight, view flight status information, and sign up for discount e-mails. This application facilitates travel for the consumer while providing new marketing prospects for the brand and creating customer loyalty. This is not the first time Southwest Airlines has been a pioneer in the virtual space. In 1996, they were the first national carrier to start selling airline tickets online. For those who are skeptical that paperless tickets and mobile check-ins will actually catch on, it is now difficult to imagine not being able to purchase tickets on the web.
Mobile ticketing is a natural progression that follows the trend of increased mobile usage among consumers. According to Jupiter Research’s 2010 Mobile Ticketing Report, over 2 billion mobile boarding passes (from various airlines) will be sent out in 2010 (with an expected 15 billion by 2014). Buckle your seatbelt, because mobile ticketing is about to take off.
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