When we came up with the idea of Moosecatch we wanted to find an effective way for local store owners to communicate with their customers in a way even the customers would benefit from. On the journey we realized the service is as effective for any business, be it big or small, local or global, broad or niche.
The idea of what to do with our services however remains the same. Here it is:
Keep your customers updated
People shop your store because they like what you have to offer. But, unless you don’t have that prime location in the big street they won’t be able to keep up with new arrivals, markdowns or new services. How many times haven’t you, when shopping for yourself, been disappointed when those great shoes were left in all sizes but your own? Only because you didn’t know they had arrived in the first place.
If people like your stuff – help them! With microupdates on what you unpacked today, that the chairs in the window are marked down or that you start selling stuff from a young up-and-coming Belgian designer. Your customers want to know!
Create a VIP club
Everyone wants to be special. To get those offers, invites and pieces of information no one else get. Why not use that? Dare to address not everybody for little but a few for a lot. Invite your favorite customers to cocktails, pre-sales, trunk shows and special markdowns. With Moosecatch you can reach people on the move, using text messaging (SMS), which opens up for spontaneous ideas. And, remember. Nothing spreads to others such as limited offers.
Establish last-minute service
The travel industry has understood this for years. But last-minutes-deals make sense even if you’re a hairdresser, a massage therapist, run a playhouse, cinema or a local boat business. We guess there are over thousands other examples out there. If only your offers are good enough a microupdate in the right time will be highly appreciated.
Offer special deals
2 for 1. 10 percent off, Cut VAT, get a free gift etc, etc. There are a lot of special deals that if used wisely can generate traffic to your store. As Moosecatch use text messaging it’s a great way for Internet based coupons. Our advice is to limit your offers and don’t sprinkle the all over. Everyone wants to be special.
4/09/2009
The moose is loose!
We're live and public. Still in what we call private beta - there are some bugs and bees that have to be fixed - but the site works as it should for anyone who wants to use it.
With Moosecatch you can do this:
Check out our own updates at http://www.moosecatch.com/moosecatch
With Moosecatch you can do this:
- Get your own microupdates site ready in minutes
- Send short and fast news on sales, events, new arrivals, sudden changes etc, etc.
- Reach customers by text/SMS, email, RSS, social networks (like Twitter and Facebook) and on your own Moosecatch site
- Let the customers share the messages with friends using exactly the same tools
- Display the messages on your own homepage
Check out our own updates at http://www.moosecatch.com/moosecatch
4/03/2009
Social media is the answer - but what was the question?
In a panel discussion at Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco the enterprise use of social media were discussed by the ubiquitous social media researchers Jeremiah Owyang, Charlene Li and Peter Kim. The discussion is perfectly summerized in blog posts by Jennifer Legio and Lauren McKay.
The conclusions may feel familiar. Companies, especially the senior management, need to understand what social media is really about. It's not about campaigns it's about relations. Great use of social media demands cultural change.... The bottom line, as so often in marketing: To few companies understand.
Or. Is it researchers that don't understand? And social media geeks?
In the end of the day good marketing communication is about addressing the customer's needs in a way that make them buy as often, as much and as pricy as possible. A dialogue can't be a goal, it's a mean.
Made with enthusiasm and passion a Facebook group can be a great asset for brand building, word-of-mouth and dialogue. Same thing goes for Twitter or Myspace .
But a lot of customers don't care about you that much they will be friends of yours on Facebook. Often they may care but they rather want to visit your store, hang out with other customers in real life, listen to good music, shop great stuff and feel pampered. After all that's why you invest in your store, isn't it?
At Moosecatch we love social media. We love the dialogue with friends, business partners and our future customers. But we think it's to important to make it fit in any company, in any situation. Because it doesn't. Goal first, means then.
The conclusions may feel familiar. Companies, especially the senior management, need to understand what social media is really about. It's not about campaigns it's about relations. Great use of social media demands cultural change.... The bottom line, as so often in marketing: To few companies understand.
Or. Is it researchers that don't understand? And social media geeks?
In the end of the day good marketing communication is about addressing the customer's needs in a way that make them buy as often, as much and as pricy as possible. A dialogue can't be a goal, it's a mean.
Made with enthusiasm and passion a Facebook group can be a great asset for brand building, word-of-mouth and dialogue. Same thing goes for Twitter or Myspace .
But a lot of customers don't care about you that much they will be friends of yours on Facebook. Often they may care but they rather want to visit your store, hang out with other customers in real life, listen to good music, shop great stuff and feel pampered. After all that's why you invest in your store, isn't it?
At Moosecatch we love social media. We love the dialogue with friends, business partners and our future customers. But we think it's to important to make it fit in any company, in any situation. Because it doesn't. Goal first, means then.
4/01/2009
Moosecatch vs Twitter
Here is a great down-to-earth story on how retailers can use Twitter in their marketing. Not least it comes with some great examples. More and more enterprises are using Twitter and some are very successful in doing it. With Twitter you can stay in touch with your customers and keep them updated with special offers, new products etc. Twitter is great for dialogue and feedback.
So what tiny whole in the market is Moosecatch trying to fill out?
Moosecatch will serve retailers and service outlets with microupdates just like Twitter. But without obligation for the user to register. Instead users can chose any channel they like: email, text (SMS), RSS or just by visiting your company's Moosecatch site from time to time. The information can also be feeded to your regular homepage.
The reason for this? Most people don't use Twitter. Most people do not even use Facebook. But still there is a whole bunch of customers who want to know what's happening in your store.
With Moosecatch there is no dialogue. So it's not good for feedback. If you want feedback or get to know your customers better, use Twitter, Facebook or any other social network where it's likely a great deal of your customers will hang out.
Use Moosecatch to send great offers, updates about new arrivals, new events, 2 for 1 or last minute deals. Everything you know your customers will be truly happy about and sad to miss.
Then, if your customers like what you have to offer, Moosecatch makes it super easy for them to share it with their friends.
Remember. We are the moose moving your catch.
So what tiny whole in the market is Moosecatch trying to fill out?
Moosecatch will serve retailers and service outlets with microupdates just like Twitter. But without obligation for the user to register. Instead users can chose any channel they like: email, text (SMS), RSS or just by visiting your company's Moosecatch site from time to time. The information can also be feeded to your regular homepage.
The reason for this? Most people don't use Twitter. Most people do not even use Facebook. But still there is a whole bunch of customers who want to know what's happening in your store.
With Moosecatch there is no dialogue. So it's not good for feedback. If you want feedback or get to know your customers better, use Twitter, Facebook or any other social network where it's likely a great deal of your customers will hang out.
Use Moosecatch to send great offers, updates about new arrivals, new events, 2 for 1 or last minute deals. Everything you know your customers will be truly happy about and sad to miss.
Then, if your customers like what you have to offer, Moosecatch makes it super easy for them to share it with their friends.
Remember. We are the moose moving your catch.
3/30/2009
New logotype (and a background story)
Bit by bit Moosecatch is moving towards a real product. And now we've got our looks taken care of when a logotype finally got the entire teams approval.
It's an apple obviously. Which perhaps demands a further explanation.
The apple is the moosecatch. When a moose approaches an apple tree (and believe us, as Swedes we see this all the time) he looks for the nicest apple (ok, a couple of nice apples). As he doesn't have the best manner some apples won't make it to the stomach but will be spread around the moose, sometimes miles away from the tree. And the seed from the apple will eventually grow to another beatiful tree with tasty apples.
Creating a message to your customers should be like producing the most tasty apple there is. Something that can attract customers not only to consume but also to spread it elsewhere. Your job is to create the catch people like to consume and tell their friends about. Our job is to make it easy to spread. I guess we are the moose.
It's an apple obviously. Which perhaps demands a further explanation.The apple is the moosecatch. When a moose approaches an apple tree (and believe us, as Swedes we see this all the time) he looks for the nicest apple (ok, a couple of nice apples). As he doesn't have the best manner some apples won't make it to the stomach but will be spread around the moose, sometimes miles away from the tree. And the seed from the apple will eventually grow to another beatiful tree with tasty apples.
Creating a message to your customers should be like producing the most tasty apple there is. Something that can attract customers not only to consume but also to spread it elsewhere. Your job is to create the catch people like to consume and tell their friends about. Our job is to make it easy to spread. I guess we are the moose.
3/24/2009
Close to alpha and presenting the team
We are getting closer to our Alpha release of Moosecatch. If you are in retail, fashion, events, travel or any other business where daily updates to your customers could make a change, drop us an email at hanseric@moosecatch.com and we would love to let you try our service.
And, by the way. Who are we? It's time to present the team:
Hans Eric Melin
With a background in marketing and sustainability, Hans Eric loves when sellers and buyers ultimately meet. Because waste happens only when they don't. Hans Eric is passionate about making more and more people use social media, something he practiced as CMO at Myblock and Consultant at Ivy Communications.
Anders Carlryd
Anders is a seasoned business developer with previous C-level positions in both internet and telecom companies, from crazy Australian startups to Myblock. Taking care of his dayjob at Ericsson he normally joins us by night, signing partner deals and taking care of our expenses.
Jossan Ottosson
A farmers daughter, Jossan turned 180 degrees and made a career in television (she's one of those sitting watching all the screens in that little dark room) and web development. Now she partners with Ming (below) in the development of the Moosecatch site, practicing her passion for easy-to-use, no-fuzz, just-do-it apps.
Xiaoming Cai
OK, we call him Ming. He joined us from Shanghai to share his Chinese sense of humor and brilliant development skills. A sports and music lover Ming celebrates the unlimited possibilities on the internet and how it nurtures our everyday life.
And, by the way. Who are we? It's time to present the team:
Hans Eric MelinWith a background in marketing and sustainability, Hans Eric loves when sellers and buyers ultimately meet. Because waste happens only when they don't. Hans Eric is passionate about making more and more people use social media, something he practiced as CMO at Myblock and Consultant at Ivy Communications.
Anders CarlrydAnders is a seasoned business developer with previous C-level positions in both internet and telecom companies, from crazy Australian startups to Myblock. Taking care of his dayjob at Ericsson he normally joins us by night, signing partner deals and taking care of our expenses.
Jossan OttossonA farmers daughter, Jossan turned 180 degrees and made a career in television (she's one of those sitting watching all the screens in that little dark room) and web development. Now she partners with Ming (below) in the development of the Moosecatch site, practicing her passion for easy-to-use, no-fuzz, just-do-it apps.
Xiaoming CaiOK, we call him Ming. He joined us from Shanghai to share his Chinese sense of humor and brilliant development skills. A sports and music lover Ming celebrates the unlimited possibilities on the internet and how it nurtures our everyday life.
3/23/2009
Moosecatch the short story
The idea of Moosecatch origins from a small local community in Sweden, Myblock. The site enables people to interact with their neighbors, and enterprises to reach out to their local customers. By using Myblock shops and service outlets can easily send messages to their customers and also become visible for non-customers.
The problem? Not every customer is interested in Myblock!
Nor are they always interested in Facebook, Twitter, Ning or any digital place where you have to sign up and tell people about yourself.
In the world of social media everybody praise the dialogue. But in the real world a lot of people don’t care. They are busy living their life. Still, many of them crave news about their favorite stores, brands and communities.
With Moosecatch enterprises will be able to reach all of these guys. We are working hard developing a way to communicate with all customers in the way they wish, be it Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, text messaging or RSS.
We believe the greatest community your company has is your customers. Those who love you for what you stand for and what you are doing. Then you shouldn’t mess up the good spirit by taking them to the wrong party.
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