The Body Shop Launches Mobile Wallet To Support Forever Against Animal Testing Campaign

The Body Shop launches its first mobile wallet in support of its Forever Against Animal Testing campaign that aims at putting an end to cosmetic animal testing worldwide. The mobile wallet was created as a platform where customers get a chance to sign the campaign’s petition, receive updates on the campaign, like and share with potential signatories in their networks of family and friends.

Before nudging its CRM and experimenting with mobile wallets, The Body Shop thought of other solutions like email and text but senior manager of CRM and digital development, Russell Longley felt texts were too passive and emails too intrusive. Longley deemed mobile wallets a more effective tool that allows for a ‘safe conversation’ adding: “We know 52% of our transactions online are mobile; our customers are in the mobile space. We know that consumers are only are regularly active on only five different. We knew we couldn’t convince them to download another app for us to talk to them as a brand.” The mobile wallet was developed by digital agency Urban Airship which claims 67% of millennials use the mobile wallets on their Apple or Android smart phones on a regular basis. Other brands that have worked with mobile wallets report to have seen retention rates “in the 85-95% range.”

The Body Shop’s mobile wallet works pretty much like a travel ticket or loyalty card and once petitions are signed on the website, the customer is asked if they wish to receive updates with ‘digital news pass’, if they agree, its added to their mobile wallet. Longley explains: “This isn’t about customer data,” stressed Longley. “What this gives the customer is total control over whether the pass exists on their phone and whether they receive updates. If they don’t they simply delete the pass.” “I can see this as a really strategic tool for merging communications and utility. If I think about our loyalty programmes or gift cards – we can combine customer messaging and information about their account with brand news in a single digital pass.