Union Plus

Union Plus achieved a 25% conversion rate when they used text messaging to advertise their new mobile app.

Challenge

What’s the fastest and most effective way to both inform mobile users of a new mobile app and encourage them to download it?

Union Plus is a labor union-focused consumer benefits organization whose mission is to provide union members with discounts and savings to consumer programs available from nationally known providers.  Furthermore, they educate and encourage union members to support quality, union-made products and services – from food items to appliances and even mortgages – often with unique Union Plus discounts and special features.

In order to help members shop smart while out-and-about, Union Plus designed a new full-featured app for their expanding mobile audience.  In addition to allowing union members the option to pay their Union Plus Credit Card with the app, one of the features allows union members to know what specific branded products are union-made, thus a friendly purchase for the labor union community.

Union Plus wanted to initially reach a very specific group of members–their 4,600 smartphone users–while encouraging them to take a very specific action–downloading the new mobile app. They needed a way to segment their outreach so that only smartphone users would receive the announcement. With the 4th of July being right around the corner, Union Plus wanted to highlight a feature that would tap into members’ patriotism to help with promotion. Lastly, their promotional message would optimally land on the same phone that the mobile app would be downloaded on. This would encourage a high read rate and, consequently, a high download rate. Since a text message campaign fulfills all three of these needs, Union Plus knew it was the best choice.

Solution

Union Plus used text message to segment their list and promoted their mobile app to smartphone users.

Union Plus used the Upland Mobile Messaging platform to launch the perfect promotion for their new mobile app. First, they segmented their list to separate smartphone users from other mobile device owners, ensuring that only the people who could download the app would be contacted. Then, two days before our nation’s holiday, Union Plus President Leslie Tolf sent this topical text message to that list:

“Download our new Union Plus Mobile App and get the union-made beer list on your phone just in time for the Fourth of July! http://lil.ms/iyu/hlac -Leslie Tolf”

The message instantly landed in the pockets of every smartphone user on Union Plus’ mobile list. A union-made beer list was the perfect incentive for the 4th of July weekend, and made it more likely that people would click on the link and download the app.

Results

Over 25% of members that received the text message downloaded the mobile app within two days.

Within two days, over 1,160 smartphone users had downloaded the app – resulting in an impressive 25% conversion rate.  The ability to segment users and speak directly to their wants was a major factor in this number. And the 4th of July holiday gave union members an extra incentive to click on the link to download and use the app. By using these smart mobile strategies, Union Plus was able to successfully launch its mobile app!

“Upland Mobile Messaging helped make our mobile app’s promotion and download a great success! The text message’s timing and execution were pitch-perfect. And the amount of downloads was fantastic. We were so happy that our members could start seeing immediate results thanks to a speedy, efficient campaign. The team at Upland Mobile Messaging was also great from start to finish about helping us call the right shots.”
–Kevin Cheng, Digital Outreach Coordinator, Union Plus