The Exchange
CrossLink Media Powers the US Military’s Money-Saving Mobile Coupon Program
Background
The Exchange (formerly known as Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES)) is a joint military activity with a dual mission to provide quality merchandise and services to the military and their families at competitively low prices and to generate earning which provide dividends to support morale, welfare, and recreation programs.
In support of this mission, The Exchange sends up to four money-saving offers to military shoppers’ mobile phones each week. These offers are executed through an exclusive partnership with CrossLink Media which began in 2008. By 2010 the program was expanded from seven installations to 120 retail stores nationwide.
Exchange customers opt-in to the program by texting the keyword “AAFES” to 95613 from their mobile phone. Once opted in, participants receive regular texts with exclusive money-saving offers. Coupons are redeemed by entering a promotional code during the checkout process at http://www.shopmyexchange.com/ or while at a retail store. They can even redeem the code by providing it to a catalog representative over the phone.
The Exchange utilizes the CrossLink Media’s proprietary messaging system, MessageLink, to schedule the date and time for future messages. The MessageLink interface allows for multiple scheduled messages at once and enables updates as necessary. It is an easy way to manage the numerous offers presented to their mobile subscribers.
Goals
- Provide a convenient way to distribute timely and relevant offers to Exchange members and their families.
- Utilize a robust, but easy-to-use interface for scheduling numerous messages at once.
- Engage military shoppers through a variety of mediums to better serve a diverse customer base.
Results
- 2009 revenues directly linked to mobile marketing efforts exceeded $600,000.
- Redemption rates for the The Exchange’s mobile offerings have even reached as high as 30% (Typically, printed coupons average less than 1% redemption.).
- More than 10,000 active subscribers.
- More than 650,000 exclusive offers have been sent to opt-in subscribers.
*Inclusion of the Exchange name and logo is for information purposes only and was neither paid for nor sponsored, in whole, or in part, by the Exchange, the military exchange system, or the United States Government.
