By the time you read this post, Myntra will already have taken a bold leap into an App Only existence.

Yes, Indian fashion retailer Myntra is now available only as an application that will be downloaded onto your mobile phone. Myntra aims to deliver a highly personalized shopping experience to its users right from the comfort of their mobile phone.

We are here to talk about the best marketing strategy Myntra can use to market their app.

Myntra has millions of dollars in funding and the best marketing minds working at delivering the experience their customers want.

So I will not talk about content marketing, blogger outreach, influencer marketing, social media contests etc. Myntra is already utilizing all these channels for marketing the personal experience provided by their app.

Let me briefly explain why a mobile shopping app is the best way to shop.

Why the Myntra shopping app is more personal than a website?

A mobile application, like any software is designed specifically for the user. In this case, the user is you, the customer. Here are some obvious reasons the Myntra mobile app is better than shopping in a store or even shopping via a website.

Fast, Powerful, Everywhere

A mobile app needs lesser resources than a website. It is faster and more powerful and uses less bandwidth. For the customer, this means a smaller phone bill and more money to shop at Myntra.

Weather Woes and Crowd Control – No More

It is 40C for the past few weeks. If it is not scorching heat, its pouring rain. Sure, a mall may be covered and air conditioned, but you still have to burn fuel, inhale gas fumes and pollution and brave bumps and potholes to get to the mall.

And once you get to a store or mall, there are parking woes and jostling crowds. Well, no worries on this account when you are shopping with the Myntra app from the comfort of your home or office, or sipping a cool one at a bar.

Remember that scene in Friends when Monica is shopping for a wedding dress? Most stores in India are that crowded whether there is a sale or not. That’s just the harsh reality.

Pay as Much, or As Little

I hate telling people what I paid for something. Because people always feel it is open to discussion. So either they will say you overspent and you should save your money, or they will say quality costs more, and cheap things don’t last. Yada, yada, yada!

You can pass off that branded dress you got for 500 bucks as a 5000 rupee piece, or just say you got a steal on those shoes and they just cost 700 bucks. No need to reveal you are so addicted to shoes that you spent your mess money on them! ‘Coz hey, what a girl spends on her shoes is personal. It is so personal.

Anytime, Anywhere

So get this! You are lounging on the beach at Koh Samui. And then you find a deal on your Myntra phone that seems lower than Bangkok prices. You can grab it right away and pass it off as Thailand Shopping.

Well, the point is, as long as you are using the Myntra app and you are connected to the Internet, you can keep an eye on new arrivals and discounts, and shop what you want even while you are freezing in Iceland.

Your style. Its Personal.

Why do we swear by that one hair stylist? Or that one tailor. You have your quirks, and fine points. You don’t want to justify your reasons for liking something every time you shop. It such a waste of energy.

Picture this. You go to a store. Explain what you want. The sales girl either just stares without understanding a single word, or tries to sell you what’s on the rack. You explain again. sales person finally tells you ‘this is all we got’. You finally walk away. Waste of time, energy and a good mood.

Shopping with the Myntra app is better because it lets you do your thing. Browse through hundreds and buy only what you like.

Buy nothing if you don’t like. I am sure the Myntra app won’t give you a nasty look.

I got the Myntra App. Now what?

All the above reasons about why a shopping app is better will only get people to download the app. Maybe buy an item or two. But will it keep them coming back? Will the cash register keep ringing?

Basic sales or marketing theory tells us that there are many stages in the buying process. The mobile app is the shiny shop window that will get the customer to walk in – in this case, download the app. But that is just the top of the funnel.

Myntra already has millions of downloads for its apps. But the most important metric is how much money do people actually spend, and continue to spend.

So I am donning my thinking hat for Myntra and thinking a few steps ahead.

I am here to think out of the box. And present an idea that is whacky, quirky, way out there, so bad that it is good, so impossible that it actually seems pretty doable!

I am proposing an idea that will affect your bottom line, and keep the cash coming in.

And it is all going to be highly personal.

Quirky, Exciting, Fun Experience – Gamification

One word. Gamification.

If the gaming industry is any indication, people love to play. And they love to play to win.

Think how old biddies and small kiddies alike go crazy playing Angry Birds or Fifth grader. Think how Zynga got big. Think Catniss Everdeen.

Top Forbes companies have successfully used gamification to engage their customers, boost sales and even collect valuable feedback and market intel.

Companies like Starbucks and Nike have used gamification, and the fashion retail industry, with Millenials as its main demographic is just made for it.

Introduce any contest or giveaway, and people will jump in because just participating is fun. And well, if the prize is big enough, even the most cynical, lazy, technology challenged people will be scrambling to jump through the hoops.

Awarding points for purchases is not enough. It has to be much more.

So devise a game everyone can play easily with their mobile. And announce a daily winner loud and clear across all kinds of media like TV, newspapers and social media.

I am going to be specific and pen down my idea of the game.

Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Who’s The Fairest Of Them All?

• Start with awarding points for downloading the app. It will be a starting balance (say 1000), sort of like you have in a game of Monopoly.
• No points for browsing, but sharing an item with someone gives 5 points.
• Buying an item awards points equal to price.
• There is a Leaderboard with the top 10 people of the day displayed.
• At the end of the day, anyone who has made a purchase keeps their points. Anyone who did not buy something goes back to their initial balance.
• Final Leaderboard announces the winner of the day and this winner is declared across social media and other media outlets.
• There are 5 or 7 levels. Reaching a certain number of points unlocks a level.
• There are bonus prizes for attaining each level.
• Only daily winners stay in the run, and then there is a monthly winner of the Leaderboard.
• Every monthly winner goes onto the master Leaderboard. And the mega winner is the one who tops this at the end of an year.
• Person out of 12 on the Leaderboard who has the maximum points at the end of the year is the Final Winner.
• Final winner gets the grand prize which is say, a shopping experience with Sonam Kapoor or Varun Dhavan (any top celebrity fashion icon).

The points system and the Leaderboard are two widely used strategies in gamification. Badges can also be introduced to keep others in the play.

I have just given an example of how the game can be played. The actual design can vary.

Why will this gamification strategy work?

– Awarding points for sharing increases hits by bringing new visitors or traffic to website

– Daily Leaderboard creates an urgency to buy something on the same day

– Points conversion to Myntra cash or vouchers etc. keeps the customer on the site and encourages them to spend their money at the same place (Myntra)

– Awarding points etc. acts as an added incentive on top of sales and discounts

– Leaderboard generates competition, one everyone can participate in easily

– Declaring daily winners keeps up the pace and the excitement

– Badges help users feel they belong, and are part of the game, whether they win or not

– A year long perpetual contest will build loyalty kind of like a daily soap everyone tunes in to

– Fosters more buying and more money spent

…

Myntra is delivering the ultimate personal shopping experience with its app. Making it fun and rewarding can only make it more attractive.

So what do you say shoppers? Would you enjoy playing such a game if the prize is big enough? What will make it interesting for you? Prizes, badges, points, cashback, or the chance to be a winner?

Please leave a comment below and join the discussion.

I am writing this post for Myntra and their new mobile app. I have racked my brain to think of a strategy that will work. Please share and leave a comment and help me win this :).

Image Courtesy – freedigitalphotos.net