Build-A-Bear Workshop recently leveraged Passbook?s location-enabled push notification feature and drove consumers to its stores to claim a promotional offer.

The company worked with Vibes on the mobile campaign. In addition to the 58.7 percent Passbook install rate, Build-A-Bear also saw an overall click-through rate of 5.3 percent.

?With the goal of the campaign to ultimately reengage Build-A-Bear Workshop guests and drive traffic to its stores in North America, Vibes helped the brand be one of the first retailers to develop and execute a Passbook campaign to engage and increase the brand?s loyal customer base,? said Alex Campbell, co-founder/chief innovation officer of Vibes, Chicago.

?The campaign drove Build-A-Bear Workshop Guests to its stores to claim a promotional offer via a coupon code or pass,? he said. ?The Build-A-Bear Workshop case study shows that consumers are willing to embrace new technology and use their phone as a tool for driving engagement and transactions in the physical world.

?Consumers want functionality such as Passbook, and there is a big opportunity for marketers to use it in a way that?s relevant both to the consumer and their own brand.?   

Driving traffic
Build-A-Bear aimed to engage and increase its loyal customer base through their most personal device ? their mobile phones.

The campaign, which ran from Oct. 27 through Oct. 31, notified Build-A-Bear?s existing subscriber base of a new short code.

With the help of Vibes, Build-A-Bear sent an SMS alert with a timely offer.

The promotion was available to both iOS 6 and non-iOS 6 users, and led to either a location-enabled pass for Passbook or a mobile Web-based offer.

The campaign encouraged consumers to redeem the offer, as well as drive traffic to one of Build-A-Bear?s 288 stores.

?Passbook gives power back to the physical retailer,? Mr. Campbell said. ?The tool links the point of impulse, when you see an ad and say to yourself ?I want that,? to the point of transaction when you?re actually near a store ? and recalling that impulse can lead to a sale.

?With Build-A-Bear Workshop, almost 60 percent of the consumers who got the pass actually added it to Passbook,? he said. ?Those are the people who made the decision and asked their phone to remember the offer for them. That is pretty cool, especially considering many of these consumers were using Passbook for the first time.
 
?Overall, these results demonstrate the power a location-based channel yields when delivered through an individual?s most personal device, their mobile phone. While timing and relevance are also critical pieces to a successful mobile campaign, Passbook leverages the important location-aware piece, which can turn an otherwise stagnant promotion into a sale ? and create a loyal customer in the process.? 

Results
In addition to engaging its loyal customers, Build-A-Bear claims that it experienced a consistent stream of foot traffic from those customers who received the offer.

More than five percent of non-iOS 6 users and four percent of iOS 6 users redeemed the offer in-store.

?The digital wallet is making meaningful progress,? Mr. Campbell said. ?The integration of time, location and interaction with consumers are foundational elements of what makes mobile different and an effective tool for marketers.

?The mobile wallet has many meanings and is more than just the ability to buy things with your phone ? it?s about reducing friction in the buying process by delivering relevant content that is always with your consumer when they need it,? he said.

?Passbook makes the consumer?s life easier, which some would argue is the most important ingredient for a successful marketing recipe. For marketers, this presents a great opportunity to experiment with different channels to see which one sticks ? and leads to customer loyalty. That leaves very little to lose, and much to gain.?

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York