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L?Oreal calls for developer RFP submissions for mobile project

NEW YORK ? With more than $1 billion in mobile advertising revenue clocked last year through mobile Web, applications, SMS and mobile video, marketers have high expectations for 2011.

L?Oréal partnered with Moxie Interactive for the project, and the goal is to tap into emerging mobile technologies that will encourage customers to buy more beauty products. The industry tycoon is encouraging vendors of all levels to submit proposals, recognizing that start-ups and small companies also have great ideas, but not necessarily the means to implement them. 

?Mobile is a key focus area for us,? said Marc Speichert, chief marketing officer at L?Oréal USA, New York.

?In fact, it?s a key priority with NEXT,? he said.

Moxie Interactive is an interactive marketing agency that also works with Coca-Cola, Hewlett-Packard, 20th Century Fox and Verizon.

L?Oréal USA is a beauty company, including upscale brands such as Lancôme, Giorgio Armani, Shu Uemura Art of Hair, Yves Saint Laurent Beauté andLa Roche-Posay, as well as several American brands.

Plan of action
L?Oréal is devoted to integrating mobile into their marketing strategies.

For the project, L?Oréal is asking companies to come up with mobile strategies that entice customers to make purchases in brick and mortar stores, at retailers and also through mobile commerce channels.

To demonstrate their strategy, participants first choose one of the following divisions: luxury, consumer, professional or active. Then, each company must demonstrate their plan to drive customers to make purchases.

?The NEXT experiments will be a phased approach focusing on different categories throughout the year,? said Rhiannon Apple, trends supervisor at Moxie, Atlanta. 

Phase one of the project includes the submission of proposals that show design, functional components and predicted costs of the planned mobile experience. The Request for Proposal (RFP) is due March 7. 

Ten finalists will be chosen and notified by March 15, then invited to present their proposals at L?Oréal?s New York offices.

At the judging table
Ultimately, L?Oréal is looking for developers that have the most unique plan to engage beauty consumers through a mobile platform.

?The request will be judged in a variety of ways, the primary will be whether they?ve answered the challenge of creating a mobile experience that drive customers to purchase beauty products within stores or through ecommerce channels, in a unique and compelling way,? Ms. Apple said.

?L?Oréal will also be looking to ensure that the experience can eventually be customized for one of their brands,? she said.

Please submit all proposals in PDF, Word or PowerPoint document format no later than March 7, 2011 via email to Rhiannon and Emily Knab, .  A confirmation email will be sent within 12 hours of receipt.  Should you not receive a confirmation email, please call Rhiannon Apple, 678-916-4392 to troubleshoot.