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Redbox?s push notifications account for 20pc of opt-ins

Movie rental service Redbox has introduced a multitude of notifications through its mobile application to better engage users, with push notifications accounting for 20 percent of its Text Club opt-ins during the first quarter of 2015. 

Redbox has experienced a positive response by focusing on relevant messaging that interests consumers in getting involved. Redbox continues to push its in-app messaging strategy forward and has plans to introduce transactional messages to confirm reservations and has experimented with using location-specific messaging. 

?The nature of Redbox?s business is mobile-oriented, movies and video games for people on the move and looking for a quick transaction,? said Alyssa Meritt, head of strategic consulting at Urban Airship. ?For Redbox's users, most of their waking hours are spent with mobile devices, not desktop computers. 

?The mobile app is the front door to Redbox for users, and an owned, branded channel for Redbox,? she said. ?The app provides enormous utility, allowing users to locate pickup spots, discover new films, and reserve something for Friday night. Redbox has an amazingly loyal, and on-the-go customer base that wants to experience their brand across maybe channels, and mobile messaging facilitates this conversation.?

?The entertainment industry moves faster than many and customers are looking for new ways to get what they want, when they want it, and where they want it. Engaging users through the mobile app immediately and conveniently is a critical part of Redbox?s engagement strategy because right off the bat, they are showing the added value that comes with that mobile experience.?

Accurate notifications
Some marketers are reluctant to get involved with notifications and messaging, as these tactics can sometime overwhelm and deter users. However, Redbox proves that messaging can increases usage rather than discourage it. 

The rental service takes a multichannel approach to deliver messages to consumers, to ensure effectiveness. 

The platform has seen a significant jump in engagement with its notifications. Its first notification sent in 2012 generated 16 times the amount of launches compared to the app?s past rates, including its most trafficked days. 


Within the first hour of downloading, new users to the app will receive a message for a free rental code. Users attempting to receive that code are encouraged to create a free membership, which allows Redbox to deliver a customized experience for each consumer.

This particular notification sees a 33 percent higher open rate compared to Redbox?s typical messages. This is likely due to the incentive for a free special, which resonates highly with consumers. 

To increase weekend rentals, a popular time of the week for Redbox, the app sends out weekend picks push-notifications, reminding consumers films are available they are likely interested in. These movies are always new releases, which creates a higher chance of redemption rates and excites consumers to know these films are available at a Redbox location. 

The brand also removes old in-app messages that are not relevant after a period of time to create a better experience for users. With old messages clogging up their in-app inbox, many calls-to-action messages may get lost in the shuffle. 

Deleting out dated messages offers a cleaner experience for users, and creates an environment more likely to increase engagement.   

Urban Airship partnered with Redbox to create the omnichannel approach to messages and centers on increasing usage through notifications in an accurate, noninvasive manner. 


Messaging success
Mobile messaging via apps has proven to be a real benefit to marketers in the mobile atmosphere. 

Marketers have been slow to embrace in-app messaging for fear of creating a spam-like experience and because of the priority put on drawing in new users, potentially missing out on a key strategy for boosting and maintaining engagement as a result (see more). 

For instance, in March, online men?s apparel retailer Frank & Oak began using a way to segment and personalize the push notifications it delivers inside its mobile application, helping it to drive sales and sign-ups more consistently throughout the month (see more). 

?This increase in traffic can be attributed to the welcome series and its specific engagement method,? Ms. Meritt said. ?Most users, around 80 percent, defect after the first week of using a new app. 

?By not only sending out the welcome message with a free download code, but continuing the series of notifications with additional information and ways for users to get the most out of this app, Redbox solidified its position on mobile devices,? she said. ?Redbox is diligent in adding value to their customers? experience and lives through their mobile messaging. 

?They understand that good messaging balances the value a user gets with the marketing goals a brand might hope to achieve.?

Final Take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer