Working in pairs, students pitched their mobile marketing strategy to the proprietor Mike Caddy. Before starting their work, students visited the premises where they were briefed about Pebble Beach’s history, current initiatives and vision for the future. They were also treated with coffee and pasties in the terrace overlooking the Needles.
After three weeks of intense work, students presented a variety of strategies aimed at attracting new customers and increasing the loyalty of existing ones. The presentations covered a wide range of issues associated to a mobile marketing strategy, including current trends, technological solutions, resources, the production of content and Return on Investment. Themes covered included search engine optimisation, booking system, QR codes, rewards program, gaming, customisation and social media. While students were only expected to design a strategy, one group went further and prepared a fully working app for the restaurant.
Commenting on the presentations, Mike Caddy said that he was impressed with the variety and detail of the strategies: “Students understood well the challenges faced by a small business like Pebble Beach when it comes to using mobile marketing. Students carried out a lot of research on current trends in mobile marketing and came up with many interesting solutions that could help Pebble Beach improve the mobile experience we provide to our customers. I have learned immensely from this experience, which helped me to expand and consolidate my views on what the priorities in this area should be”.
To Alessandro Inversini, leader of the Mobile Communication & Mobile Marketing uni, the presentations “were extremely interesting and well conceived; in 4 weeks (i.e. the duration of the unit) students gained lots of theoretical and practical knowledge about mobile marketing and mobile communication. The overall quality of the designed interventions for Pebble Beach was extremely good. Furthermore, having a real client to work with has been an additional motivation for students that have been confronted with a real situation and real comments from a professional in the field.”
Pebble Beach is a ward winning restaurant in Barton on Sea, New Milton, Hampshire. Besides the restaurant featuring outstanding views over the Isle of Wight, Pebble Beach offers accommodation and the opportunity to host small scale, boutique business events and personal celebrations. It is also about to open a delicatessen Petit Pebbles next door, which will offer hot and cold drinks and a selection of wines from Pebble Beach’s restaurant.
By: Miguel Moital