experience matters

Amazon rolled out their mobile shopping service yesterday for US consumers, enabled by SMS short codes. Consumers can text to AMAZON (262966) with the name, model number or ISBN number of a product to determine if Amazon offers the product, it’s price, and a summary. Short-code responses offer the option for more details, a direct URL link to the product details page, or the option to buy with a 1 character response.

The buying process is enabled with a voice call to your cell phone to walk you through a voice-response confirmation of the buying process using your registered email and zip code to tie the purchase to your Amazon profile.

I queried the service for an Apple iPod Nano. I got two products in return with the option to send M for more. Searching deeper for a Blue Nano, I replied with 2 M (the second listing in the response) and I got more details including a link to the product details page. Overall it’s a low fidelity way accessing Amazon. And it’s an very good extension to their multi-channel customer experience. But I’m not quite ready to drop $179.66 via SMS for an iPod Nano, even with free super saver shipping.

The service will likely prove worthwhile for comparison shopping while at the store shelf. Just this weekend I was looking for product details on a flat screen TV – in the store aisle. I resorted to Google for the product number, but this service would have potentially taken me right to the Amazon product detail page for specs and reviews. Given our own ethnographic research in observing shoppers in store, as well as buying criteria for online shopping, product reviews and deeper product details in the aisle may be one mobile killer app for a multi-channel retailer. Often times, we observe (and ask) others in the aisle about their opinion. SMS short codes can put that information at our fingertips.

This is a great example of a “brand utility” and further cements why companies like Amazon become an indispensable resource to their customers given the depth, breadth, and extensions of their offering. For other examples on the concept of brand utility, click through to slide 60 in this slideshare deck.