Target didn’t exactly have the happiest of holidays last season, when a data breach left millions of consumers affected. However, this year, the company is attempting something different – a digital program meant to bring more customers into its stores.
Target’s aim was to interact with consumers while allowing them to shop for bargains within various Target locations worldwide. Through the program, Google also put together a mobile website {link no longer active} where shoppers can interact with six different games online.
However, additional interaction will be done at stores, according to Adweek. Would-be customers can seek out promotional signs across Target’s 1,800 stores with special three-digit codes, which would allow the unlocking of bonus content with the games.
The games offer the usual touch-screen variety of activities, such as throwing virtual snowballs at targets and guiding a sled on a downhill run with a few key swipes.
Target is making sure that these games are a charitable cause as well. For each game a consumer plays, the company will donate $1 to St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital, with a total goal of $1 million.
“What we’re looking at through this experimentation in particular is the use of new, cutting-edge browser technology,” said Alan Wizemann, vp of product for Target.com and mobile. “What it also allows us is to look across how these technologies and games are used for entertainment to get a glimpse at what is potentially possible in stores in the future.”
As part of the agreement, Target will also set up special Project Tango tablets, made by Google, in four locations – California, Dallas, Chicago and Minnesota. A 10-minute demo will be presented, showing just how high-tech the tablets are.
This is just the latest move into the technical world for Target, following the launch of a mobile app that provides in-store mapping technology, so products can be easier located. This follows Google’s research on shopping habits, where it was indicated that 87 percent of consumers use mobile to look around before they even visit a store.
“Those [numbers] gave us the fuel to explore how to do something with Target around the holiday season that was more than just informational and transactional,” explained Ben Malbon, director of creative partnerships at Google, and the Art, Copy & Code program.
It’s just a matter of time to see if this practice turns around Target’s woes from last year. Here’s to hoping.
