ParkMobile Boosts Brand Reputation With In-App Messages

ParkMobile is the leading provider of smart parking and mobility solutions in North America and part of EasyPark Group. With a vision to make cities more livable, ParkMobile offers digital solutions for on-street and off-street parking, parking reservations, and more. By leveraging technology and innovation, ParkMobile focuses on improving the urban experience for drivers, garage owners, city planners, and policy makers.

ParkMobile adopts a customer-centric approach to their marketing efforts, aiming to provide innovative parking and mobility solutions while fostering meaningful connections with their users. Their messaging strategy revolves around educating and informing customers about the benefits and features of the ParkMobile app. By positioning themselves as trusted advisors in the parking industry, ParkMobile aims to drive brand loyalty, customer satisfaction, and advocacy. However, a low Google Play Store rating hindered their ability to fully showcase their value proposition and capitalize on new business opportunities. To address this problem, ParkMobile turned to Braze.

ParkMobile's Strategic Steps to Boost Google Play Store Rating and Improve Their Reputation

To lift their Google Play Store rating, ParkMobile implemented an in-app messaging campaign to encourage recent and frequent customers to share their feedback and rate the app. Let's look at the steps they took to create an engaging and effective campaign that propelled them towards their goals:

1. Ideation and Strategy: ParkMobile's marketing team collaborated to devise the campaign's strategy. They determined the campaign's frequency based on existing communication levels—while it was important not to over-message active users, they were also aware that these messages are often dismissed the first time, so chose to opt for a longer re-eligibility window. The target audience was curated based on with individuals they felt would be most likely to engage; in this case, they included frequent parkers (people who used the app 3+ times in the past 30 days to park) and people who'd signed up for a ParkMobile Pro membership in the last 30 days, signaling product satisfaction. ParkMobile set the campaign's trigger event in order to minimize user disruption, leading them to trigger it following a parking session and to use an in-app message, which doesn't interrupt the transaction but does provide an opportunity to drive engagement within the app. The overall goal? Prompt high-frequency users to rate the app conveniently and increase the Google Play Store rating.

2. Creative Development: The creative team collaborated to develop compelling copy and imagery for the in-app rating campaign. They ensured the content was engaging and showcased the benefits of using ParkMobile's app.

3. Audience Segmentation: ParkMobile built segments in Braze to define the target audience for the campaign. They focused on users who had completed at least two parking sessions in the last 30 days or had signed up for ParkMobile Pro. Additionally, they targeted users who were on the latest versions of the Android application, enabling them to utilize a deep link for leaving ratings without leaving the ParkMobile app.

4. Campaign Setup: ParkMobile created a new campaign and built out two variant creatives. They set the campaign's eligibility rules to ensure it appeared only once per user with a re-eligibility window of 6 months if the user had not previously interacted with the campaign.

5. Testing and Optimization: Before launching the campaign, ParkMobile conducted thorough testing to confirm the functionality of deep links and the operation of in-app buttons. They tested different variants of copy, imagery, and call-to-action elements to optimize the campaign for better performance.

6. Launch and Continuous Optimization: The campaign was launched to the targeted audience, and the results were monitored closely. ParkMobile continuously optimized the campaign over the course of several months, iterating on copy, imagery, and CTAs based on data insights and user feedback. In one instance, ParkMobile carried out a test of including an image vs. no image, on the theory that more direct messages would drive more user actions. The test found that the version without an image had a 19% higher click-through rate (21.66% CTR for no image vs. 18.19% for the version with an image), allowing them to leverage the Braze platform's testing capabilities to refine the campaign for maximum impact.

A Well-Designed Strategy with Impressive Results That Attract New Business Opportunities

The in-app rating campaign resulted in a significant increase of the Google Play Store rating from 3.2 to 4.7 in just two months. This boost allowed ParkMobile's sales team to leverage the improved rating during the RFP process, distinguishing ParkMobile from competitors and attracting new business opportunities. Increasing the Google Play Store rating aligned with the company's goal of expanding its presence nationwide.

Key Takeaways

1. Address user feedback and ratings: ParkMobile recognized the impact of user ratings on their brand reputation and business opportunities. By proactively addressing their low Google Play Store rating through an in-app campaign, they successfully improved their rating and positioned themselves as a trusted advisor in the parking industry. Brands should actively monitor and respond to user feedback, leveraging customer engagement strategies to address concerns and improve their ratings, ultimately enhancing their brand image.

2. Utilize multivariate testing for optimization: By testing different variants of copy, imagery, and call-to-action elements, they were able to identify the most effective combinations and continuously optimize their campaign for better results. Brands can embrace a data-driven approach by conducting A/B or multivariate tests to experiment with different campaign elements and iterate for improved performance.

3. Leverage customer data for segmentation: By targeting specific user groups, such as high-frequency parkers or users of their premium subscription product, they ensured their campaign reached the most relevant audience.

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