In the company’s SMART report shows that more than 10 percent of retail and restaurant campaigns on Millennial’s network directed users to a mobile coupon offer. In addition, social media represented 11 percent of all campaign actions in the company’s network in April.

“Retail and restaurants alike should be strategically integrating calls to action to promote their key sales needs—virtual or physical,” said Mack McKelvey, senior vice president of marketing at Millennial Media, Baltimore, MD.

“Marketers should first remarket and then use the database information that you have been collecting in unique ways to either drive consumer foot traffic to your retail location, prepare strategic mobile couponing offers, and encourage deeper engagement between your brand and target consumer,” she said. “Secondly, use a blended mobile strategy. 

“Start with the basics—a mobile Web site.  On your persistent mobile site, you can develop your consumer database, encourage reservations and/or purchases, and provide menus.

Special section report
According to the report, retail and restaurants place in the number ten spot in Millennial’s first quarter.

The company charted campaign data over the last year for retail and restaurants and predicts the peak season to begin in early summer and continue through 2010.

Submit Form represented 71 percent of post-click actions and Join/Subscribe accounted for 26 percent – indicating brands were building database lists for remarketing to consumers for summer sales and specials in preparation for back to school promotion, according to the company.

“We’ve seen some retailers or restaurants have success with customized landing pages for brand launches or promos of summer menu specials, sales, coupons and restaurant samples,” Ms. McKelvey said. “Applications can be built for highly engaged users; allowing for an additional mobile consumer engagement point.

“Finally, we’ve executed some highly-interactive rich media to drive user interaction within the ad unit, for example retail collection preview, restaurant virtual tours and menu ad unit,” she said.

The report also found that in the retail and restaurant campaign actions, 13 percent of companies used mobile commerce, 13 percent used place call and 42 percent used retail promotion.

“While remarketing is certainly important to this vertical, building long-term, sustainable brand awareness is key throughout the year,” Ms. McKelvey said. “We have some savvy retailers following this strategy today, and we anticipate this vertical will continue to grow, leveraging mobile’s unique level of personal brand engagement.”