SmartSpotter enables retailers and manufacturers through the power of Mobile Crowd Sourcing.
SmartSpotter lets UK shoppers monitor and place products, promotions, prizes and displays with an iPhone and Android smartphone app: a new step in the field of Mobile Crowd Sourcing.
Thanks to the SmartSpotter app manufacturers and retailers now have a direct, advantageous and efficient view of their instore execution and campaigns.
As of today, it is possible for UK shoppers to make money with their smartphone thanks to the launch of the SmartSpotter application in the UK. SmartSpotter is a real-time online platform that provides quick and efficient information about campaigns on the shop floor, for example. SmartSpotter uses shoppers with a smartphone as a mobile workforce. UK Spotters’ can register to collect photos and data on the shop floor in exchange for a fee via the SmartSpotter app. This way clients – both (brand) manufacturers and retailers – can make sure the promotion and presentation of their product(s) are carried out in the store as agreed, fast and efficiently.
When an action is launched in the store, a point of sale or even on the street, knowing how well it is placed becomes a challenge. SmartSpotter aims to make in-store merchandising execution negotiable. Having shoppers take pictures of a product, shelf, display or promotion with their phone gives clients an insight into specific promotional campaigns on the shop floor, as well as beyond. With the SmartSpotter platform and their smartphone, Spotters are the ‘eyes and ears on the market’ for numerous players in the retail sector. SmartSpotter is already active in several European countries and in Australia. Every week, tens of thousands of active Spotters carry out assignments for more than 250 clients in the Consumer Electronics, Body & Healthcare, Petrol and Food markets.
Arno Fidder, co-founder of SmartSpotter, says: “In the past, companies sent mystery shoppers to shops to see if their product was sold properly. Today, shoppers can make this sure via their smartphone, which is a lot cheaper for the client, both in terms of costs and time: SmartSpotter can be up to 50% cheaper than traditional mystery shopping and merchandising. The use of shoppers to gain full insight into specific data is a new form of Mobile Crowd Sourcing and we notice that retailers and suppliers are truly interested in this development. It is a trend we would like to build on: you outsource to the shoppers themselves and at the same time it is a nice extra income for the Spotters. ”
How does it work exactly?
The SmartSpotter app can be downloaded from the App Store and the Google Play Store, but can only be activated once shoppers have signed up via the website www.UKsmartspotter.com. SmartSpotter determines, based on the data entered, whether someone gains access to the exclusive network. SmartSpotter’s aim is to obtain national coverage with representative Spotters in all relevant places where assignments must be carried out, which is why a Spotter’s postal code check is part of the process.
A client request kicks SmartSpotter into action. The request is translated into a specific assignment in the app. When a Spotter accepts the assignment in the app, the assignment is hidden for other Spotters. The Spotter then has an hour to take a picture in the relevant store or on a specific location of a product, shelf or promotional display. Spotters can accept a limited number of assignments simultaneously, depending on the experience. The fee varies depending on the nature of the assignment. Through location-determination software and photo evidence, it is guaranteed that the assignment has been carried out in the right place.
Before a fee is transferred to the personal Spotter account, the assignment must be approved by SmartSpotter’s approvers. Spotters can also earn Smartpoints: points that can be collected in addition to the cash balance. The more assignments are fulfilled, the higher a Spotter will be on the ranking. A higher rank allows you to accept multiple assignments at the same time and to reserve them for longer. Additionally, the most experienced and reliable Spotters have the opportunity to also carry out direct corrections and (light) merchandising to help the supplier and the retailer out. Fidder: “You can actually also see it as a sort of ‘gamification’ of real business assignments through which very valuable data for the sector is retrieved.”
Real-time shareable reporting and automatic analysis for more efficiency
The online SmartSpotter dashboard draws up the Spotter findings and allows clients to efficiently adjust a campaign and improve it in cooperation with a retailer. For example, various automatic alerts are sent out to the shop and main office via the real-time shareable dashboard and immediate corrections are supported via the SmartSpotter tool for external services and store employees themselves.
In 2017 SmartSpotter became part of the Advantage Smollan group. Louise Araguez, Sales Director of SmartSpotter UK indicates: “SmartSpotter is a solution that perfectly complements our existing Field Marketing services. Our strength is to think along with our customers in terms of quality, but also in terms of cost structure. Especially in the past years this is a recurring topic. Everything must be faster and cheaper and that keeps us sharp. 70% of shoppers still make a definitive choice of product and brand on the shop floor and this emphasizes the importance of in-store campaigns and optimal visibility. SmartSpotter is the ideal solution to monitor and fix this quickly and cost-effectively. ”
In the online dashboard, SmartSpotter’s clients immediately see the situation on the shop floor.: “We as SmartSpotter UK can provide additional advice and take concrete action to rectify the possible ‘imbalanced situation’, even during the campaign by direct correction in the store, shared dashboards and automated alerts. The fact that we can offer this solution to our customers first in the (local) market is a win-win for shoppers, retailers and suppliers and makes us extremely proud. ”
About SmartSpotter
SmartSpotter was founded by former sales-, marketing- and category managers in early 2011 in the Netherlands. The goal is that on 25 November 2024 all agreements between retailers and suppliers will be fulfilled. This is done by making in-store execution quick, accessible and efficiently negotiable through shoppers, field staff and store staff. With the SmartSpotter platform, the Spotters with their smartphone are the ‘eyes and ears in the market’ of, for example, shopper marketing- and sales managers. In 2017 SmartSpotter became an Advantage Smollan Company. More info on www.smartspotter.com.
About Advantage Smollan
The strategic international partnership between Advantage Solutions and Global Smollan Holdings represents the first and only global provider of innovative outsourced sales and marketing solutions for consumer goods companies and retailers. Together we are able to work with our clients and customers globally.
Founded in 2015, Advantage Smollan is a jointly-owned holding company of Advantage Solutions (Advantage) and Smollan Group that provides unified sales, marketing, and technology solutions for consumer goods manufacturers and retailers across Europe. Advantage Smollan offers the industry’s best capabilities and technology along with the local knowledge to address the unique dynamics of individual markets. The company combines Advantage’s and Smollan’s best practices and resources with the extensive experience and market leadership of each portfolio company – all aligned in service excellence, thought leadership, and entrepreneurial spirit to deliver better results for clients and customers.
About SmartSpotter UK
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Do you have questions or would you like to connect with the specialists at Advantage Smollan and SmartSpotter? Do not hesitate to contact us:
Louise Araguez Tel 07825682063 or email laraguez@uk.smartspotter.com