If any trend is apparent from the lineup of mobile solutions providers chosen by Mondelez International for its Shopper Futures program, it is the need for a better understanding of how to take the location and social data available via mobile and apply it to drive in-store purchases.

In a reflection of how mobile is transforming shopper marketing, Mondelez is pairing its brands as well as retailers such as Albertsons, Meijer and 7-Eleven with eight startups that each takes a slightly different approach to leveraging smartphones to engage shoppers with offers and information before, during and after a store visit. The consumer packaged goods marketer is clearly looking to understand the many different ways that mobile touches the consumer’s store visit.

“We know smartphones are changing the retail landscape, and mobile was a critical component considered when selecting the startups,” said Kim Yansen, director of field shopper marketing at Mondelez. “When we think about innovation via startups, most, if not all, have some component of mobile technology in their solution.

“As part of the program, technology we will test includes beacons, in-store Wi-Fi, connectivity with wearables and more,” she said.

In-market pilots
As part of the previously announced Mondelez International’s Shopper Futures program, the snacks marketers has announced it has chosen eight startups to partner with out of the hundreds that applied. Startups such as Turnstyle, Sampler and Shelfbucks will work with major retailers and Mondelez brands such as Oreo, Ritz and Halls to bring in-market pilots to life over the next three months.

Each of the companies chosen has a strong mobile focus, honing in on a specific part of the customer journey from discovery through to consideration and purchase.

Beacons in action
Not surprisingly, beacons feature prominently with several of the startups chosen. However, a variety of other mobile tactics are also part of the mix.

In-store beacon promotion and Smart Display platform Shelfbucks is collaborating with Meijer and Oreo for one program and with Wakefern and Halls for a second. Shelfbucks enables in-store shoppers to interact with products, displays and store shelves from their smartphones.

Looking to leverage in-store data for more relevant display advertising, Mondelez’s brands Oreo and belVita will partner with 7-Eleven and Freckle IOT, which takes a different approach to beacon marketing by enabling brands to gather information about consumers who were in or nearby a store and retarget them with ads at a later date.

Dentyne is partnering with Earshot

Trident and the Kum & Go convenience store chain will look to gain critical insights into consumers’ activity, sleep, food and body data to improve their personalization marketing efforts and ultimately lift sales through a collaboration with Strap.

Strap gathers data from smartphones, wearables and health data applications for consumer analytics and segmentation that promises to provide more personalized marketing and engagement programs.

Social sampling
The Swedish Fish brand and QuickChek convenience store chain are paired with Turnstyle Solutions, which aims to turn Wi-Fi into a social media tool and enable marketers to attract customers, offer Facebook check-in and redirect features. Brands can market directly to customers that opt-in to the social Wi-Fi network.

Social product sampling platform Sampler will be collaborating with Albertsons and the Ritz brand in the United States. The company encourages fans of a brand on Facebook to request a sample or to share samples with Facebook friends who fit the target market, helping brands create customized sampling strategies.

There will also be several pilots in Canada, one with Turnstyle Solutions as well as Mac’s Convenience Stores and Cadbury.

Aislelabs, which combines Wi-Fi and beacon services to offer in-store marketing, social Wi-Fi, shareable mobile wallet coupons, will partner with Metro and the Triscuit brand.

Earshot, which gives marketers a real-time stream of scored social media posts and provides tools so marketers can engage with customers when they are ready for real-time engagement, will collaborate with 7-Eleven Canada and Dentyne.

Scalable solutions
Also in Canada, the Halls brand will work with Aisle411, which Aisle411enables shoppers to map products, offers and lists by aisle location and discover information based on their location. Retailers can use the platform to reach shoppers at the shelf with context and location relevant information.

The goal of the strategy is to develop scalable shopper learnings and solutions by the end of 2015.

The Shopper Futures program follows Mondelez’s 2012 Mobile Futures program, which similarly paired brands with several startups to accelerate mobile innovations.

“Technology as a whole, including mobile, has and will continue to have an undeniable impact on the path to purchase,” Ms. Yansen said.

“We know it is imperative to think of technology when building shopper marketing programs to ensure we select the right tactics along the shopper journey to reach them at the most critical moments,” she said.

“Shopper Futures will help us to build on and support our mobile efforts and allow us to bring new ideas to market.”

Final Take
Chantal Tode is senior editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York