The Swagg application lets consumers give and get gift cards in time for the holiday season. The company partnered with Firethorn Holdings for the Swagg mobile application.

“We are in the early stages of test and learn with the Swagg app so the strategy is very straightforward,” said Andrew Koven, president of ecommerce and customer experience at Steve Madden, New York. “It’s to simplify the creation, storage, accounting and redemption of gift cards for consumers, in particular via mobile.

“We see this as both an extension of and enhancement to the traditional gift card model,” he said. “In time, given both the ease of use and ability to review and store all of the cards in one location via a mobile app, we will see some market share shift to this mobile format.”

Outlier Inc.’s Swagg manages offers, and makes plastic gift cards and rewards digital.

Swagg on
The Swagg application features several retailers including American Apparel, American Eagle, Crocs and Wet Seal.

Consumers can buy a Steve Madden gift card and store it to their smartphone, as well as share with friends.

Consumers can buy a Steve Madden gift card

“We chose to participate in the Swagg app for a few reasons,” Mr. Koven said. “First and foremost we think that it makes sense for the consumer.

“Second, the commitment Swagg is making to the success of the program and to us as a partner is tremendous, and we like to be ahead of the curve when it comes to innovation and innovative opportunities,” he said.

Mobile gift cards
Steve Madden is also using Swagg to engage its customer and get the word out about targeted offers for its locations, online stores and ultimately at retail outlets.

Currently, the company is offering 25 percent of purchases and free shipping.

“We’ve partnered with Swagg to get the word out through a variety of promotions, which we provide to their audience,” Mr. Koven said. “We’re also looking at some of the dedicated opportunities they have developed with our marketing team’s involvement and support.

“It’s critically important that whatever we do to spread the word makes sense for the Steve Madden brand and our customers,” he said. “It’s truly a powerful collaboration and we’re excited about the potential here.”

Final Take
Rimma Kats is editorial assistant at Mobile Commerce Daily, New York