How a Swiss shopping center is turning battery failure into a new marketing tool

Context: a highly connected clientele

Located in the heart of Neuchâtel, La Maladière Centre enjoys a unique position at the crossroads of commerce, sport and public services. It benefits from a significant flow of visitors with varied profiles.

As Léonard Estenso, manager of the shopping center, recalls:

“The Maladière Centre is part of a complex that includes a soccer stadium, the Fire and Rescue Service barracks, as well as gyms and offices.”

The proximity to vocational schools, universities and EPFL generates a significant flow of young visitors, for whom the smartphone plays an essential role in the visit process.

Problem: battery failure is a major threat

With an attendance highly equipped with mobile devices, the center identifies a recurring demand related to charging. Visitors are looking for solutions to maintain the autonomy of their devices, which is essential for finding their way around, paying, consuming content or staying in touch.

Leonard formulates it this way:

“With the multiplication of connected devices and their increased use, we identified a need for charging.”

Without a convenient and instant device, the visit experience may be shortened or disrupted. A low battery quickly becomes a major irritant for them and a threat to the quality of their experience at the center.

This loss of visitor connectivity also deprives the center of new marketing opportunities.

It is therefore becoming essential to find a solution that can meet these expectations, while strengthening the center's ability to communicate effectively with its visitors. In this reflection, Plug'Heur quickly emerged as a relevant partner:

“Plug'Heur quickly established itself as a serious provider that could help us with this approach.”

Solution: a simple, modern and free service

Plug'Heur is installing a self-service portable battery station, allowing visitors to recharge their smartphone on the go and without constraints.

Two key elements were immediately noticed by La Maladière Centre:

“Above all, we appreciate its ease of use and the originality of the business model.”

And above all, a major differentiating factor:

“Clearly, the free service.”

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Results: great feedback and a new marketing tool

Since installation, the performance of the service has exceeded expectations.

Adopting the service

The public, especially young visitors, is very receptive:

“The feedback is excellent and meets the real needs of our young customers.”

Useful and controlled data collection

Each use generates customer data (name, first name, email, telephone number), which can be used in compliance with the RGPD.

Thanks to the leads generated by Plug'Heur, the center strengthens its customer knowledge and refines its marketing campaigns.

“The leads collected allow us to design personalized newsletter campaigns... and to administer market research.”

This capacity for segmentation and analysis brings real added value in the commercial management of the center.

New marketing levers

The center now activates targeted marketing campaigns, in particular via SMS, a format that is very well suited to its audience:

“The Plug'Heur service can also be used as a new vector for targeted communication campaigns via SMS. We've used this feature a number of times.”

For Léonard Estenso, the Plug'Heur installation is fully in line with the center's innovation strategy:

“The Plug'Heur service makes it possible to refine our range of services for our young customers and to affirm our positioning as a shopping center open to new technologies.”

Plug'Heur thus becomes a central element of the center's value proposition and contributes to its continuous modernization.

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Conclusion: Plug'Heur, a new marketing ally for shopping centers

By integrating Plug'Heur, La Maladière Centre goes beyond simply responding to a need to recharge. The service becomes a strategic lever for enriching customer relationships, personalizing communication, stimulating buying processes and strengthening the image of a contemporary and innovative shopping center.

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