SinceMobile Marketing is the youngest among the media channels, marketers are still cautious in using mobile marketing as an advertising medium. Guidelines and metrics are being set to provide consumers protection and for Industry players to strictly comply to.Although there are organizations that look after the regulation of mobile marketing activities, ie Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), the industry has yet to gain the trust of consumers above everything else. In this day and age, technology is easier to access, inexperienced sales people are using it in invasive ways to sell their products and services - think spam e-mails, you didn’t request for it, yet they keep sending you information you don’t need. Mobile devices are considered to be very personal trusted device that, nowadays, we can’t do without. Text messages can sometimes be intrusive, and people do not welcome unsolicited messages sent to their handsets.
As marketers, we already have an idea why people are becoming more and skeptic about using mobile marketing, its time for us to turn this around and make consumers realize that engaging in Mobile Advertising can be of value to them. The consumers are the most valuable segment of the whole Mobile Marketing ecosystem, its high time that we focus on efforts on how we’ll earn consumer trust.
Providing sufficient information that allows consumers to make an informed decision on whether to receive a marketing programme is the first step on the road towards consumer trust.
Respecting the consumer’s preferences and privacy is also key. Giving them the control to Opt in and Opt out of any campaign.
Marketers must also always ensure that the information being provided to the consumer is always relevant to the recipient.
She also stressed that planning and execution of mobile marketing campaignsis also a key indicator of consumer experience. In compliance to the ideology of the Opt in rule, marketers should only send messages to those who opted in and marketers should closely monitor the number of times they will have contact with the consumer who opted in for each program.
Having the right information will equip marketers to plan and implement well targeted campaigns. Ultimately, the goal here is for consumers to have a positive experience. If this is achieved, consumers will then have a positive reception towards mobile marketing, leading to acceptance and continuous use of different mobile marketing services.
When we talk about the elements needed for a successful mobile marketing campaign, we are most likely referring to the following: strong selling proposition, specific message receiver, easy to understand call to action, and the actual mobile marketing execution. However, we are forgetting one important aspect in completing the campaign, the people who will implement the plan.
For big companies planning to launch a mobile marketing campaign, it is very important toeducate middle managementabout the importance and impact of mobile marketing in their efforts.
Why the mid level? Simply because it is the most vital part of the organization. The people under this level are those who will lead the rest in the actual execution of the mobile marketing plan. Given the situation, top management should consider exposing them to mobile marketing campaigns and strategies before actually starting the promotions, especially if they are planning to invest big amount of money for the mobile marketing campaign.
But for companies who prefer to avoid all the dramas and stresses of preparing and delivering a campaign, there are mobile marketing companies offeringfree SMS solutionsto answer a business’ various levels of needs in reaching out to tv, radio, print, and brand market. And most of these mobile marketing companies offer pre and post operation assistance to their clients.
Mobile marketing continue to make buzz for gigantic products from different industries. Adding up to the long list of famous brands is Puma.
Puma launched its nationwide mobile marketing campaign for the Euro 2008. The mobile marketing campaign which involves teleconference, mobile alerts, mobile ringtones, and mobile discount vouchers, intends to connect football fans from 13 countries. This is one great move for Puma, as it covers pre and post event marketing campaign making mobile subscribers and football fans as its target.
Other big names that have used mobile marketing in their marketing efforts include New Line Cinema’s “Snakes On a Plane”, NBC’s “Deal Or No Deal”, Dove’s Campaign For Real Beauty and Nike ID.
To repeat the success of these mobile campaigns, it is important to know your target, have a concrete campaign message, make sure that the execution is relevant to your targets’ behavior and lifestyle, and conceptualize an easy-to- understand call to action to generate positive campaign result.
Italians prove that mobile marketing can be more than simply sending SMS feeds.
Venice gave mobile marketing a new face and purpose by launching the Venice SMS FloodAlerts. Locals subscribed to this mobile alert service receive important advisories regarding an upcoming water situation.
Such updates includes informing subscribers up to 36 hours before a flood hits their area, and notifying subscribers three to six hours before storms hit a particular location. The only requirement to receive these free and timely alerts is an “Italian mobile phone”.
At present, mobile marketing solutions are seen as tools for companies and organizations that want to reach out and stay connected with targets. The SMS Flood Alerts platform by Venice is a confirmation that SMS or mobile texting can be utilized by the government in protecting its citizens against natural calamities and disasters.
A recent surveyrevealed interesting statistics about the current situation of US mobile users. The study showed that about 35 percent of US mobile users never (at all) use text messaging or even tried sending SMS. Interesting? It’s more of surprising.
If this is true, then providers of mobile marketing solutions should act on this right away. Providing an easy to understand call to action really spells a big difference. By simply educating mobile users with basic information about SMS or text messaging, it will make them feel more comfortable using SMS or text messaging platforms. As a result, it will make SMS or texting a part of their lifestyle.
On the other hand, one third of the US mobile users from the conducted survey tell us another story. About this percentage of cellular phone users considered themselves as heavy texters. And this is where most mobile marketing companies concentrate. Different interactive mobile marketing campaigns for industries like tv, radio, print, orbrand, are being developed by SMS marketing organizations. This is to answer to the increasing demand in interactive mobile solutions.
Integrating mobile marketing campaigns in promotional efforts might be frightening at first. But once you understood your market, carefully formulated your strategies, and chose the right mobile marketing platform, then nothing can go wrong.
More and more companies are beginning to acknowledge the advantages of mobile marketing in their promotions and advertising strategies. The recent announcement of the strategic alliance between SMSJock and FuelCels is one evident manifestation of mobile marketing’s demand in the PR, marketing and advertising world.
FuelCels being a full- service marketing company with clients like AT&T, MasterCard, Wells Fargo Bank, Nestle, Comcast, and Microsoft, partnered with SMSJock to answer its mobile marketing needs and requirements.
SMSJock, the mobile marketing arm of Feedtext Inc., was initially developed for interactive radio campaigns. But because of high participative campaign demands in the market, SMSJock was reinforced to give aid to other industries’ mobile marketing needs. Now, it facilitates interactive tv, interactive brand, and interactive print SMS marketing campaigns.
The mobile marketing solution of SMSJock is perfect for organizations of all sizes. Interested parties need to sign up (for free) and choose an SMS marketing solution.
For most big and SME companies, marketing and advertising covers most part of the annual budget. All established and emerging businesses’ promotion efforts main objective is to position themselves and maintain their niche in the industry. Among these massive campaign driven industries are radio, television, print, and brand.
Adapting to trends and technology, some agencies took a big leap and integrated mobile marketing campaigns in their operations. Let’s take for instance, radio stations.
In the US alone, there are over 13,500 registered radio stations. These radio stations reach 96% of people ages12 and above weekly, and listen to radio more than 3.2 hours everyday. With these statistics, radio is one perfect lead to use mobile marketing.
Radio stations in the US normally uses mobile marketing in getting listeners’ comments and feedback regarding a particular topic, to receive song requests and on-air greetings, and to run polls and contests. Who would not love this mobile technology?! By simply logging in to a panel, DJs can read everything what their audience wants to say, and send them alerts on what’s in and out of the music scene…that is… without the troubles of picking up the phone all the time. People who are tuned in also love using SMS because they don’t have to go through the busy hotlines. There are also other mobile marketing ideas being practiced by radio stations today. All you have to do is analyze what will work for you and adopt it.
This mobile marketing campaign is also suited for television, brand, and print media, also free of charge. All you have to do is sign up and supply the necessary information to create and activate your own mobile marketing drive.
