Captain Morgan Mobile Contest

Rum brand Captain Morgan has added a mobile component to its existing Pose Off campaign.

“The simple objective of allowing mobile entry is to increase the number of total entries to the Captain Morgan Pose Off contest, thereby increasing the level of brand interactions at point of purchase by adults of legal drinking age,” said Alex Hall, chief operating officer at TigerSpike, New York.
“Mobile entry helps achieve a higher promotional response rate by allowing people to engage as soon as they read the call to action, while the motivation is still in their mind,” Mr. Hall said. “Assuming the communication message is relevant, mobile entry then allows consumer to act at the right time for them, from any location.
“In the case of a spirits promotion, it means that a call to action in bars, in retail outlets or in traditional media can be acted upon at times when online activity is not generally possible,” he said. “The main reason for using both MMS and email in this campaign was purely to extend reach and convenience for consumers. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/ArC5b

For more information contact Andrew at damico@zipstripe.com

Tylenol PM "Sleep Tracker" iPhone application

The Tylenol application is available as a free download in the App Store and is promoted with the tagline "See how beneficial a good night's sleep can be."

The Tylenol PM Sleep Tracker iPhone application lets users track their sleep hours and moods, see their sleep history over time, add notes and customize their icons and get tips to help them sleep better. Tylenol is promoting the application as part of its "Get Ready for Bed" campaign.

A click-to-download banner ad campaign that ran across iPhone sites and applications drove close to 3,000 downloads and increased Tylenol's ranking in the App Store from No. 120 to 14, which in turn drove additional organic viral spread of the application. "With tens of thousands of apps in the App Store, promotion is crucial to getting your app highly ranked, which is critical for discovery," said Tony Nethercutt, vice president of sales at AdMob. "Consumer discovery is difficult with 50,000 apps, so being ranked in the top 25 most popular apps in your category is critical to getting more downloads.

Tylenol PM Sleep Tracker ads across AdMob's network issued a call-to-action urging consumers to click through to the App Store to immediately download the application. While specific click-through rates weren't revealed, AdMob claims its clients see conversion rates between 5 to 20 percent, with the average being closer to 10 percent. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/MLFRs

For more information contact mike@zipstripe.com

Domino’s Pizza - Mobile commerce growing at astounding rate

Domino’s Pizza is driving traffic to its newly optimized mobile Web site with mobile advertising and seeing a surge in revenue from its mobile commerce platform.

While the pizza franchise continues to invest heavily in traditional media, it has seen significant growth from its mobile initiatives and plans to increase its investment in the mobile channel going forward. In addition to promoting its mobile site on Dominos.com and via email blasts, the company partners with mobile ad networks and with publishers directly to run banner ads across most of the top 10 mobile Web sites in the United States, including Pandora, ESPN and CNN.

“Mobile is a rapidly growing segment of our business, one that we expect to grow for years to come,” said Rob Weisberg, vice president of multimedia marketing at Domino’s Pizza, Ann Arbor, MI. “A major growth agent for our company over the last few years has been online ordering in the digital space. “A lot of what we get to see that’s occurring in our Asian markets and places like Iceland—mass consumer adoption of mobile commerce—it’s a crystal ball for what’s to come in the U.S. market.”

Mobile coupons have been increasingly relevant for consumers—and thus an increasingly effective tool for brands—during the current recession. Domino’s mobile coupons are tailored to consumers’ ordering history and are often time-sensitive. “We send out coupons via SMS that are relevant to you as an individual, an offer that’s strong and takes you to the site and all you have to do is hit confirm,” Mr. Weisberg said. “As far as our system-wide average, 85 percent of our business is delivery, and because of that, we know who you are, your name, address, phone number and what you’ve ordered in the past..

“By opting-in to receive these communications, you’re ensuring that you’ll receive the strongest deals Domino’s has to offer, mobile coupons that link directly back to our mobile ordering site,” he said. “In terms of ease and convenience of the transaction, mobile commerce can’t be beat.”

Domino’s believes that the importance of the mobile channel for its bottom line will only continue to grow.
“What gets us excited about the mobile space? You walk out of your home with your wallet, your keys and a third-screen—the three screens are TVs, computers and smartphones with a data plan,” Mr. Weisberg said.
“People are taking that third screen wherever they go, and mobile phones are one of the few things that aren’t shared, so we know exactly who we’re talking to via that mobile device,” he said. The hectic pace of modern life also makes mobile an indispensible channel for businesses. “Consumers are time starved, and as far as making meal decisions, 72 percent of consumers don’t know what they’re going to have for dinner at 4:30 p.m.,” Mr. Weisberg said. “Most people don’t plan that far ahead because of the time-starved nature of the world today, so our goal is to connect with consumers around that time of day, which is a major objective for quick-service restaurant companies like us. “The mobile screen is an opportunity to engage with them in a way that is relevant to them via SMS offers, mobile coupons,” he said. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/16Otap

For more information contact Andrew at damico@zipstripe.com

Audible adds Mobile Calls2Action to Traditional Ads

Audible.com has incorporated mobile into its more traditional marketing initiatives, offering free audiobook downloads to BlackBerry users.
Traditional ads include a mobile call to action, asking consumers to text AUDIBLE to short code 35620 to get Thomas Friedman’s No. 1 bestseller free. The mobile calls to action are present on New York City subway trains,  within New York Times and Wall Street Journal print ads, and online via banner ads.

“We are trying to offer customers a chance to have an instant interaction with our ad,” said Will Lopes, vice president of business development at Audible.com, Newark, NJ. “Offering the ability to text gives consumers an opportunity for instant gratification to a free piece of audio with no obligations.” Audible is a provider of audiobooks read by authors and celebrities in addition to magazines, radio shows, podcasts, stand-up comedy, and speeches. Users who use Audible can download to their computer or sync to a mobile device. Audible is a subsidiary of Amazon.com.

“The broader strategic goal is to target commuters and communicate the utility of using Audible while commuting, as well as engaging them with an offer to which they can respond immediately,” Mr. Lopes said. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/155z2K

For further information contact Andrew at damico@zipstripe.com

Network TV using Mobile for Roundtrips

Television networks are increasingly turning to the mobile channel to drive audiences back to the TV screen for the debut of the fall season entertainment line-up.

Networks are launching official iPhone applications as well as mobile sites. Additionally, text alerts are being used to remind viewers their favorite shows are returning.

CBS uses mobile video. Recaps, previews and behind-the-scenes videos see the most traction for CBS.

“Your phone is arguably the most personal device you own,” said Paul Scanlan, president of MobiTV," Emeryville, CA. “As better devices and better content continue to drive mobile TV growth, networks and advertisers have an opportunity to reach an ever-increasing audience in new and more personal ways." Features like interactivity and immediate calls-to-action unique to mobile TV offer the consumer an enriched viewing experience.

“[The experience is] something networks can capitalize on, especially for big events like season premieres," he said. "In fact, earlier this year, Showtime debuted the season premieres for three of their most popular programs on MobiTV in advance of the television airing.” Users can sign up on CBS.com to receive alerts about CBS programming from How I Met Your Mother to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. In addition, SMS alert sign-ups exist on each of the show homepages on CBS.com. The network’s reality hit, Big Brother, uses mobile weekly. Viewers vote every week and have an impact on the show’s outcome. mobile marketing is going to become more personal and interactive in the future. He cited new applications and said they are a new generation and provide more interactivity.

“[Mobile is] a great medium,” he said. “Large percentages [of people] carry mobile devices with them. With mobile we can do things in real time and push alerts are very powerful. You may not even be thinking about CSI and then we can send an alert with something relevant to the show. “Devices are always connected and more interactivity means they’re always engaging.” From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/z1Zvy

For more information contact mike@zipstripe.com

Ronald McDonald Mobile Charity Donations Fundraiser

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana used mobile at Macy's Glamorama event to raise money to build the largest Ronald McDonald House in the world. The annual Glamorama fundraiser took place Aug. 21 in Chicago with musical performances and, fashion designers and celebrity appearances all focusing on the main goal of the event—raising money for charity.

To help achieve its fundraising goals goal, RMHC integrated an SMS campaign to let event guests donate to the charitable cause via text messaging. “When people are most inspired they will be able to donate to the worthy charity using the only form of media they have available at that time—their mobile phone.”

“The main strategy behind this campaign is to increase awareness of the Ronald McDonald House Charities and garner donations via a new interactive method to raise money to build the largest Ronald McDonald House in the world," said Jason George, CEO of Telescope Inc., Los Angeles. “Because it is in-venue, mobile offers a direct-response mechanic to engage fans at the event. Once engaged, the participants receive all the information of how to complete their donation online and can opt-in to receive updates and additional information on RMHC-CNI,” he said. "This is a great example of how mobile can be best used alongside other media to drive maximum benefit for the marketing partner.”

During the event, guests were shown a video presentation highlighting the role of Ronald McDonald House in keeping the families of hospitalized children together and the need for the new House. The video concludes with a call-to-action that asks the audience to text their donation amount to the short code 21523. After the audience texted in their pledge amount for the RMHC, they received a reply message confirming the amount and the Ronald McDonald House Charity Web link with instructions on how to complete their donation online. Attendees had the opportunity to opt-in to receive a reminder message from Ronald McDonald House Charities, as well as further information via SMS about upcoming RMHC events. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/3mWBt

For more information contact damico@zipstripe.com

Goodyear SMS campaign sees 5.2 percent CTR

Tire-production giant Goodyear launched a mobile campaign to raise awareness in men, right in time for the winter.

The "Time For Winter Tires" promotional campaign ran in Poland during the last quarter of 2008, from Oct. 13-27. It was coordinated by Upgrade Interactive Marketing and included an SMS campaign and a mobile site. The target was male drivers aged 25-54, using mobile Internet,” said Kazimierz Piekarz, CEO of Upgrade Interactive Marketing, Warsaw, Poland. ”Or alternatively, men interested in purchasing winter tires of premium quality for their private cars.”

Time For Winter Tires was marketed via a personalized SMS campaign sent out to over 80 thousand men. The SMS contained and advertising message and WAP link to a mobile microsite.

“[The call to action] was encouraging potential customers to visit a mobile microsite,” Mr. Piekarz said. ” The message read translated into English: "It is time for Goodyear winter tires. Fifteen sets of tires and 15 mobile phones worth 25000 PLN to win! Visit wap.gy.plus.pl," he said.

Mr. Piekarz said that during the 15-day campaign there were more than 2.2 million impressions recorded. Mobile banners had a 3 percent click through rate while the SMS portion had 5.2 percent.

Goodyear is not the first to try and sell tires using mobile. In April, a BMW Germany mobile campaign was deployed to sell more winter tires and is said to have achieved a 30 percent conversion rate. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/wo979

For more information teresa@zipstripe.com

Petco and National Geographic Team Up for Mobile

The National Geographic Channel ran an SMS alert campaign promoting its “Dog Whisperer” program, which saw 2,000 opt-ins and prompted pet store giant Petco to come on board as a sponsor.

The campaign was launched in honor of the Dog Whisperer’s 100th episode with the intent to engage viewers and extend advertising opportunities for National Geographic. “Using the mobile phone as an additional communications channel makes the TV watching experience more interactive,” said Chris Brassington, group managing director at 2ergo, Manchester, Britain. The technology platform allowed NGC to automatically add new subscribers through a keyword-to-short-code system, easily upload tips content and schedule a specific send date and time, keeping the management time for the program at a minimum.

The initiative involved on-air calls-to-action along with an online call-to-action asking viewers to text the keyword DOG to the short code 64288 (NGCTV). After replying "yes" to the standard double-opt-in message, users are sent a tune-in reminder along with dog-training tips straight from the show’s star Cesar Milan four hours before the show airs on Friday nights.“Relevant and timely content that offers value to consumers should always take the lead in mobile marketing and messaging programs,” Mr. Brassington said. “You’ll get more subscribers who are more engaged and more likely to stay engaged with your brand over time.”After realizing the potential of this campaign, Petco chose to jump on board as a sponsor so that all SMS alerts would read “Sponsored by PETCO” and contain a mobile coupon code for 10 percent off purchases made at Petco.com.

“Not only can SMS drive viewership of the show through a timely text reminder, but SMS is more convenient for the viewer than making a phone call or going online to interact with the show,” Mr. Brassington said. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/n3YZW

For more information contact damico@zipstripe.com

SMS initiatives to engage Political Millennials

Nonprofit political organization Rock the Vote is using mobile at events such as Lollapalooza to engage young Americans by connecting them with musicians and interactive politics.

Rock the Vote is ramping up its interaction with the millennial generation by leveraging interactive tools such as mobile polls and votes, broadcasting election news, narrowcasting voter registration information and providing the ability to send comments and mobile pictures to the Rock the Vote Web site.

“We ran a robust SMS campaign for the first time in 2008, and now all of our public service announcements include the SMS call-out,” said Chrissy Faessen, vice president of communications and marketing at Rock the Vote, Washington. “Mobile is integrated into all of our marketing and communications programs. “We use mobile in conjunction with other media as an opportunity to reach out to our target audience, ages 18 to 29,” she said. “We want to engage young people about politics and all of the issues that are important to them, and mobile is an excellent medium to connect to young people, because it helps up moves past geographic and demographic restrictions."

In addition, RTV can now send pertinent information to its constituents that they have expressed interest in and opted in to receive. "We also help them segment their messages to specific geographic areas based on key elections or votes within their priority initiatives encouraging young American voters to engage in the political system and realize they can make a difference."

RTV plans to incorporate their mobile calls to action in various types of advertising such as TV, radio and print throughout the country. They will also be getting the word out through grassroots tactics at live concerts and festivals, such as on-stage calls to action from the artists themselves or displayed on jumbo screens, as well as RTV volunteers handing out fliers and verbally encouraging attendees to participate in their various mobile campaigns. RTV also uses online widgets on their Web site and various social networks to entice young Americans to get involved. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/18JH2y

For more information teresa@zipstripe.com