Future of SMS Marketing

SMS marketing is where Internet marketing was 10 years ago: still in its infancy, but evolving faster than anyone could imagine.

Everyone is texting. It is basically becoming more common than email and regular phone conversations.

Text is the future of communication. It is the backbone of teen and young adult's social lives and will grow with this new generation "Generation TEXT" into their professional lives. Even in daily business, text is how many meetings get scheduled.

Since people probably spend more time texting than watching TV, ads will naturally have to gravitate towards the viewers. We are starting to see that evolution now. More TV commercials are including a text component with text-to-win, viewer feedback and etcetera.

An effective mobile marketing campaign provides critical market research on a mass scale, which is much more effective than the use of focus groups. In addition to market research, mobile is a great way to drive sales while building a one-to-one relationship with the consumer.

Mobile introduces an entirely new relationship with the consumer. In the past it was one message to the masses. Today, using mobile, brands send the message of "How can I build a closer personal relationship with you, Mr. Consumer, and deliver exactly what you desire." From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/11Mk1P

For more information contact mike@zipstripe.com

Theme Park & Chrysler multichannel campaign includes Mobile

Six Flags Theme Parks and Chrysler have teamed up to offer consumers the chance to win a Jeep Wrangler.

Users can enter Six Flags' 2010 Jeep Wrangler Sweepstakes via mobile, the Six Flags Web site, mail or at the theme park itself. The Wrangler is worth over $33,000. Television spots running on Cox Media’s cable network ask consumers to text the keywords WILD or WET to short code 269411 to receive a discount on admission.

Chrysler and Six Flags used the mobile platform in the promotion last year and it’s a key part of Six Flags’ marketing strategy. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/2C6sM8 For more information contact mike@zipstripe.com

Pier 1 Imports launches 1st Mobile Effort

Pier 1 Imports is partnering with Barnes & Noble for an SMS sweepstakes as part of its efforts to reach a younger demographic.

The retail giant has deployed in-store mobile calls-to-action — signage next to the prize, a Papasan chair — in 100 Barnes & Noble bookstores near college campuses. Consumers who text in receive a text message confirming their registration in the sweepstakes and asking them to opt-in to receive promotional emails from Pier 1 Imports.

“This was our first time utilizing SMS as a channel, and we’re excited to be out there testing it,” said Jeff Haddox, direct marketing analyst at Pier 1 Imports, Ft. Worth, TX. “SMS made perfect sense for our partnership with Barnes & Noble. “The response rate would’ve been much lower without the direct call-to-action that SMS provides,” he said. “The Papasan chair is a tried-and-true Pier 1 product—it’s the ultimate reading chair—so it was the perfect incentive for the text-to-win campaign, and it fit well because it was sitting in a college bookstore.

“We’re reaching a younger demographic than we at Pier 1 haven’t have, and Barnes & Noble is a great partner that is well-versed in reaching that younger demographic .... We have to speak to a younger demographic in a different way,” he said. “We’re trying to engage them and getting them to come in-store, and there are various ways, including the SMS sweepstakes.” “For several years we’ve been trying to focus on a younger demographic, because Pier 1 customers get older and older every year and they aren’t making as many home purchases as college students and recent college grads,” he said. “Barnes & Noble reaches 6 million students, and we’re taken a fully integrated, layered approach.”

SMS is basically a data-capture vehicle, in that Pier 1 is not opting them into to an SMS program, but rather asking them for their email address. “The goal for the SMS initiative is integration with the email campaign, basically creating a trickle campaign on the back-end,” Mr. Haddox said. “Rather than lumping these college students in with our main marketing campaign, we’re segmenting them and treating them differently.

“College-age students are a tough group to communicate with, because they’re always on the go, and they’re not necessarily seeing our typical marketing vehicles such as direct mail and newspaper inserts,” he said. “We do run online banners and search ads, but we felt that a mobile component great way to reach them — better than traditional marketing vehicles.” From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/2C6sM8

For more information contact Andrew at damico@zipstripe.com

2,000 Opt-Ins to Pizza Hut Mobile Campaign

Quick-service restaurant Pizza Hut used mobile to generate buzz about its new Hershey’s Dunkers offering and built a mobile database of consumers to remarket to.

Calls to action ran on Cox Media's cable network asking viewers to text the keyword HUT to short code 269411. Consumers who texted in were entered for a chance to win a Pizza Hut pizza, once a month, for a year straight.

“Mobile was a great tool for this client because it offered a great way for the client to connect with their target demographic ... The combination of mobile and the sweepstakes offer of free pizza for a year proved to be an unbeatable combination,” she said. “The results were outstanding, and more than enabled the client to build a vast mobile database which they could use for future marketing.”

Ms. Simmonds said that in just two weeks the campaign has received more than 2,000 opt-ins and 54 percent moved on to double-opt-in.

Pizza Hut has been making a lot of headlines in the mobile space lately. Last month the company created a unique mobile ordering experience for its customers via an application that breaks traditional application boundaries. The fast-food chain launched an iPhone application that lets users order menu items from their phone. The application also serves as a source of entertainment for hungry customers waiting for their food delivery. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/3wUrkx

For information contact Andrew at damico@zipstripe.com

"Be Humane" campaign launched on iPhone mobile app

The American Humane Association is turning to the iPhone to extend its brand and “Be Humane!” campaign.

American Humane hopes to reach a younger audience with the development of this iPhone application. This is just one of the company's marketing techniques. “The strategy is to get younger audiences excited about American Humane’s mission to create a more human and compassionate world by ending abuse and neglect of children and animals,” said Michael E. Blimes, vice president of development for the American Humane Association. “We hope this exciting iPhone app will enlist and encourage younger potential constituents to spread the word about American Humane’s important work,” Mr. Blimes said.

Once on the application, the user can do a variety of things on the American Humane channel. Users can watch a short video about American Humane, view images of some of the animals and children the organization has helped, send an email to a friend to learn more about the nonprofit, donate to the cause, click-to-call and visit the Web site. Users can also read movie reviews detailing how the animal action was achieved and read the CEO’s blog entries.

“This app will help us with regard to branding,” Mr. Blimes said. “People who don’t clearly understand what American Humane does will now be able to easily get a clear picture of our mission, our work, and the distinctions between American Humane and other, seemingly similar humane organizations.”

“We want to target a new and younger audience with this iPhone app,” Mr. Blimes said. “We hope that this new generation will spread the word through viral marketing, explore our website, potentially donate and ultimately help us to create a more humane and compassionate world.” From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/14cXee

For more information contact mike@zipstripe.com

Armani Exchange campaign with 14.5% Interaction Rate

Armani Exchange's first mobile ad campaign to promote its Spring 2009 collection saw an average click-through rate of 1.22 percent and interaction rates as high as 14.5 percent on the mobile site.The banner ads drove more than 48,000 users to the mobile site, more than 36,000 video views and more than 2,600 store locator look-ups.

Armani Exchange is "Accessible Armani" that defines a new dress code with a collection that takes its cue from urban lifestyle and music culture. “Armani Exchange’s target audience is high-income households and tech-savvy 18-49 consumers, a target that aligns extremely well with the iPhone demographic,” said Johanna Werther, product marketing manager at AdMob, San Mateo, CA.

The luxury retailer Exchange tested the mobile waters last summer with a text-to-win campaign. The "A/X $1,000 Shopping Spree Sweepstakes'" call-to-action was printed on the retailer's shopping bag. It asked customers to text the keyword AX to short code 276264 (ARMANI) for a chance to win a $1,000 shopping spree. Consumers who texted in were added to a mobile database and later sent text messages announcing new collection arrivals, exclusive offers, A|X events and mobile downloads. “This was a brand and a mobile experience that consumers found extremely compelling,” Ms. Werther said. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/alJt

For information please contact mike@zipstripe.com

Malls Using Mobile to Drive Traffic

Illinois' Promenade Bolingbrook mall is using the Mallfinder Network's mobile marketing service to help the shopping center and its retailers connect with mobile shoppers. The mall will be targeting mobile shoppers with SMS campaigns and a mobile Web site. Twenty shopping centers managed on behalf of Forest City Enterprises will use Mallfinder's mobile services.

“Mobile is not only the most direct and personal vehicle to engage with shoppers, but it’s also a marketer’s closest proximity to influence shoppers with they’re about to make a purchase decision,” said Lawrence Phipps, senior vice president of marketing and product strategy at Mallfinder Network, Denver. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/17wlYg

More information contact mike@zipstripe.com

Why Mobile for Pre-Christmas?

As the holiday season quickly approaches, marketers need to start their campaign planning. This year may be different than any other in terms of the role that mobile will play. Marketers have quickly come to embrace mobile and all that it offers in terms of a one-to-one communication vehicle. There is no doubt that we will start seeing a shift in how major brands and retailers market for the holidays. In addition, most major brands and retailers have decreased their advertising budgets, and managers will be looking for a more cost-effective and trackable solution in order to justify each dollar spent,” she said.

“In this regard, mobile is the most powerful marketing tool for these brands – it will allow them to place information directly into the hands of consumers, and quickly drive an increase in foot traffic at the point of sale.”

Advertisers have already begun their holiday marketing planning. As with other times of the year and all other campaigns, the key is to know one’s audience. Consumers are increasingly mobile, or on the go, and therefore the best way to reach out to them is on the device that they never leave home without – the mobile phone.

With the economic problems, marketers are looking for ways to save a buck or two, and because mobile is still a fairly new marketing medium the prices are still pretty low. The volume of holiday marketing campaigns makes mobile very attractive to marketers looking to break through the clutter. Marketers that leverage the channel will have a great vehicle to get through to and reach their target audience.

Last year, department store chain JC Pennry launched an integrated marketing campaign and mobile just happened to be one of the components. The campaign highlighted JCPenney's affordable gift assortment and invited customers to celebrate in the joy of giving during the holiday season.

But a new idea Mr. Everett is hearing about is tied into retailers overriding objective to get the customers into their stores first, before they've spent most of their holiday gift budgets. That is why the big chains have Thanksgiving newspaper inserts touting their "DOORBUSTER" promotions saying "doors will open at 5am or 6am" on Black Friday. Sometimes they open as early as midnight on Thursday.

“What we're hearing is that some marketers are considering a second chance promotion where they could now use SMS to inform their database of shoppers that they have a midday price break, say between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., and note some of the bargains on offer,” Mr. Everett said.

“The idea is essentially a mid-day, real-time shout-out to their customer database to get them to abandon their current shopping destination and head over to the SMS store's side of the mall,” he said. “So if they can't get them in the morning, they can still try for half a loaf in the afternoon." From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/6d2tC

For information contact Andrew 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

Volvo Launches XC60 by Mobile

Automobile giant Volvo has turned to the mobile channel to promote its brand in Russia.

“Auto companies were early to the mobile Web and have been building consumer relationships via mobile — an uncluttered device and channel,” Ms. McKelvey said. Auto companies are using mobile to reach customers in new ways. "Not only are customers interested in getting more information right away, but they might also want to build their own car models and find the nearest dealer right from their mobile phones ... It facilitates the user experience with the automotive brands and provides an alternative to static mobile marketing campaigns.” From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/TvFbF

For more information contact mike@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

Ace Hardware debuts Mobile Coupons

Ace Hardware has introduced a new mobile service that helps shoppers find products on store shelves and encourages repeat business with mobile coupons via text message that can be used immediately in the store where they are shopping.

If consumers would like a mobile coupon sent to their phone via SMS, they can say “Send coupons” to get a text message with a numeric coupon code that Ace enters into their point-of-sale system.

Some mobile coupons are dated for the following week, encouraging consumers to return at a later date to spend more. For example, a storewide promotion will offer consumers $5 off a $25 purchase at Ace Hardware via SMS. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/ixoVF

For more information contact andrew@zipstripe.com

Wheaties "FUEL" - New Product Intro by Mobile to Target Demographics

General Mills is running a multimillion dollar “Evolution” campaign that uses mobile to introduce Fuel, a new kind of Wheaties.

The multichannel Evolution campaign features an SMS call-to-action in Men's Health magazine, online and via an upcoming free-standing insert (FSI) delivered to consumers via conventional mail. Consumers are asked to text the keyword WHEATIES to short code DOTCOM (368266).

“We understand our target consumer is actively involved in mobile media around the clock,” said Dan Stangler, marketing manager for Wheaties at General Mills, Minneapolis, MN. “SMS interaction provides another piece of the puzzle in our overall digital communication strategy. “A text reference is provided in print and digital communications, enabling consumers to extend their experience beyond the Web site,” he said. “The SMS calls-to-action are part of our digital strategy to communicate with consumers through the most efficient touchpoints. “SMS is a great way to round out our digital execution, interacting with our consumer when they are on the move.”

“The Wheaties SMS initiative provides consumers with a number of engaging elements that encourage interactivity,” Mr. Stangler said, such as creating interactive mobile strategies with a focus on SMS, with content such as sports scores, trivia quizzes, recipe ideas and health tips. The firm then integrates brand messages within the information as part of an ongoing, multi-tiered conversation. The four dimensions of the SMS program, designed to support and enhance the other elements of the ad campaign, include interesting information about the elite athletes who helped create the new Wheaties. A trivia game tests consumers’ knowledge about the athletes. There is an option to sign up for email alerts to stay informed about new developments. There is also an opportunity to opt-in for weekly nutrition tips or fitness tips, automatically delivered to consumers’ mobile phone via SMS. The nutrition tips were developed in partnership with Men's Health Magazine. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/uX51O

For more information contact mike@zipstripe.com

Hugo Boss takes Italy by Mobile

Procter & Gamble’s Hugo Boss luxury brand raised awareness for its Element fragrance via a multichannel mobile media campaign. The campaign targeted independent, unconventional and modern Italian male consumers who are on-the-go.

"While the growth of luxury brands using mobile marketing could be perceived as part of the larger push towards brand engagement via mobile, a closer look reveals undeniable synergies between the two," said Ben Tannenbaum, communications manager at MX Telecom, New York.

"The personal nature of the mobile channel, when combined with the intimacy of the luxury brand-consumer relationship, makes mobile marketing an obvious and effective opportunity for luxury brands," he said. "The marketing strategy must appeal to the tastes of the targeted market, which are not necessarily the same as your everyday mobile user.

Why are luxury brands increasingly moving to the mobile space?

"Brands today need engagement, and luxury brand are not to be excluded. It's not simply about getting hundreds of thousands of consumers to see your ad," said Patrick Mork, vice president of marketing at GetJar, London. "It's more about building a relationship with them, which brings them closer to the brand in a way that is fun, innovative and personal." From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/nHh68

For more information contact Andrew at daminco@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

Discovery Channel debuts ad-supported Mobile-video App

The Discovery Channel has debuted an ad-supported application for Apple’s iPhone, providing consumers with new videos, daily news, quizzes, photos and television schedules. The application enables users to get full-length episodes of Discovery Channel programming and providing Discovery with another monetization method in addition to advertising. Footwear giant Puma is among the brands running pre-roll video advertising within the application.

“With increasing consumption of entertainment on smartphones, we wanted to enable our fans to stay connected to their favorite programs wherever they go,” said Doug Craig, senior vice president of digital and home entertainment at Discovery Communications, Silver Spring, MD. “The launch of our Discovery Channel iPhone app is a natural extension of our mobile strategy, which offers consumers engaging mobile Web and video content through multiple carriers and services,” he said.

“The app serves as another touch point to engage Discovery Channel fans across demos by providing an immersive experience that includes videos of Discovery Channel's top programs, quizzes, photos, Discovery News and more.” From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/LvwNP

Home Shopping Network goes Mobile

Home Shopping Network has launched an application for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch users that will allow them to watch the network's programming on the go. The 45 million subscribers to the devices who download the HSN Shop App now have the ability to view HSN programming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, throughout the US. The launch creates the e-commerce industry's first live-video "3-screen experience," enabling consumers to browse and shop the network's 35,000-plus array of products from home or on the go.

"Our customer is fashionable and discerning, and thrives on information, ideas and discovery," said HSN CEO Mindy Grossman in a statement. "HSN strives to be the true multichannel experience, and this new iPhone app now allows our customer to take HSN with her, anytime, anywhere, and be that reliable, ‘on-the-go' resource for lifestyle information she craves."

HSN will make live TV, including its library of original videos, HSN programs like Today's Special, Items Recently Aired, and hosts, featured designers and its products available through the application. In addition, the HSN Shop App will have a set of new features, including the interactive Shake2shop, which, with a simple shake of the device, generates random product recommendations as well as deals and promotions targeted at HSN's mobile customers.

"HSN truly leads the way in total convergence of its media technologies," says Brian Bradley, EVP/ GM, HSN Online & Advanced Services. "The loyalty of our customer base has been predicated in large part on a unique ability to engage them in all aspects of their lives, and the addition of a mobile 'third screen' opens up an entirely new dimension for interaction."
Users will also be able to make purchases through the application, whether by calling HSN directly or by using the device's browser.

Marlboro uses mobile to promote Marlboro Ducati Racing Team

Cigarette brand Marlboro has developed mobile offerings meant to increase the link between consumers and the Marlboro Ducati Racing Team. The branded iPhone game was created as part of a campaign in the Dominican Republic to target young professionals between 22 and 38 years old.

“The strategy behind adding a mobile component, was to use a consumer engagement solution in bars, clubs and lounges …The idea was to use devices and solutions that are innovative and to attract people with a relevant solution for the brands and the motorcycle activity,”.

The objective was to develop a consumer engagement experience in which participants would enjoy the apps, while increasing their interaction with Marlboro and Ducati. Mobile allows for fast and simple connectivity through WiFi, which allows for real-time reporting.
From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/JsVmI