Mobile News - Mobile Marketing Blog

Starbucks is promoting its upcoming Frappuccino Happy Hour via an SMS initiative that sends out daily reminders to consumers. Starbucks promoted this call to action in an email that encouraged their Starbucks Rewards consumers to text HAPPY to 697289. This SMS initiative allows Starbucks to build their relationship with their customers and provide relevant messages to further engage them.

The United States Tennis Association significantly increased its existing SMS strategy this year with plans to bring in-house messaging to more events and introduce new promotions. The USTA has used SMS to engage fans at specific events such as the U.S. Open for the past few years. The new SMS initiative will allow fans in the audience to text to vote, answer a question, or send a message based on a specific event to a short code. The results will appear on the screen in real-time. The USTA said that it will also be able to deliver special offers to fans in the audience. The association’s updated SMS strategy proves that it is never too late to build on an existing initiative and make it better.

JCPenney is continuing to prove that mobile plays a critical role in its marketing efforts. The department store recently sent a test message to their opted-in database to promote a one days sales event for Easter. The message started with, “Listen up peeps!” and encouraged their customers to visit a JCPenney’s location for a one-day event to receive a free pair of bunny ears in the kid’s department. The text also included a link back to their mobile site where consumers could purchase the dresses right from their phones.

Members of Macy’s SMS database received a message earlier this week reminding them to watch NBC’s “Fashion Star” and then shop Ms. Willard’s looks after the show. Caprice Willard, a buyer for Macy’s is one of the judges on Fashion Star who decides whether a designer’s look is fit for the department store giant. The message also included a link to the Macy’s Fashion Star page where consumers can view the latest looks and purchase them on the spot. Macy’s use of SMS allows them to reach a vast number of customers.

From now until April 1st, sports fans can text in the word Reeses to qualify for prizes, with the top prize being a trip to the upcoming 2013 NCAA Men's Final Four game. "The Reese’s brand chose to execute the 'Perfect Pick' promotion with a text-to-win campaign element to give March Madness fans nationwide an easy way to get in on the college basketball frenzy without actually being present at this year’s games," said Anna Lingeris, spokeswoman for Reese's, Hershey, PA. "With 74.6 percent of United States mobile subscribers using text messaging on their mobile device to date, launching a text-to-win campaign enabled us to reach our consumers easily and effectively," she said. Reese’s has the call to action on their website and encourages the consumers to text in daily for more chances to win, also keeping top of mind awareness.

New York & Co. recently sent out a SMS message that created a boost for in-store traffic. The SMS message was sent to New York & Co.’s NY&C Rewards members reminding them to redeem their loyalty points. The window to redeem their points was time sensitive, providing a reason to visit one of their locations by a certain date. New York and Co. has built a database of over 180,000 opted-in members using in-store displays, email marketing, social media and direct mail.

Harley Davidson ran a text promotion over the holidays to promote products and increase sales with fantastic results. Customers signed up by texting RT66 to a short code. This call to action was promoted though it’s social media campaign and in-store marketing. Each day Route 66 mobile club members received daily alerts offering 20% off a specific product.  Harley Davidson increased their sales by as much as 250% compared to a normal day. This also increased customer awareness of the merchandise inventory and drew more customers into the stores.

Macy’s used text messaging to promote its one-day sale and encouraged consumers to shop limited-time deals via an SMS message the company sent out to its mobile database. This message included a link to the company’s mobile-optimized site, where they could get red hot deals.  An SMS campaign such as this is an effective way to not only drive in-store traffic, but mobile traffic as well.

Using several different calls to actions that include direct mail, digital and social, Loehmann’s Department Stores are rolling out an SMS program to reward their customers. The SMS program is part of Loehmann’s Loyalty Insider program. Upon opt-in, customers receive a coupon for 10% off a purchase at a retail location which will help generate foot traffic into the stores. Members of the Loehmann’s Loyalty Insider program will receive up to 5 texts a month and in-store rewards and deals.

Since 2009, New York & Co. has managed to build database of over 180,000 loyal customers through its SMS program.  “SMS enables New York & Co. to broaden the way our customers can reach us to find out about new promotions and exclusive offers and events,” said Marielle Gelber, director of public relations at New York & Co., New York. “It is the new way to share information with her whenever and wherever she may be,” she said. They use in-store signage, email, and statement inserts to encourage their customers to sign up, and each one has a unique code word so the company can track how consumers are signing up for the alerts program. “Using different keywords through different channels allows us to better serve our customers’ needs and provide her the information she is seeking,” Ms. Gelber said.

In an effort to hire for the upcoming holiday season, Target is using SMS as a solution. Text JOBS plus your email address to their short code and receive a link to the careers section. When clicked, candidates can find information about seasonal positions and apply for them. Target is testing this in 170 of their stores with the goal of making it easier than ever for busy guests to apply for seasonal positions.  The results are pretty spectacular, approximately 30% of the people who text in apply for a position.

Coca Cola knows the power of SMS. At the “Getting Your Mobile Campaign Off The Ground: Building Internal Approach” panel, executives discussed the role SMS plays in their business model. “For us to not be using SMS would be silly,” said Tara Scarlett, senior manager of CRM, precision and mobile marketing at The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta.  “The opportunity from our perspective is that everyone can download an app or mobile site, but the reality is we’re not there yet,” she said. “You have to make sure you know who your audience is and having the right tactic out there to apply that to your audience. We want to make sure that we are able to be where our consumers are and that they want to engage when they want to engage with us.

US Cellular used 2 SMS campaigns at Summerfest 2011 and saw an staggering 37% increase in overall participation from 2010. Participants could send a text messages to a short code in order to have their messages displayed on a Jumbotron. They were also given the opportunity to vote for their favorite emerging band by texting in a keyword related to the band. Text-to-screen participation increased 15% from last year, while overall unique participation increased 51% from 2010.

Papa Murphy’s, a pizza chain with over 1,250 stores in the US and Canada, has turned to mobile for its latest marketing efforts. Customers can text in to opt-in to receive 3 to 4 exclusive offers a month, such as discounted pizzas or size upgrades. “Papa Murphy’s is looking to provide to the company’s franchise owners a low-cost, easy-to-administer method of marketing to customers,” said Jenifer Anhorn, chief marketing executive at Papa Murphy’s. “Papa Murphy’s had not done much in the way of mobile marketing previously,” she said. “Papa Murphy’s wanted to get involved in digital marketing to complement Papa Murphy’s traditional tools such as print, radio and broadcast”

The newest study from Pew Internet found that text messaging among adults in the United States is extremely high.  73 percent of U.S. adults with a mobile phone use SMS and over 50 percent do so on a daily basis. The study also showed an increase if the number of people who used text messaging in 2009 and there is no indication that those levels will decline. Text messaging has become a very active means of communication and marketers need to follow suit. According to the Pew report, text messages are specifically designed to make contact directly, swiftly, and personally, which makes it the perfect platform for marketing campaigns.

CBS Giant has selected SMS over QR codes to promote their exciting line up this fall. The SMS call to action will allow their viewers to learn more about the shows. CBS will use print ads to prompt customers to text a certain word to a short code to get more information about the show and include a link for a video clip with a teaser.  “Everyone has phones that support SMS,” said Philippe Browning, vice president of advertising and operations at CBS Mobile, New York. “QR codes have an added barrier with a download and although we are interested in it and have experimented with the technology, it doesn’t have the same value of a text," he said.

In this tough economy, your customers are looking for ways to save money and stretch their budget. This is not a secret, but as a marketer, how do you reach them while staying in your budget? Mobile coupons are rapidly becoming a very viable option. eMarketer estimates that nearly 20 million US adults will redeem a mobile coupon this year, in fact, 1 in 10 mobile users report redeeming mobile coupons and that number is expected to double by 2013. Give us a call and let us show you how InvolveMobile can help you get started!

With all the latest apps and features that are available for the Smartphones, Smartphone users still use SMS more than anything else. In a survey recently conducted by Pew Research, 92% of Smartphone users send or receive text messages. SMS messaging was the most popular activity for Smartphone users. How will you reach your audience?

NBA point guard Steve Nash of the Phoenix Coyotes used SMS this summer to raise money for the Steve Nash Foundation, which is dedicated to the education and personal development of under-served children. For one week, participants could text NASH to 20222 to register to win a jersey signed by Nash or a chance to win a drink with Nash at The Showdown in NYC. The campaign received over $3,000 in donations.

Grey Goose vodka is sponsoring an interactive text-to-win SMS campaign for US Open fans to win prize packs of Grey Goose products. At the event, Grey Goose will have an 8 foot tall souvenir cup filled with tennis balls and participants must guess how many balls are in the cup in order to win.  Consumers over the age of 21 can enter to win by texting the keyword GUESS to the short code 446673. This is not the first time that Grey Goose has used SMS to reach out to its clients.  Earlier this year they ran a campaign that included text-to-screen and live polling within TV broadcasts and various options for viewers to receive text alerts throughout the year.

Elizabeth Arden is offering their existing guests rewards via SMS text, such as $20 off a $100 service or purchase or a complimentary shampoo, blow dry and finish with their next massage. In order to get these incentives, all guests have to do it text CODERED to the short code 77953. Guests who sign up for the incentives will also be entered to win an Iconic Red Door spa package. The company is promoting this via in store signage, Facebook, Twitter and their website.

Hooters is using SMS to bolster their database and allow their customers a chance to win a trip to Boston to see Kenny Chesney in concert. “We have been quite pleased with the results thus far and the immediate ability to communicate with those that have entered the campaign,” said Noela Scarano, director of company store marketing at Hooters of America. Hooters is promoting this national contest through table tents, Facebook, and radio. According to the company, mobile provides a quick and easy way for their customers to enter to win and this is the second year that they have used mobile. So far, Hooters has about 30,000 opt-ins.

Text contests are one of the top mobile marketing solutions because of their interactivity and ability to generate maximum entry results. Typically text contests will result in many more entries than online, mail or phone. Using mobile contests you can create an exciting mobile marketing campaign, engaging and entertaining your customers, while capturing their details into your database. Text contests are interactive marketing campaigns that can be done by many companies in different industries such as Retail, Entertainment and Media, including TV, Radio and Print.  The benefits of conducting text contests include: the best way to rapidly build your database; direct consumer engagement; creates buzz; and consumer satisfaction in that they receive prizes. Give us a call, let us show you what we can do for you.

When building your database, it is very important to keep your customers in mind. A text message is a very personal form of communication and you only have 160 characters to get your message across, so you need to think about what your customers want to receive from you. Many will unsubscribe from a group if they get texts perceived as irrelevant to them and because consumers’ interests vary, you want to offer different options and let your customers join the select groups that interest them. Very rarely does one size fit all.  Give them a choice.  For example one person might sign up to get mobile coupons while their spouse, who would never use a mobile coupon, would prefer to receive alerts when a sale starts. Another wants texts announcing when a new collection is available while someone else would join all three groups. Making this easier for you, is the fact that InvolveMobile allows you to create up to 10 groups quickly, easily, and at a low cost, enabling you to target a broad spectrum of consumers with relevant messages. Give us a call, let us show you what we can do. Next up, two ways to run a contest.

In this economy, everyone is looking for a way to increase traffic into their place of business thereby increasing sales. The trick is, how do you do this on a limited budget with quick turnaround? The answer is simple: mobile coupons. You don’t even need a database to get started. Have your potential customers send a text to receive a text coupon, which will drive them your place of business for redemption. What are the benefits of mobile coupons?  1. A mobile phone is carried at all times so your customer will always have the coupon with them;  2. The customer requested the coupon so the redemption rate will sky rocket when compared to traditional marketing where you send the coupon;  3. You can create a mobile coupon in about 5 minutes and you can easily change the offers to keep things fresh and exciting; 4. With InvolveMobile, it is very inexpensive and easy to do. Give us a call, let us know how we can help you get started with mobile coupons. Next up, best practices for building your database.

Mobile is becoming the fastest growing marketing tool out there, but where do you start? Your first step is to determine what you want to accomplish. Do you want to create a database of people you can touch once a week? Do you want to know more about your customers’ lifestyles?  Do you want to increase traffic?  Do you want to build your brand?  Don’t jump into the mobile space just to use the technology.  To get the most out of mobile, first determine what the end goal is then look at how you can use the cost-effective technology to accomplish that.  We have a number of ideas to get you jump started and will share them with you on this blog over the coming weeks. The first one will be about driving traffic and how to use mobile coupons to do that. Stay tuned!

Aetna has devised a text messaging program to help members who have been diagnosed with diabetes. Participants will receive educational text messages and reminders about diabetes screenings and tests, medications, tips on healthy eating and exercising and general health information over a 3 month period. At the end of that 3 months, participants will be evaluated on how well they follow several best-practice measures of diabetes management. For now, this program is only available to a limited number of members who already receive Aetna benefits, but they expect the service to expand with time and feedback from the initial results. Aetna is  one of the nation’s most well-known diversified health care benefits companies

Companies like Groupon are the hot ticket right now.  However, how many of those deal-of-the-day offers are relevant to the end user? 
That is why targeting your audience using InvolveMobile is so important. Your customers receive offers from your company that they want and will use because they signed up to receive them from you. You can further target your audience by allowing them to sign up for additional opportunities. For instance, if you are a department store, your customer could sign up to receive coupon messages, special sale announcements, or both.  In this day and age where your customers are being bombarded with offers, stand out from the crowd by sending them what they want.

Wild Wing Café, a family sports bar and restaurant, recently ran a promotional text campaign utilizing a combination of signage at the stores and staff encouraging their customers to enter the contest while they were dining.  Their patrons could opt-in for a chance to win 1 of 3 $100 gift cards or discounts on adult beverages and of those who visited the restaurant during the campaign, 72 percent of the customers participated.  The restaurant has used SMS since 2007 and has moved away from paper advertisements.  They claim their opt-in rate for promotions has always been between 35 – 70 percent.

You could be overwhelmed right now. How do you reach your customer? You read about all the new apps for the iPhone and Android. You read how social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are all the rage. Well, not everyone has a Smartphone. And, not everyone who has a Smartphone downloads apps. And not everyone uses Facebook and Twitter. However, what is the one thing that almost everyone has on their person at all times? Their cell phone. It’s that simple.96 percent of the people in this country have a phone capable of text messaging. Using SMS to get to your customers insures that you get to just about everyone, not just those with the fancy apps or who have a Facebook or Twitter account.

Redbox launched a 10 day promotion titled the 10 Days of Deals that generated over 1.3 million outbound text messages. Their customers were encouraged via signage at redbox kiosks in retailers to sign up by texting DEAL to 727272.  The campaign was also promoted through email and social media out reach. In turn, customers received a promo for 10 cents to $1.50 off a one-day rental. The movie rental company stated that it is the most successful mobile campaign that they have ever run.

Texas Motor Speedway is building a mobile database targeting younger fans through the promotion of radio, TV, outdoor and print advertising.  The speedway in Fort Worth, TX, will also advertise the mobile program during live events. Their goal is to attract new fans and to engage those fans.  Fans will receive texts about upcoming events, special incentives and insider information,  and contests to win tickets and other prizes.

Mobile is growing  as a marketing strategy, with over 60% of companies planning to run a mobile campaign this year according to an April 2011 survey run by King Fisher Media.  In addition, eMarketer projects that budgets for 2011 will increase by 48% over 2010, another sign that mobile is growing and growing fast.  However, in that same King Fisher Media survey, of the companies that are currently using a mobile marketing campaign, over one-third of them are not tracking their success, or return on investment.  In order to maintain a successful mobile presence, you need to pay attention to what works and what doesn’t.  As part of your overall mobile strategy, make sure to track your ROI.

Men’s Warehouse K&G Fashion Superstore launched an SMS program in February across its 101 stores. The goal was to increase sales by driving in-store traffic and also to build a database of loyal customers. Those customers will now receive exclusive messages regarding events, alerts, coupons and other activities. The call to action was simple, text SAVE to 79999. The results were astounding. The database is now 80,000 members strong and they are averaging 6,000 new members a week. The coupon redemption rate is 93 percent.

Westfield Valley Mall has partnered with Starbucks to provide their customers with promotions and discounts via SMS. Consumers received a coupon for 1 dollar off with the purchase of 4 dollars at the Starbucks located in the mall. Promotion included using signage throughout the mall and also social media outreach using Facebook and Twitter. Their goal was to increase their database and also to provide sales for Starbucks. Westfield Valley Mall has plans to continue to use mobile with different offers.

Network Solutions and the University of Maryland have provided research that shows small business owners prefer older methods of marketing, such as direct mail. According to the study entitled “Small Business Success Index,” almost three quarters of smaller companies recognize that text messaging can drive sales and increase foot traffic, but only a fifth felt it was somewhat important to their direct marketing strategy. 
We believe it’s a matter of education – helping businesses understand that with mobile, you can address consumer’s needs immediately, one-to-one, and cost-effectively.  For example, with InvolveMobile, you can create a text coupon on-the-fly and have it in the hands of your customers in minutes. A restaurant can send a coupon at 11 AM for a free beverage with the purchase of an entrée today only.  If sales are trending slow for a retailer, the store can send a coupon to everyone in the database for 15% off an entire purchase, this weekend only.  Immediate, direct, and great return on investment.  That is great marketing!

While iPhone and Android are the “hot ticket” these days, SMS is still a very powerful way to reach your customer. STRATA, a software company for media buying and selling, polled agencies and found they are less focused on display advertising then they were in 2010. In fact, display advertising is down 26%, while the focus on SMS has increased by 10% in 2011. SMS reaches everyone, and the reality is that most consumers still have feature phones.

On April 1st, Sprint raised their text messaging rates to businesses who deliver text messages through their network. The toll was only one half of one cent, but some big names took notice. ESPN, The Weather channel and MSNBC have all stopped sending text messages to Sprint users. Sprint claims that this is necessary to keep up with the pace of increasing traffic of business to consumer texts.

Restaurant chain Taco John’s is launching a new text messaging campaign with a healthy living theme. For six weeks, customers will receive coupon offers and healthy living tips on their mobile phones. This promotion will run concurrently with an existing program that delivers bi-weekly text messages with offers and promotions to loyal customers who have opted-in to receive them. The goal of both mobile initiatives is to increase Taco John’s customer database while delivering content that has been requested by their customers and driving traffic to their stores.

Coach, the luxurious handbag and accessories company, is using SMS to gather more than just contest entries from their customers.  Signage at some of the Coach Factory Outlet stores encourages customers to text SWEEPS to 90822 in order to qualify to win a $500 gift card. As part of the contest entry, shoppers are also asked to submit their email address to be opted-in for future email communications.   The contest is providing customers with an opportunity to win a gift card for high-end products and is providing Coach with consumers’ SMS and email contact information for digital engagements.  Did you know that as an InvolveMobile customer, you can do the same thing with our SMS-to-Email tool?

Two California residents, Drew Moss and Sahar Maleksaeedi, have filed a class-action complaint against Twitter.  The plaintiffs had previously opted-in to receive SMS messages from Twitter, however, when they opted-out, they claim all text messages from the social network should have stopped.  Instead, they received one more message. They received Twitter’s opt-out confirmation message.  The opt-out confirmation message practice follows the industry standards recommended in the Mobile Marketing Association’s Consumer Best Practices Guidelines, however, the two men allege that Twitter violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by sending an SMS confirmation to verify opt-out of future communications.  This is the first time that a company has been sued over an opt-out confirmation message.

Coca-Cola Co will once again run their successful Twist, TXT, Win campaign starting this May 5. The annual mobile campaign gives customers the opportunity to win prizes every two minutes by texting in special codes on Coke packaging. Customers are also encouraged to collect MyCoke Reward points for even more prizes The call to action on package encourages customers to “Twist, TXT…u could win”  by texting to an SMS short code. Entrants find out instantly if they have won a prize and are encouraged to opt in to the Coca Cola SMS club to receive ongoing messages.

Jiffy Lube is in trouble over SMS spam for sending customers unsolicited text messages asking them to join its eClub for a ‘limited one time offer’. The undisclosed number of recipients recieved the text messages without opt-ing to recieve them, which is illegal in violation of TCPA and CAN-SPAM. Always remember when sending SMS campaigns to obtain explicit opt in from all recipients and always provide an option to opt out in every message you send.

Mobile Marketer has reported on new strategies in retail e-commerce utilizing SMS marketing. By opting website users into an SMS alerts system abandoned carts can be followed up with a simple text message. Customers can be reminded of their abandoned cart via text and enticed back to complete their purchase. The strategy can also be used for cross sells post purchase, for example offering a customer a 20% discount on a matching skirt to a jacket purchased the week before.

Equifax Inc., a leading provider of credit-scores, is using an integrated multi channel mobile strategy to connect with customers. The multi channel mobile strategy embraces SMS alongside the mobile web, apps and GPS. Equifax note that they aim to deliver a set of minimum features in a device agnostic way, for which SMS is perfect. For example, all customers receive SMS alerts when a new account is opened in their name regardless of their mobile device. Beyond that they provide richer mobile experiences via apps and the mobile web for customers who have smart phones.

Mobile Marketer has reported on the legal and regulatory risks associated with the growth of mobile marketing. Importantly they highlight the need for companies to act with caution when communicating with consumers on a mobile device. Both the CAN-SPAM Act and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) are relevant here, with the biggest issue being consent. Always gain consent from your customer before you communicate with them via mobile and respect their right to opt out. To read more visit Mobile Marketer.

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has published updated best practices and guidelines for mobile coupons. The new industry wide standard outlines the various mobile couponing channels including SMS, apps and QR codes, along with guidelines for developing and executing these campaigns. View the new Mobile Couponing Guidelines.

Mobile Marketer are holding a free webinar 27 April  from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET ‘How Sears and Kmart integrate mobile in a multichannel context’. Hear from Michael Murray, Chief Marketing Officer at Sears Holdings' online business unit about how mobile fits into their multichannel strategy. To register your attendance visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/825600290.

The NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins have successfully used mobile marketing via a text to win contest that saw a huge 59% participation rate amongst its mobile database.  The Penguins have been successfully growing their mobile database for five years, with this most recent text to win campaign seeing over 55,000 unique entries. Fans can opt in to the Penguins mobile club by texting the keyword PENS to an SMS short code to receive regular news, recaps and commercial offers.

The NBA’s Chicago Bulls are expanding their mobile initiatives by offering fans the ability to text the keyword SCORE to a vanity short code BULLS during live games to receive real time game updates and scores. Fans interested in real time statistics for a particular player can text the players last name to the vanity short code to receive a live stat update. The personalized text messages are a move forward for the Chicago Bulls who have been using mobile marketing for three years now. This recent campaign has already attracted over 4000 unique users.

Mobile Marketer have reported on the five most common SMS marketing mistakes to avoid. Here we’ll run through their top five mistakes to avoid and our tips for overcoming them.

1.    Not making your call to action prevalent – ensure consumers know how to interact with your campaign, feature that SMS short code loud and clear.
2.     Using SMS as a one-off feature – integrate SMS marketing with your other marketing efforts, both mobile and traditional for best impact.
3.    Running a mobile marketing campaign based on price – ensure you consider all the relevant factors, not just price.
4.    Bombarding consumers with daily SMS messages – don’t annoy your customers with constant messages. Cell phones are very personal devices so choose your messages wisely and send them in a timely manner.
5.    Being generic – be creative with your campaigns and engage your customers.

Mobile Marketer has reported on discussion at the recent CTIA Wireless 2011 conference on mobile marketing strategy. The main topic for discussion was multi-channel approaches, with the importance of a strong call to action across a variety of mediums stressed. Importantly panellists noted the relevance of SMS marketing to multi channel mobile strategies. Text message marketing was cited as a great way to ensure wide reach and ease of interaction, with the versatility to tie in with richer media experiences like apps and the mobile web.

Mobile Marketer has reported on the viability of QR codes versus SMS. While QR codes are receiving much hype at the moment, they remain largely in the early adopter stage. Consumers need to be educated in how QR codes work before they can become widely accessible. Notably, most consumers do not have the app installed on their phone required to read QR codes, meaning there is a barrier to use there for many. SMS is a great option because over 90% of the US population use SMS, so it is widely accessible and easy to use. While QR codes certainly have a future in mobile engagement, to reach your audience in the best way possible, SMS marketing is the way to go.

The Red Cross has raised over $2.6 million via text giving. Supporters are encouraged to text the keyword REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Many who have donated via SMS have opted-in to receive ongoing messages from the Red Cross, essential to building their supporter base. The call to action for donations has been featured on various high profile websites via banner ads and social media on Twitter and Facebook.

ViQuest Wellness Centre has increased gym memberships with a recent text message marketing campaign. ViQuest encouraged customers to text to an SMS short code to receive free gym registration and a complimentary after hours pass. The successful campaign saw almost half of all those who opted in electing to receive ongoing text message alerts from ViQuest, a great opportunity for re-marketing in the future.

In the wake of the Japan earthquake disaster many are giving via mobile to aid with relief efforts. Mobile provides a quick, easy and accessible way for people to donate with results from last year’s Haiti disaster suggesting Japan may receive 15-20 percent of donations via text giving.

To make a donation to the Japan disaster relief efforts via the American Red Cross text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a donation of $10.

The NFL’s Miami Dolphins are using text message marketing to reach their fanbase for the upcoming 2011-12 football season. The SMS campaign will feature mobile text clubs, an in stadium call to action and an exclusive vanity short code. The mobile campaign will also be integrated with online communication by the team to create a multi-channel digital approach.

ComScore’s latest MobiLens report has revealed some key trends in US mobile phone usage. The survey showed SMS to still be the most used form of mobile content, with around 68% of US mobile users engaging with SMS over a three month period.

Coca-Cola Co,’s Sprite has activated its sponsorship of the NBA during All Star Weekend through SMS marketing. The text to vote campaign encouraged both attendees and at home viewers to vote for their favourite Slam Dunk Contest participant by texting their name to an SMS short code. The call to action featured on in-venue digital signage and on the bottom of TV screens for at home viewers. Fans who voted received a reply offering a phone call back from NBA player LeBron James, with respondents receiving an audio clip promoting Sprite and the NBA.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is using text message marketing as part of its new “Unlimited Time Only” campaign promoting the high-quality ingredients in Chipotle products. Customers are encouraged to text the keyword GOLD to an SMS short code to learn more about Chipolte’s focus on quality ingredients. The SMS campaign is supported by outdoor, radio and online advertising.

The New York Times Travel Show is using mobile to connect with attendees this year via a Travel Show mobile guide which includes an SMS marketing component. 24,000-plus attendees will be encouraged to opt in for SMS alerts by texting the keyword NYTIMES to an SMS short code. Attendees who opt in will get access to the mobile guide and receive targeted messages and offers throughout the show.

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has published new guidelines for mobile advertising, These industry standard guidelines highlight both technical and best practice examples and specifically sets out standards for SMS marketing, so is a valuable read for all marketers in the mobile space. Find out more about the MMA’s Mobile Advertising Guidelines.

Non-Profit Mobile Day recently saw fierce discussion over how mobile giving initiatives work with other fundraising channels. Christian Zimmern, vice president of the Mobile Giving Foundation noted that “people who donate via mobile are different from people who donate via online or traditional channels”, therefore mobile giving is tapping into a whole new market of supporters. Beyond mobile giving it’s important to establish a mobile relationship with supporters by sending regular outbound text messages to opted-in donors that informing them of upcoming events and donation opportunities.

Many InvolveMobile clients come to us looking for new ways to use text message marketing to engage their customers. A powerful but often overlooked campaign type is SMS to email. SMS to Email allows you to collect customer email addresses, export them and use them for email marketing.

It’s a great way to create a database of emails, and it’s easy for your customer too – no website forms or instore applications, just a simple text message. The great thing is that once you’ve run an SMS to Email campaign, you not only have a big database for your email marketing, but also for your text message marketing, so you can choose how to best engage your customer depending on the message.

The recent Mobile Marketing Day co-hosted by the Direct Marketing Association and Mobile Marketer saw exciting discussion around the ways SMS increases the effectiveness of traditional media. The panellists agreed that good marketing is all about getting the right message to the right consumer at the right time. The potential for SMS to work with traditional media making it interactive and trackable was highlighted, along with an impressive case study from Arby’s fast food restaurants.

Arby’s restaurant chain used an SMS call to action on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show to engage consumers. On screen prompts and an announcement by Jimmy Kimmel himself urged viewers to text the keyword ‘Roastburger’ to an SMS short code to receive one Roastburger free with the purchase of any soft drink. The campaign enjoyed great success with several hundred thousand entries.

A new study by Deloitte has found text messaging far outweighs social media and email engagement for mobile users. The study found that 90 percent of smartphone users send at least one text message per day, compared to only 40 percent using social networks daily. The research concluded that the continued popularity of SMS despite other emerging technologies was due to its immediate and personal nature.

Fashion label Donna Karan has integrated SMS notifications into its mobile app to engage customers. The app provides information on new collections and celebrity fashion advice and tips. SMS notifications allow Donna Karan fans to stay connected even when they are not using the app. SMS notifications ensure users are informed via SMS whenever there is an update to any app content.

The winner of the GSMA Global Mobile Awards has been announced, and it’s SMS marketing that has come out on top. The winning campaign for Cornetto Ice Cream in Turkey took over the outside of a building in Taksim, Turkey’s equivalent Times Square, for an interactive SMS game. Consumers were encouraged to text to an SMS short code to  move images around a large scale projection. Winners of the game received a mobile coupon for a free ice cream. The innovative SMS campaign received coverage on the national news and became the talk of Turkey.

InvolveMobile is powering Ford Motor Company’s live Valentine’s Day mobile campaign for their Sync in car connectivity system.  Ford enthusiasts are encouraged to send a text message to an SMS short code explaining what they love about their Ford. The messages will reach a Sync equipped Ford that will read the message aloud to the passenger in the vehicle, who will then respond to each participant with a personalized message via the voice activated feature. 

Ford’s Sync is an in-car connectivity system that allows Ford drivers to send and receive text messages to their vehicle via voice commands. The Ford Sync system allows drivers to enjoy all the functionality of their cell phone while driving, letting users control their mobile via voice activation. Ford are promoting this Valentine’s Day mobile promotion via social media on the Ford Facebook and Twitter pages and via local newspapers.

Our CEO Simon Vella weighed in on the campaign noting “InvolveMobile provides a powerful mobile marketing solution for Ford by integrating our text messaging features with a Sync enabled Ford which is ready to respond with Valentine’s Day messages in real time”. Adding the campaign was “unique in that each message will be personally created by a Ford representative using the Sync system”.

Find out more about InvolveMobile’s text messaging campaigns or mobile solutions for your industry.

New research from Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project has revealed almost all American homes now own at least one tech gadget, with a huge 90% of Americans living in the household with at least one cell phone. The ubiquity of the cell phone makes text message marketing an ideal way to connect with customers, as almost all cell phones in the US are text message compatible.

Text message marketing is a top priority for Coca Cola who place it above apps and the mobile web in their mobile strategy. SMS marketing’s extensive reach was the biggest benefit to Coca Cola. Tom Daly, Group Manager of Strategy and Planning at Coca Cola noted "if you want to reach every consumer on the planet, texting is the way to do that”.

New research from E-Marketer has found mobile retail marketing should address every stage of the purchase funnel for maximum impact – awareness, engagement, consideration, conversion and loyalty. Data from the 2010 holiday season shows consumers used their phones differently during different stages of the funnel, creating some important considerations for all retail marketers.

So what’s most effective at each stage of the funnel? Research shows it’s informative SMS sales alerts at the awareness stage, mobile web pages with product and price comparison information during the consideration stage and mobile coupons during conversion. Tobi Elkin, analyst at eMarketer, stressed the need for all retailers to consider how they are using mobile to engage customers at every stage during the purchase cycle.

Pepsi is utilizing mobile in a new multi channel mobile campaign in the lead up to Super Bowl XLV. The mobile marketing campaign targeted at Latino consumers features SMS marketing alongside a mobile website, app and the option to scan QR codes. The campaign is being publicised on all point of sale materials nationwide where consumers are encouraged to text the keyword FAMILIA to an SMS short code to get a free Pepsi ‘Family of Champions’ promotional poster.

The CEO of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) Greg Stuart has announced the direction the MMA will take with mobile marketing in 2011. The MMA promises increased activity in 2011 with a focus on conferences and events, research, industry trend data, education and certification. A highlight of 2011 is sure to be the MMA Forum set to be held in New York this June where the focus will be ‘Consumers are mobile: Is your brand?’.

Southwest Airlines has partnered with the WEEI Sports Radio Network to offer fans the opportunity to win a trip to the NBA Finals in Los Angeles. The text to win contest encouraged fans to text the keyword FINALS to an SMS short code. The text message marketing campaign was promoted through on air promos, station newsletters, the website and social media. The response rate was huge – over 10,000 entries in 10 minutes!

The third annual Mobile Marketing Day will take place 22 February 2011 in Manhattan to present the latest in mobile. Mobile Marketer and the Direct Marketing Association are teaming up to present the conference featuring speakers from Steve Madden, USA Today and the NHL discussing mobile strategy, campaigns and technologies. Registration is $499 including breakfast, lunch and cocktails. The exclusive event is limited to 100 executives, so get in early to secure your spot! Find out more about Mobile Marketing Day 2011.

A common misconception we see at InvolveMobile is around databases. Often customers come to us with the idea that if they don’t have a big database, they can’t use text message marketing. A complete myth!

One of the best features of text message marketing campaigns like text to win, text voting and on demand texts is that you can use these campaigns to build a database from scratch. Simply advertise your SMS short code on any non mobile medium like print ads, TV, online or via email with a great call to action like ‘Text WIN to 80672 for your chance to win a months supply of free product!’. As customers text in their entries, you’re building up your mobile database. Simple.

The most important thing to remember with databases is that you cannot buy a database. Buying a database means you will be sending unsolicited text messages without consent which is in violation of the law, specifically the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) which you can read more about in our earlier blog post the essentials of the TCPA for mobile marketers.

For effective text message marketing campaigns just remember you can build a database but you cannot buy one. Good databases take time to build, but the more active you are with text message marketing, the quicker you’ll build a quality database you can market to time and time again.

Mobil1 Lube Express has effectively used text message reminders to increase repeat customer purchases. The SMS reminders encouraged customers to return to Mobil1 for a discounted oil change. Customers were encouraged to opt in by texting their vehicle licence plate number to an SMS short code, or via the website. The text message response rates out performed mail reminders by 15% and email reminders by 8%, encouraging a huge 35% of customers who received an SMS reminder to return for a service within 45 days.

Mobile Marketer has weighed in on the importance of message convergence. In a world characterized by increasingly more devices and marketing channels, the challenge for brands is to have one clear message accross all channels. The importance of message convergence rings true particularly for mobile where an integrated approach is key - one clear message accross text message marketing, apps, the mobile web and geo location. Read the article in full at Mobile Marketer.

Vodka brand Grey Goose has used SMS marketing in its sponsorship of The Golf Channel in an exciting new partnership. The SMS marketing campaign lets viewers interact with the channel via text to screen, text voting and the option to opt in for ongoing text message alerts.

Mobile Marketer has weighed in on its predictions for the biggest issues in mobile marketing this year. Let’s take a look at their top three –
1.    Personalisation – ensure your text marketing is personalised. Segment customer groups and send them marketing messages that are relevant to them personally.
2.    Social Integration – become part of your customers social network by tying your mobile marketing into your social promotions on Facebook and Twitter.
3.    Multi-channel is key – employ a multi-channel mobile marketing approach, integrate SMS marketing, apps and the mobile web to catch consumers at every mobile touchpoint.

Walgreens are stepping up their mobile marketing efforts with exciting new mobile coupons to sit alongside their already successful prescription text alerts and apps. The new mobile coupons encouraged customers to text in the keyword ‘HOLIDAY’ to an SMS short code to receive 15% to 20% off storewide. Walgreens plans to send more alerts and mobile coupons throughout 2011.

Seattle District Court recently ruled the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) be enforced in a case regarding unsolicited texts sent by B2Mobile and LeadClick on behalf of auto company Autobytel. Recipients received a number of texts directing them to the MyRide.com website, and continued to receive the texts even after they had opted out. The ruling serves as a reminder to always gain permission from recipients before sending texts, and respecting their right to opt out. This most recent ruling comes just months after a recent class action enforcing the TCPA.

For more information on the TCPA and how to comply see our previous blog post outlining the essentials of the TCPA for mobile marketers. In addition, InvolveMobile customers are encouraged to contact us with any questions regarding compliance with the TCPA.

Mobile Marketer has reported on the many benefits of using SMS marketing for small and mid-sized businesses. Amongst the benefits listed were wider reach, low cost of entry and personalised direct communication with customers. They suggest using SMS marketing for customer acquisition, creating recurring revenue and a differentiated customer experience. Read the article in full at Mobile Marketer.

As business starts up again after the holiday season it’s time to start planning your marketing tactics for 2011. Any savvy marketer knows all things digital will continue to be big in 2011, and that includes mobile. So what should you be doing with your mobile budget in 2011?

Many new mobile technologies like location based services and mobile purchasing will continue to grow in 2011. Along with text message marketing, apps and the mobile web. The growth overall for mobile is set to be huge, with multichannel mobile and social campaigns expected to have the greatest impact.
The key to mobile marketing in 2011 it seems will be pushing through the clutter of mobile marketing technologies to find the one or two that best engage your customers. There’s text message marketing, the mobile web, mobile apps, geo-location, mobile purchasing, the list goes on, however not all mediums are right for all brands.

Smaller brands are advised to begin with text message marketing as it remains the mobile channel with the greatest reach, lowest costs and fastest speed to market. With some successful text message marketing campaigns in place, businesses can start to introduce mobile web features by including a mobile web link in text message alerts sent to customers. From here, the sky is the limit with a host of emerging technologies to choose from.

The start to a new year means new resolutions and promises for many, as they hope 2011 will be bigger, brighter and better than 2010. This year why not help your customers keep their new years resolutions with text message alerts or a mobile club?

Many types of businesses can take advantage of helping their customers stick to their new year’s resolutions via text message, and it’s a great way to build relationships and maybe even make a few quick sales along the way. Any business that focuses on self improvement is an obvious candidate here – gyms, fitness centres, health spas, natural food markets and restaurants. Why not start a new years resolutions mobile club where customers can sign up to receive weekly text alerts to help them keep those promises to be healthy in 2011 by getting fit and eating right. You might even like to send your club some mobile coupons along the way to help them with their new health plans and get them instore.

While health related products and services are the obvious candidates for this kind of mobile club, almost any business can think outside the box to make it work. What about a mobile club for new savers in 2011 for a bank? Or a mobile book club for those wanting to read more in the new year for bookstores? The possibilities are endless.

With the holiday season behind us, it comes times for retailers to clear stock. Mobile marketing can be a great promotion tool during sale time because customers already use their mobile device almost 24/7.

Mobile clubs and text message alerts are a great way to let customers know about after Christmas sales. Send them an inital text to let them know about the sale, then send them daily or weekly deal alerts with timely offers such as ‘Take a further 20% off all sale prices store wide today only!’. Mobile coupons can also be a great way to drive sales, why not send an offer like ‘Present this coupon for 2 for 1 on all summer hats’.

International restaurant chain Johnny Rockets is celebrating its 25th anniversary with text to win campaign. The mobile promotion encourages customers to text the keyword ROCKETS000 to an SMS short code for a chance to win a trip to Antigua or Jamaica with Grand Pineapple Beach Resorts. The text to win campaign is being promoted in-store at Johnny Rockets restaurant locations and aims to grow the Johnny Rockets mobile database.

The New York Times has reported younger users growing dissatisfaction with email, preferring text messages due to their speed and ease of use. Text messages continue to grow year on year despite increasingly sophisticated mobile technologies like apps and the mobile web. Even social networks are responding to the need for instant gratification with Facebook pushing their instant messaging service to users. “The future of messaging is more real time, more conversational and more casual” commented Facebook.

Mazda has celebrated the 40th anniversary of its entry into the North American market with a successful text to win sweepstakes. The auto maker promoted the mobile competition with a variety of printed materials including posters, service reminders and direct mail. Customers were encouraged to text the keyword MAZDA to an SMS short code for a chance to win a $10,000 eco-adventure trip to Ecuador. Mazda had over 65,000 entrants in its text to win promotion, adding to its growing mobile database which the auto manufacturer uses to maintain a relationship with customers post sale.

New website Subports is bringing text message marketing to a new level with Text to Buy. Subports sells independent artist and designer wares such as clothing, shoes and home wares via text to buy. Visitors to the site are encouraged to purchase items via text e.g. ‘Text "tmholeychair" to 767825 (PORTAL) to purchase’. Once a credit card account has been attached to your cell phone number, making a purchase on the site is as easy as sending a simple text message.

As 2010 draws to a close, so too does the festive season. We've seen some great mobile campaigns this year, so we'd like to share with you our thoughts on some of the best mobile campaigns of the 2010 holiday season. Who knows, you might even get a great idea for your 2011 campaigns!

One of the best holiday mobile campaigns this year was from Target who used a multichannel mobile approach to meet customers at every mobile touch point.  Target’s mobile strategy included text message marketing, apps and a mobile site with the aim of making shopping at Target an easy and enjoyable experience this festive season. Target’s text message marketing included Mobile Coupons, Daily Text Deals and Hot Holiday Items. Shoppers  were encouraged to sign up for mobile coupons via text or online, and received weekly coupons throughout the holiday season to redeem instore. Daily Deals let shoppers know about the latest products via text, while Hot Holiday Items alerted customers when the hottest items of the season went on sale. Target’s mobile strategy also included holiday themed search, mobile shopping lists and mobile gift cards.

Another retailer with a great mobile strategy this holiday season was Toys R Us who used mobile  bar code coupons and SMS alerts to give customers the best shopping experience. Toys R Us ran an effective SMS alerts program where customers could sign up to receive information on Toys R Us deals and promotions throughout the holiday season. Mobile Coupons and Mobile Gift cards were also a big part of the Toys R Us holiday mobile strategy with consumers encouraged to redeem mobile coupons at the checkout in store, along with new mobile gift cards, making gift giving even more convenient these holidays.

Target and Toys R Us were just two of many big retailers who used effective mobile campaigns during the 2010 holiday season. Their multichannel mobile approach means they can connect with consumers from multiple mobile touchpoints, which is essential when reaching out to time poor holiday shoppers. As 2010 draws to a close, it’s time to consider what 2011 holds for your company’s mobile strategy. Think about how you can integrate mobile marketing into your marketing mix, and utilize the channel to connect with customers and drive sales.

Rugby Club The Saracens are engaging fans via mobile with a series of mobile sweepstakes during December. Fans are encouraged to text in for the chance to win the match ball and signed jersey during the game. The text competition was promoted via print ads in the match day program, loud speaker announcement in stadium and on the big screen game board. Fans who text in also receive a mobile coupon for discounted tickets for the clubs Boxing Day match.

NYC Tourism has partnered with American Express to drive support for local business this holiday season. Consumers are encouraged to opt in for text messages to receive savings on the go with cash back opportunities at over 200 select retailers across the city including Toys R’ Us and H&M.

The American Red Cross is upping the text giving game by giving supporters the opportunity to donate $25 at a time via mobile. Traditionally mobile giving campaigns limit text giving to a set $5 or $10 donation, however following the great success of earlier campaigns like the Haiti disaster, the Red Cross has increased the giving amount to $25 this festive season to encourage larger donations. Supporters can make a $25 donation to the Red Cross by texting the keyword GIFT to SMS short code 90999.

2010 has been a big year for mobile fundraising. From the Haiti disaster and BP Oil Spill right  up to the holiday giving campaigns happening now, it’s time to reflect on text giving in 2010.

The first half of 2010 saw a string of large scale disasters including the Haiti and Chile earthquakes and the BP oil spill disaster, many charities responded with text giving campaigns and the supporter response was huge.

The BP Oil Spill saw the National Wildlife Federation launch a mobile giving campaign to help save animals ravaged by the spill, encouraging donations of $10 via text. 

The Haiti earthquake disaster also saw many charities raise funds via text giving. The Salvation Army and the Rescue Union Mission were among many who helped raise $35 million in mobile donations in just three weeks.

The Chile earthquake disaster was another event that generated a huge response via text giving. Fundraising charities AmeriCares and Habitat for Humanity were among several charities encouraging supporters to donate via text. Like the Haiti disaster, charities encouraged supporters to text the keyword CHILE to an SMS short code to make an automatic $10 donation.

Other charities like PETA and Pathways to Housing found other inventive ways to use mobile to connect with supporters during 2010, using the channel to inform and challenge people, rather than take donations directly.

As 2010 draws to a close, many charities are now calling for donations to assist the needy during the holiday season. The American Red Cross is asking supporters for donations of $25 via text.  Supporters can make a $25 donation to the Red Cross by texting the keyword GIFT to SMS short code 90999.

The Salvation Army are also raising funds this holiday season by taking their traditional Bell Ringer campaign mobile this year. The 2010 Mobile Bell Ringers campaign encourages supporters use their own networks to collect $10 mobile donations to reach their fundraising goal.

2010 has been a big year for mobile giving, and with high levels of consumer support it’s set to grow even bigger in 2011.

Don’t miss Mobile Marketer’s webinar this Thursday 9 December ‘Mobile Marketing in 2011: How High is High?’. The hour long webinar 2pm-3pm EST will look at where mobile marketing is headed in 2011, with advice for mobile marketers of all kinds on making the most of their mobile budgets. Register for the free mobile marketing webinar.

E-Marketing and Commerce has published an exciting new whitepaper with some great tips for successful mobile marketing and advertising strategies. One of our favourites is 'Mix Diverse Elements' - all about integrating mobile with other media to create effective campaigns. Read the mobile marketing whitepaper in full.

Radio broadcasters are increasingly using mobile to connect with their audiences. The already interactive channel uses sms marketing to deepen that level of interactivity, encouraging listeners to participate in new ways.  Radio broadcaster Entercom Communications and talk show Dawson McAllister Live are just two of many using the channel to their advantage.

Entercom Communications use text-to-win and text-to-vote campaigns to interact with their audience. The broadcaster also runs an opt-in text message alerts program which encourages listeners to sign up to receive regular news, weather, sports and traffic updates via text.

Talk Show Dawson McAllister Live also use SMS to connect with their listeners. Our recent case study highlighted how Dawson McAllister Live use text in functionality, text alerts and automated text for info services to reach their audience of troubled youth facing problems such as drug addiction, anxiety and family issues.

With SMS marketing growing, and text capable phones an ubiquitous item across the US, text message marketing for radio stations is set to grow even stronger.