Author Archive

mobileStorm’s Go and Pro Release Gives Businesses a Clear Path to Becoming Expert Digital Marketers

Los Angeles, Aug. 24th, 2009 – mobileStorm (www.mobilestorm.com), celebrating 10 years of digital marketing services and technology pioneering, today announced its new “Go” and “Pro” product packages for online marketers. MobileStorm’s Go and Pro tremendously simplify email and SMS marketing for businesses new to digital marketing, as well as for sophisticated managers looking to reach the highest levels of performance.

With more than three billion messages sent combined with a decade of email and SMS service experience for businesses ranging from casinos to reality television to healthcare giants, mobileStorm identified a dominant need: Customers reap a huge benefit from personalized advice and assistance in marketing their brands, products and services. Success in digital marketing is only partly vested in the technology and tools and mobileStorm has cracked the code to providing personalized and meaningful help for their clients with Go and Pro.

“Making the right decisions on marketing to an audience is a complicated process. There are too many moving parts: Who, what, when, where and how are really hundreds of questions,” said Jared Reitzin, CEO and Founder of mobileStorm. “mobileStorm’s approach of putting expert staff a call or a click away almost guarantees results. Frankly, there’s a lot of killer software out there, but time is truly money. Marketers typically spend what little time they have and make their best guess – they compromise. If you don’t have enough time to do your best, you can’t expect the best results. With mobileStorm you’re getting the technology and services that give you the confidence to push the button – and know you’re going to get results.”

mobileStorm Go is for practical, fast-moving marketers who have a simple need to reach as many people as possible. In fact, Go allows setup and delivery of mobile and email campaigns literally within seconds. Standard features include personalized support for every client (yes, with a real, U.S.-based human being who knows the ropes), 24/7 web-based access to the mobileStorm Go platform with email and SMS marketing channels, and an extensive reporting system with full export capabilities. mobileStorm Go services can also grow as needs become more sophisticated, offering APIs, an Event Manager and even on-demand campaign management services.

mobileStorm Go is all about Moving Fast, Reaching Audience, Growing the Business and Saving Money.

mobileStorm Pro is built from technology and matched with services previously only available to very large businesses with extremely large budgets. It’s the next step for businesses moving past a daily “batch-n-blast” marketing routine and a means to immediately transport marketers to an expert level by adding dedicated account management personnel to manage the system and campaigns, Including marketing channels like RSS, Voice, Fax and Video, Database Management, extended reporting, and full integration services with APIs, the Pro suite of services can hold a marketers hand every step of the way. Not unlike an on-call financial advisor, with mobileStorm Pro as the back-office, each client has a trained professional on call to help navigate every step of the process of getting messages to the right people at the right time in the right channel.

mobileStorm Pro is all about Saving Time, Make Better Decisions and Strengthening Corporate Brand.

Today, thousands of businesses rely on mobileStorm for personalized customer service and expert advice to deliver returns on their marketing campaigns. From the beginning entrepreneur to multi-billion dollar enterprises they have two things in common: They’re getting the results they want and they’re using mobileStorm.

“Quite simply, if we had signed up with anyone else, we would have spent a whole lot more, would have received less service, minimal hand-holding and advice when we really needed it, and would have been a lot less successful.,” said Charlie Malouf, COO and Co-founder of Broad River Furniture and an exclusive user of mobileStorm Pro.

To learn more about mobileStorm Go and Pro visit: http://www.mobilestorm.com/products

About mobileStorm

Based in Los Angeles, with more than 10 years of digital marketing experience, mobileStorm’s mission is simple: End meaningless messaging.

Having successfully delivered more than 3 billion messages on behalf of thousands of premier customers such as Overstock.com, Cesar Millan, American Idol, and Qantas Airways, mobileStorm is at the forefront of the digital marketing revolution. As a turnkey, hosted email and digital messaging platform backed by world-class support and expert digital marketing services, mobileStorm has created the most complete digital marketing solution available, while providing expert advice, personalized service and marketing technology that drives ROI and revenue lift for mobileStorm’s customers.

Find out more by visiting www.mobilestorm.com

Press Contact:
Lora Friedrichsen or Valerie Christopherson
lfriedrichsen@globalresultspr.com

A few weeks ago, we posted an article in our newsletter, “Outside The Inbox,” to let you know that we were working on two new service offerings and launching a new website. With the same powerful features you’ve been used to, you’ll now benefit from some additional changes we’ve made to our services that will give you even more flexibility and a distinct advantage in your daily marketing efforts. It’s almost here . . .

If you’ve been using mobileStorm 4.0 for quick and easy email and sms marketing, you’re now considered a mobileStorm “Go” user—and we know you’ll continue to love it. You’ll have all the same powerful tools you’ve been using to grow your business, and now all Go clients have free phone support, previously available only as a premium service.

Want “open rates” so high that only dogs can hear ‘em? Or how about knowing how much money you just made from an SMS campaign? Pro is a blend of our best features and a concierge service for digital marketing that helps you become a marketing mogul. You can easily upgrade at any time to get flexible custom pricing, more ways to communicate than ever before, and personalized expertise and support. Get ready to meet your new “back office.”

Also moving forward, all mobileStorm customer’s now get premium support for free. Get answers fast by talking to our knowledgeable and lovable support staff via email, chat, or when you want, just pick up the phone and call us. If you have been paying for support, it looks like Christmas has come early for you. Come on and call us—you’re our favorite people!

Regards,
Jared Reitzin
CEO

June 29, 2009 — Today mobileStorm Inc. published a comprehensive guide for the mobile marketer entitled, “The Ultimate Guide to Common Short Codes.” Written by mobile evangelist and mobileStorm CEO Jared Reitzin, the guide focuses on acquiring and using short codes to market products and services.

Short codes used with keyword combinations are front-and-center marketing technology. Texting the word “VOTE” to a short code helped your favorite American Idol stay on the show, for instance. And, widely considered to be the biggest mobile marketing event in history, President Obama used short code 62262 to announce his VP candidate Joe Biden.

Short codes are now tied to every kind of online and offline advertising and promotion. Today, in television, radio, billboards and print media, short codes are an important touch point for attracting and enticing new and repeat customers.

This engaging paper gives a complete description of the structure of the short code industry and answers key questions about what to expect when obtaining a short code for commercial purposes.
Other topics addressed in “The Ultimate Guide to Common Short Codes” include:

- The right strategy to use when choosing your short code
- How to acquire a short code and what to expect in the application and provisioning process
- Provisioning process terms and definitions — what it all means to you

“The mobile industry comes with a lot of challenges and nothing is truly easy. We want to take some of the guesswork out of using a short code for mobile marketing,” said mobileStorm CEO and founder Jared Reitzin. “I started out to create a guide that my sales team could use to help clients understand the pros and cons of using a dedicated code. I realized that this is invaluable information, and the final document is a guide for the public that is simple, easy to read, and full of what you need to know in order to effectively acquire and use a short code.”

For the last few years, Mr. Reitzin has been publicly speaking out about improving the short code provisioning process. In a recent article on MobileMarketingWatch.com, he suggested specific improvements in four key areas: standardization of terms, decreased costs, reduction in launch times, and creation of testing tools to ensure marketers are MMA and carrier compliant.
If you’re a professional mobile marketer or considering a strategy in the near future, this is a must-have read. Save time and money by downloading your free copy of “The Ultimate Guide to Common Short Codes.” DOWN HERE.

About mobileStorm (http://www.mobilestorm.com) -
For a decade mobileStorm has pioneered the concept of digital marketing. Having successfully delivered more than two billion messages on behalf of thousands of premier customers such as American Idol, Qantas Airways, K2 Sports, Palms Casino, Carl’s Jr., and Squaw Valley Ski Resort, mobileStorm is at the forefront of the digital marketing revolution. The company provides a turnkey, hosted email and mobile messaging platform backed by world-class support and expert digital marketing services. mobileStorm has created the most complete digital marketing solution available, enabling you to reach your customers via email marketing, SMS/text messaging, voice messaging, video broadcast, RSS marketing, or fax broadcast from a single provider.

For more information, contact:
866-492-7886
323-785-6333
323-785-6310

Bankruptcy, falling revenues, decreasing patron counts: These offer just a glimpse of the tough realities casinos are facing.

The casino marketer today must deal with a unique problem set. To triumph in these times, it becomes necessary to open up new channels. Many marketers who are after high ROI and quick ramp-up times are turning to mobile as the solution. To those properties who haven’t added a mobile component to their plans: Be warned. The time is now.

Fitch Ratings, a credit research firm, has seen casino revenue drop 2.5 percent, with no recovery in sight for the next few years. To counter this, casinos that implement mobile programs are seeing returns on their investment up to nearly 30 percent. Because of this success, mobile seems like a perfect fit for casino programs.

mobileStorm is an expert in the distinctive problems that face casinos—and has developed a whitepaper that specifically discusses applying SMS/text programs to the casino industry. “How the Casino Next Door is Getting Ready to Kick Your A**: Why it’s Time to Get Real about Mobile in Casino Marketing” is available for download now! It covers topics like:
• Types of programs casinos are running now
• Ideas on applications of SMS for one’s property.
• Why mobile is so relevant for this industry.

As a low-cost medium, SMS/text programs provide a viable alternative to traditional channels such as direct mail, and also provide increased response.

Whether you are ready to implement a mobile program, or just want more information, download mobileStorm’s newest whitepaper here: How the Casino Next Door is Getting Ready to Kick Your A**: Why It’s Time to Get Real About Mobile in Casino Marketing.

For other white papers, go to this page.

To view the press release:
/press/new-mobilestorm-whitepaper-sms-marketing-not-a-crapshoot-for-casinos

Shaneli Ramratan, Director Of Marketing, mobileStorm

Los Angeles, CA— mobileStorm has unveiled the latest in its line of valuable white papers for digital marketers, this time focused on SMS marketing for casino clients.

Titled “How The Casino Next Door Is Getting Ready To Kick Your A**: Why It’s Time to Get Real About Mobile in Casino Marketing,” the white paper outlines how SMS, or text messaging, can be used to boost business in light of the challenges facing the casino industry today. It explains the unique benefits of text messaging, how casinos can use the medium in their marketing campaigns, and how SMS can help casinos both retain current customers and acquire new ones.

“With the economy today, it’s understandable that consumers are wary of spending money for entertainment and gaming,” said mobileStorm CEO and founder Jared Reitzin. “But casinos are offering specials that let their customers have a good time at a lower cost—everything from room deals to food, drink and spa coupons. SMS lets casinos notify their customers of these price breaks in real-time. Text messaging is also ideal for communicating with ‘players club’ members, different offers can be triggered to different members depending upon their level of play.  inherent sense of immediacy, it also encourages casino customers to act quickly on special offers.”There are virtually no delivery issues with SMS and 95% of all messages are read within the first 15 minutes. It’s the perfect marketing and alerting channel for the gaming industry.

The outlook seems bleak for the casino industry. Fitch Ratings says that commercial casino revenue fell 2.5 percent in 2008 and won’t recover until at least 2010. Meanwhile the industry must do more with less, marketing-wise: Consider that the Nevada Tourism Board slashed traditional advertising and told casinos and resort to use cheaper, digital methods of marketing such as mobile marketing and social media.

Luckily, the white paper points out, successful properties have already reaped positive results with SMS. Their campaigns prove that text messaging offers a high rate of return, while being an affordable method of marketing. Such forward-thinkers include MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Barona Valley Ranch, and Palms Casino Resort.

The white paper outlines what kind of promotional programs are in place. It explains to casino marketers how they, too, can benefit if they implement text-messaging campaigns.

A free copy of “How The Casino Next Door Is Getting Ready To Kick Your A**: Why It’s Time to Get Real About Mobile in Casino Marketing,” is available for download here.

About mobileStorm
For a decade mobileStorm has pioneered the concept of digital marketing. Having successfully delivered more than 3 billion messages on behalf of thousands of premier customers such as American Idol, Qantas Airways, MGM Grand, Palms Casino, Carl’s Jr., Squaw Valley Ski Resort and Horoscope.com, mobileStorm is at the forefront of the digital marketing revolution. The company provides a turnkey, hosted email and digital messaging platform backed by world-class support and expert digital marketing services. mobileStorm has created the most complete digital marketing solution available, enabling clients to reach their customers via email marketing, SMS messaging, voice messaging, RSS marketing, video broadcast, or fax broadcast from a single provider.

March 16,2009—Planet Funk, the fashion-forward clothing chain, on Monday revealed that it achieved a 377 percent return-on-investment with mobile coupon campaigns launched during the holiday shopping season.

The Burbank, California-based retailer, which targets trendy young men and young women, also saw a staggering 91 percent redemption rate on the coupons. The campaign was launched on November 21, 2008 and ended on December 21, 2008. Twenty percent of revenue for the month of December was generated by the almost 2,000 coupons that were generated, and which were sent as text messages, or SMS, via the mobileStorm digital marketing platform.

“Mobile is a natural fit for our customers and being able to give them such coupons—both in the store and online—that can be instantly received on their phones is a no-brainer,” said Kitiri Lomaka of Planet Funk. “The results we experienced proved this and we look forward to continuing our partnership with mobileStorm to drive future mobile campaigns. We now realize that mobile marketing can not only be affordable for companies like ours, but also wildly profitable if handled the right way.”

Planet Funk only sent the coupons to people who subscribed to receive text messages from the company. It advertised the promotion with signs inside its stores, on its website and blog, and on the websites of numerous malls where Planet Funk shops are located. Besides immediate revenue, the company also set the stage for future campaigns: 15 percent of coupon-redeemers opted in to receive future SMS marketing messages from the retailer.

“It’s no better time than to incentivize your customer base to spend money with you. And there is no better offer than a coupon. Even better, a mobile coupon that can be acquired and redeemed all on site, plus it’s digital so Planet Funk is doing their part to help the environment and save a tree. Mobile coupons provide end-to-end tracking, so it’s easy to gauge your return on investment. Clearly this investment was a huge success for them, and I am happy to be helping out a retailer I am a fan of during this recession.” said Jared Reitzin, CEO and founder of mobileStorm.

The entire Planet Funk case study can be found at /email-marketing-case-studies/case-study-planet-funk.php. For more information about mobileStorm SMS, call 866-492-7886 or 323-785-6333; or send an email to sales@mobilestorm.com.

About mobileStorm Inc.
For nearly a decade mobileStorm has pioneered the concept of digital marketing. Having successfully delivered more than 2 billion messages on behalf of thousands of premier customers such as American Idol, Qantas Airways, MGM Grand, Palms Casino, Carl’s Jr., Squaw Valley Ski Resort and Horoscope.com, mobileStorm is at the forefront of the digital marketing revolution. The company provides a turnkey, hosted email and digital messaging platform backed by world-class support and expert digital marketing services. mobileStorm has created the most complete digital marketing solution available, enabling you to reach your customers via email marketing, sms messaging, voice messaging, RSS marketing, video broadcast or fax broadcast from a single provider.

mobileStorm is a do-it-yourself database messaging system that enables companies to fully leverage their list of customers, prospects and partners by contacting them in the ways they wish to be reached. With mobileStorm companies can utilize their entire database regardless of contact type – email, cell phone, telephone, fax or mailing address – through a single system, whether sending a broadcast message to all subscribers or a highly targeted message to a select few important contacts.

Recently our CEO has given a number of webinars on mobile coupons. All this brought something to mind–or stomach, I should say–as I was thinking of what to have for dinner last night: Restaurant coupons.

In a down economy it’s not hard to believe that people are eating out less and less–43 percent less, according to a recent survey from ComPsych Corp, a Chicago-based provider of employee assistance programs. So it would seem natural that restaurateurs would start some form of discount or coupon campaign. The most surprising thing to me is that many of these are coming in the mail.

As a proponent of mobile/SMS/text message marketing programs, I find it hard to believe that eateries aren’t keeping up with the hype in the marketing industry, and aren’t sending incentives to a patron’s cell phone. Why is there that hype? Because mobile incentives are effective.

It appalls me that more restaurants don’t take advantage of the opportunity they have. I would eat out far more often if I was to receive mobile coupons. All I would have to do is pop out my cell phone and give my server a special code or barcode to scan.

I personally guarantee that the cost to send out such coupons alone beats the printing costs of all those annoying color fliers that consumers like me get in the mail. Add in the high redemption rate of such vouchers, and restaurants should realize that mobile coupons offer the best ROI in a time when diners are hard-pressed to leave their own kitchens.

I recently read a headline regarding how many people in Canada would rather “hold their cell phone on Valentine’s Day” instead of a special person. Cell phones were the clear winner, at 56 percent! This solidifies the fact that the mobile holds a prominent place in people’s hearts.

For those of you who may think you don’t have room in your media mix for SMS, think again. After all, activated emotions are a key precedent of purchase intentions. Getting right to the heart of your potential customers has never been easier because of the simplicity and affordability of text message marketing.

One of the most powerful ways of using SMS is by adding that interactive aspect to your marketing campaigns, and no matter what kind of advertising you do, there is a place for a mobile component. That’s because including an SMS call-to-action makes it really easy for you to get your customers to engage with your brand. And it gives them a sense of empowerment, since consumers choose who to engage via text.

Text-in calls-to-action can be placed anywhere: On your website, print ads, on outdoor boards, wherever you wish. They offer the ability to provide the instant gratification many people need to become buyers–and are effective vehicles for disseminating product incentives many are looking for in a recession.

This Valentine’s Day season, get to the heart of your prospects: Send a text!

Shaneli Ramratan, Director of Marketing, mobileStorm

Major online discount retailer will extend promotions reach with SMS/text campaigns using the mobileStorm 4.0 Digital Marketing platform.

Los Angeles, CA February 9, 2009 — mobileStorm, Inc. today announced that Overstock.com has chosen its digital marketing platform for a mobile promotions beta test. Overstock.com will employ the system-mobileStorm 4.0-for targeting, delivery and tracking of mobile marketing messages, including mobile coupons, via mobileStorm’s new Coupon Management System. The system will generate precision-targeted coupons as well as viral coupon campaigns to alert and incentivize customers toward new products, special discounts and VIP customer events.

“Using the mobileStorm 4.0 platform will open an entirely new channel of communicating with Overstock.com customers,” said James Munnerlyn, of Overstock’s conversion marketing team. “After a thorough analysis of vendors in the mobile marketing space, we selected mobileStorm based on their ability to quickly execute our mobile marketing vision at a reasonable cost, and with all the complimentary resources and services we need to run the programs.”

In addition to providing the digital marketing platform via software as a service (SaaS), mobileStorm will provide professional services to augment Overstock.com staff, and will provide consulting on technical and marketing best practices.

“We’re very pleased to count Overstock.com as a client,” said mobileStorm CEO Jared Reitzin. “We love seeing large ecommerce companies start to seriously leverage this message channel. 95% of cell phones in the U.S. are text message enabled, and 87% of the U.S. population has a cell phone. Overstock.com will be able to take advantage of this mass adoption and, with mobile coupons, track the results of their success.”

About mobileStorm
For nearly a decade mobileStorm has pioneered the concept of digital marketing. Having successfully delivered more than 2 billion messages on behalf of thousands of premier customers such as American Idol, Qantas Airways, MGM Grand, Carl’s Jr., Broad River Furniture and K2 Sports, mobileStorm is at the forefront of the digital marketing revolution. The company provides a turnkey, hosted email and mobile messaging platform backed by world-class support and expert digital marketing services. Visit us at www.mobilestorm.com.

About Overstock.com
Overstock.com, Inc. is an online retailer offering brand-name merchandise at discount prices. The company offers its customers an opportunity to shop for bargains conveniently, while offering its suppliers an alternative inventory distribution channel. Overstock.com, headquartered in Salt Lake City, is a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ Global Market System and can be found online at http://www.overstock.com. Overstock.com regularly posts information about the company and other related matters on its website under the heading “Investor Relations.”

Overstock.com® is a registered trademark of Overstock.com, Inc.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the effectiveness of the communications platform and it containment of all resources needed. Overstock.com’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, its subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, or any amendments thereto, and other subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission identify important factors that could cause Overstock’s actual results to differ materially from those contained in its projections, estimates or forward-looking statements.

Los Angeles, CA—February 5, 2009 mobilestorm, the premier provider of email and mobile marketing solutions, and iHollywood Forum, the leading producer of conferences and forums on digital and wireless entertainment, will present a mobile coupon webinar aimed at the digital entertainment industry.

The web seminar happens at 10 a.m. Pacific time on February 10, 2009, and will be hosted on the iHollywood Forum website: http://www.ihollywoodforum.com/

mobileStorm CEO Jared Reitzin, who is presenting the webinar, will explain why mobile coupons are a marketing solution that will drive four to five times the revenue of direct mail, print, and other online channels. He will tell marketers how they can increase their marketing returns with mobile coupons, teach them how mobile technology works, and offer real-life success stories.

With consumers spending less due to the recession, coupons are a way to get them into shops or onto online retail sites. Target marketing company ICOM says 67 percent of U.S. shoppers surveyed will be more likely to use coupons in the face of an economic downturn. Juniper Research reports that by 2013, some 200 million subscribers worldwide will use coupons that are delivered and redeemed via mobile phones; North America and Western Europe will account for almost 20 percent of those voucher redeemers.

Entertainment is increasingly moving to the consumer’s mobile phone. At CES 2009, the Open Mobile Video Coalition announced a new mobile digital TV service that debuted with 65 channels in 22 markets—or 35 percent of U.S. TV households—and was set to expand rapidly, bringing regular TV content to cell phones. This builds on the mobile video audiences already primed for more content. Nielsen Mobile says that YouTube has 3 million mobile viewers and that the NBC network is the top video brand, with 4.7 million subscribers watching its mobile programming.

It makes sense, then, to launch marketing campaigns on a platform that has become ever-more important to consumers. Mobile coupons leverage the ideal partnership for digital entertainment providers, content owners, and advertisers.

To register for the mobile coupon webinar, fill out this online form: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/390421029

About mobileStorm, Inc.
For a decade mobileStorm has pioneered the concept of digital marketing. Having successfully delivered more than two billion messages on behalf of thousands of premier customers such as American Idol, Qantas Airways, K2 Sports, Palms Casino, Carl’s Jr., and Squaw Valley Ski Resort, mobileStorm is at the forefront of the digital marketing revolution. The company provides a turnkey, hosted email and mobile messaging platform backed by world-class support and expert digital marketing services. mobileStorm has created the most complete digital marketing solution available, enabling you to reach your customers via email marketing, SMS/text messaging, voice messaging, video broadcast, RSS marketing, or fax broadcast from a single provider.

About iHollywood Forum, Inc.
iHollywood Forum is the leading producer of conferences and forums on digital and wireless entertainment. Our cutting-edge conferences consider topics such as online music and film, mobile entertainment, IPTV, digital cinema, games, interactivity in television, marketing and advertising, and much more. We offer diverse opinions on the most compelling issues facing the industry, with a particular emphasis on discussing the viability of new business models. Our monthly summits and dinners typically attract 300-800 distinguished entertainment and technology professionals.