Category: General

No man is an island, especially when he attends an event where planners have implemented “text-to-screen” technology. You’ve probably seen this before–perhaps in a bar, or at a sporting event. On a big video screen, there might be a quiz or poll that asks the crowd to vote on a particularly interesting topic (favorite barmaid, most valuable player, best song, etc.). It’s a great way to further engage attendees and make the event even more enjoyable. And if they use the right platform, event marketers can even gather participants’ contact information for use in future campaigns.

mobileStorm is that platform–especially with its new premium offering, Text-To-Screen. mobileStorm Text-To-Screen can be used to add excitement to sports matches, concerts, parties, or even a regular evening at a nightclub or movie theater. Here’s how it works: Marketers put up a poll or quiz on a video screen, and ask people to text their answers to a shortcode. As they vote, the results are presented on the screen in real time–adding excitement to the event since the results will change as more people text in their votes.

And because Text-To-Screen is part of the mobileStorm platform, users can further leverage these types of campaigns. For example, after someone sends an SMS to the short code, marketers can ask if they want to receive future special messages, and then save the consumer’s mobile number as well as ask for more demographic information about him or her.

For more details about mobileStorm Text-To-Screen, go to /text-to-screen/.

Eydie Cubarrubia, Marketing Communications Manager, mobileStorm

“I’d rather you text me”

A popular cable show and a maverick airline: Hot brands launched an even hotter digital marketing campaign, leveraged by SMS.

Entourage–the HBO comedy about a hot Hollywood actor and his surrounding group of helpers and hangers-on–kicked off its fifth season last week. But the show generated buzz a few days beforehand. First, marketers implemented a cross-promotion with the airline Virgin America, which created an “Entourage Class” on all its aircraft–and debuted the new section with a special flight that screened the show’s first new episode.

At the same time, Entourage marketers launched the “Entourage Air–Live It!” sweepstakes, with a grand prize that includes $5,000 cash, four first-class tickets on Virgin America to Las Vegas, a weekend stay in a Palms Casino Resort luxury suite, and other VIP perks like free steak dinners and spa treatments.

To play, consumers must text the keyword “HBO” to the short code 38714. (They can also fill out a Web form at https://www.entourageairliveit.com/Default.aspx.) The SMS portion of the campaign is powered by mobileStorm.

It’s too early to predict the ultimate outcome of the sweepstakes, since it’s open until October 4. (So it’s not too late to send an SMS message for a chance to win!) But midway through the promotion, mobile has already proven itself to be a valuable component of the campaign.

“To date, we have had over 40,000 entries with mobile contributing about 10 percent,” said Joe Grigsby, director of mobile strategy for VML, which created the digital elements for the campaign. “The strength of the mobile channel has been in allowing consumers to take action in entering the sweepstakes immediately at the point of campaign exposure. This has exceeded expectations of user engagement and demonstrated the value of a multi-channel approach.”

If mobile marketing has already exceeded expectations, just imagine how much more they’ll be pleased once they can analyze the data coming in from sweepstakes participants–of which there’s bound to be a lot once the contest ends.

Eydie Cubarrubia, Marketing Communications Manager, mobileStorm

“I’d rather you text me”

It is right to say that Google actually owns the Internet. These guys with a fresh vision came out of nowhere, and with the right idea, exactly 10 years ago this week. No one could ever imagine what that startup would become in just a decade. Billions of dollars in income isn’t the most terrifying thing about Google: It’s the power it has over everyone on the web.

The Internet will always be what it is: The world, the web, the network. It will always need some way to be organized; there always will be a need to find stuff in this huge pile of data. And “search” is the only choice. Google has taken search to the next level, and it still is just the beginning.

The Internet will have more access points than today-and the majority of them will move to mobile devices. This is where mobile companies will step into the search game. They will also become significant web browser figures. The Internet will then be a different place, and the current browser leaders like Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Mozilla’s Firefox, Apple’s Safari, Google’s new Chrome, and Opera will have to arrange deals with mobile device manufacturers like Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Apple, Motorola, and Samsung.

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I’ve attended enough Apple events in my life to know that today’s shindig–truely an accurate term for Cupertino’s PR happenings, considering the heady blind love and live rock/pop music that fills the air–will make headlines even if not warranted. Leather iPod pouches, anyone?

Still, I’m betting had bet that whatever they come came out with will effect mobile marketing–heck, let’s say digital marketing overall. That’s because new versions of the iPod–highly expected as the topic of today’s affair–will undoubtedly be more iTouch than not. You’ll recall the iPod touch came out exactly a year ago, and was kind of like a true pocket computer in that it accessed the Internet via Wi-Fi networks.

If (1) the next-gen “iTouch” offers enough value for the money to become widely adopted, and (2) can take advantage of cellular networks as well as Wi-Fi (thus assuring the gadget can actually connect to the Web “anytime, anywhere”), it could seriously affect the mobile marketing message space.

We’re talking the re-consideration of everything from mobile email messages (they should differ from regular emails) to online ads. Even one’s Web site might have to be modified to accomodate the proliferation of small screens in consumers’ hands.

Uh-oh, seems I got caught up in the moment, just like most other writers covering Apple…

Stay tuned for an update (including pix) as soon as the news comes out!

UPDATE Well, along with software announcements for iTunes and the iPhone, and the Nano, Steve squeezed in a new iTouch. Skinnier, with a speaker and cool gaming features. Alas, no broadband-over-cellular connection, ‘cept for the ability to acess the iPhone App Store. The mobile marketing revolution is not coming today.

Eydie Cubarrubia, Marketing Communications Manager, mobileStorm

“I’d rather you text me”

What does Google’s new Chrome browser mean for online advertising and, more specifically, paid search? I still haven’t figured out the whole Doubleclick merger…or maybe I just don’t want to think about it that hard.  With each new newsworthy tidbit from the powerhouse, I think increasingly more about how genius Google’s long term strategy is.

 I downloaded Google’s Chrome. Have you? The keyword here is functionality and a radically different approach to controlling one the most powerful communication channels. This really is about “Change.” While part of me understands the fear that this feels like Big Brother is watching, I would hazard to say that Google gets the big picture.

As marketers we struggle every day to understand user behavior. A basic collegiate-level political science class teaches how the mass acts in a certain way, but no one has stopped to apply this to the online world. Google has recognized this, however, and is planning ahead.

Online behavior differs from anything that has existed before. Chrome is the next step in building a powerful data mine. Google not only leads online advertising, but also is beginning to define the entire web experience. I think pundits who believe they have this figured out are missing a key point: This is about audiences and intelligence. Google stands to own priceless information and research, and seem to be working towards being the omniscient force of this space. 

As we near the presidential elections, this is one those times I have to draw a parallel between two campaigns–not those of Obama and McCain, but of Google and Microsoft. Watch out Microsoft! Your previous stronghold seems to be under major attack.

Shaneli Ramratran, Marketing Manager, mobileStorm

A great way to boost sales lies in your own backyard! You have likely spent time and energy building a database of customer information, but if you don’t have a cross selling strategy, you may not getting maximum results. If you lack resources, implementing a cross selling strategy may seem difficult, but keeping it simple can still go a long way when it comes to increasing revenue. Putting together a simple email or SMS cross selling campaign will deliver at little cost.

Some key reasons why your existing customers are great targets:

Quick revenue source: Because your existing clients have already purchased your products or used your services, there is no need to go through the “getting to know you” phase. Your brand is already familiar to them, so introducing them to other useful services will be considered helpful, and won’t get drowned out by other offers.

Loyalty building program: It’s easy to get caught up trying to rope in new prospects. Because of this, loyalty initiatives and CRM campaigns can get little attention and may slip through the cracks. Cross selling can help maintain the flow of information/communication between you and your customers while putting money in your pocket.

Less energy than finding new business relationships: When many of us start marketing initiatives, we focus on the information collection. Unfortunately, most of the time we never leverage this information. When designing a campaign much of your work is already done for you, in the form of this data that’s already collected. It’s time to use it!

Important things keep in mind:

- Creating a relevant offer to your customer’s interests can mean the difference between 50 percent and 1 percent response rates. If you are providing event planning services, send your customers tips for planning holiday parties. If you are a DJ, offer birthday specials.
– Connect to past purchase behavior: One product purchase can often lead to another. One of the most famous examples is McDonald’s catch-all, “Do you want fries with that?”
– Divide and conquer: Tackle one target at a time. Don’t get overwhelmed by trying to launch a one-size-fits-all campaign that will get low response and discourage your efforts.
– Stay customer-focused. This kind of initiative requires one main thing for success—your dedication to your customers’ needs.

Shaneli Ramratan, Marketing Manager, mobileStorm

Now that U.S. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps has eight gold medals tucked under his Speedo, what do you think he’ll be endorsing? Wheaties, on whose cereal boxes Olympic medalists traditionally appear? Perhaps more of those Rosetta Stone language-learning kits? Maybe even the same cellular service he helped tout pre-Beijing?

That last one. Well, sorta. It’s not so much that he’ll be the spokesperson immediately identified with a certain carrier–it’s that he could become the face of a certain mobile technology: SMS.

During and soon after the Games, several news stories discussed Mr. Phelps’ main way of communicating with his almost-as-famous mom: Text-message. Debbie Phelps noted that, during her son’s Olympic training, SMS was the only way she could have an extended conversation with the lad. He in turn talked about having to teach her to text, and that she soon got the hang of it–even if she didn’t type perfectly, it was good enough to communicate clearly. (Maybe she would find this whitepaperuseful.)

What a great endorsement for a simple communication platform that still, in some minds in the United States, seems to be the realm of youth! What middle-aged consumer can’t identify with wanting to stay in touch with their grown children, and do so in the way those “children” most want to be reached?

Texting is intimate, but it’s also something people can do while on the go, whether in the pool or running around town. So it’s a medium that can either be enjoyed in real-time or whenever is most convenient. That’s what makes SMS a great marketing platform for reaching consumers.

With Michael and Debbie Phelps’ inadvertent endorsement, just think of how many more consumers–especially older ones–are going to start texting in earnest. The audience for mobile marketers just got bigger.

Eydie Cubarrubia, Marketing Communications Manager, mobileStorm

“I’d rather you text me”

This week I’m venturing beyond the marketing world and into the techie side of things. A few interesting things last week in the world of open source software caught my attention—at least because of the irony they both represent.

First, Apple’s App Store was subject to a suspicious, and slightly malicious, incident. An application called “I Am Rich,” which sold for $999 a pop, merely displayed the image of a ruby on one’s iPhone screen. Said to be a joke by its developer (uh huh!), the application was more of an ironic insult to the “open source-like” idea being promoted by Apple. After all, the open source movement has long been a community of progressive individuals dedicated to technology innovation, not profit like the kind Apple makes with its fat-margin iPhones.

Then there was the appeals court ruling in the case of Robert Jacobsen vs. Matthew Katzer/Kamind Associates, which further bolstered the idea of copyright infringement in open source. First, some background: Software developer Jacobsen created open source code used in software for controlling model trains. Kamind Associates downloaded parts of Jacobsen’s project, stripped out the copyright notice and other identifying information, and began redistributing the modified version without Jacobsen’s approval.

Jacobsen sued for violation of the terms of the license under which he created the open source code.
Last week a federal appeals court overruled the decision of a U.S. district court, which had ruled that the open source license was so broad that violations did not fall under the category of copyright infringement. The appeals court agreed with Jacobsen that Kamind did indeed infringe on copyright. Unsurprisingly, this is hailed as a victory for smaller developers in the open-source world.

But it seems to me like this also gives legal precedent to larger corporations like Apple or Google—because the ruling may help allow large corporations the exclusive right to control the open source process. If a developer somehow violates their terms, they can be held as a copyright infringer. Could this precedent give rise to censorship in the corporate-backed open source world?

What do you think?

Shaneli Ramratan, Marketing Manager, mobileStorm

The other day I received yet another political email message sent to my personal account. I’ve grumbled about such messages before, and was about to get irritated again over getting an email regarding a city where I no longer even live. Irrelevant emails are the worse kind!

But then, as I scrolled to the bottom and prepared to hit the “report spam” button, I noticed it: “Unsubscribe to this list.” I hit it, and was told I would no longer receive emails from this political organization. Yay!

The moral of the story: You should always, always act in the interests of what the consumer/message recipient might want–even if you’re not legally bound to do so.

See, while we’re all familiar with digital marketing laws and best practices (if not, check out this white paper for all you need to know), political groups don’t have to be. They’re exempt from the permission requirements of commercial email. Thus, they can send all the email they want, whether or not denizens are active voters. Because of their exemption status, such senders don’t have an “opt-out” on their messages.

Although they don’t have to offer opt-out, political message-senders should. After all, they’re trying to get on the message-recipient’s best side and convince them to vote their way. If they’re courteous enough visibly allow opt-outs, they’ll generate goodwill from the contituent. Even if the voter opts out of future emails, the voter may still agree with the message–and vote as desired come ballot time!

Or in my case, I just might mention the message-sender’s concerns to friends who still live in that town. Good word-of-mouth from a satisfied member of the public: That’s something all marketers strive to achieve.

Eydie Cubarrubia, Marketing Communications Manager, mobileStorm

“I’d rather you text me”

Last week I wrote about plane crash survivors who were saved with SMS. Though public safety workers in British Columbia initially couldn’t find them, one of the victims was able to text-message information about their whereabouts, leading to rescue. But there’s been another dramatic SMS rescue: An Irish air traffic controller texted landing instructions to a pilot after the plane’s electrical power, communications, and radar failed—averting disaster and possibly the deaths of five people on board.

The Irish Times reports that the pilot had used his cellular phone to try calling air traffic control in Cork, but soon lost voice contact. The controller, however, then texted the pilot—using SMS messages to tell him he had a radar signal on the aircraft and to guide the plane in.

“The controller should be commended for his actions,” said air accident investigator John Hughes, who called the event a “serious incident.”

Talk about the ubiquitous-ness of SMS. Under high pressure, the air traffic controller (1) knew that texting often works in situations when voice calling won’t, and (2) quickly switched to SMS communications with the pilot, telling him what he needed to know to safely land. I’d say this shows that for denizens who use SMS, texting has become second nature.

And that’s why marketers really should pay attention to stories like these. The majority of consumers are texting like never before, meaning that SMS should be leveraged to reach them. The airplane incidents I’ve noted prove this, but marketers new to the technology might still be wary.

Luckily, here at mobileStorm we have blogs that explain even the most confusing aspects of text-messaging, and white papers that explain the basics of SMS marketing or that spell out why SMS is so important for savvy marketers. I won’t guarantee that you’ll be able to land a plane, but you just might save yourselves from being out-marketed by the competition.

Eydie Cubarrubia, Marketing Communications Manager
“I’d rather you text me”