We’ve blogged several times about Android, Google’s open platform for mobile devices (read here and here and here). Android’s significance: Because it’s open, it will foster the creation of more applications–the best of which will rise to benefit consumers everywhere. This will then create exciting new ways to market to consumers via their cell phones.

Android is all about the big picture, not immediate gratification. But during this week’s debut of T-Mobile’s G1 handset–the first Android phone to go on sale–most people lost the plot. The common phrase is something like, “Well, it’s no iPhone,” Of course it’s not; because the phone isn’t about the hardware, it’s about the software. And what that software will be able to do in the future.

Even the most useful news piece I’ve seen on the G1–PC Magazine’s review of the device–inevitably compares the T-Mobile pseudo-Sidekick to Apple’s phone. While PC Mag’s story mostly points out the G1’s strengths over the iPhone–departing from most other reviewers–I still think it misses the point.

Which is this: The G1’s debut is important because it will get more programmers into the Android game, developing applications and creating improvements to the platform. I never thought the first handset would be much, because it will take at least a year to get out the bugs, soup it up, and present a shiny impressive second-gen handset that deserves praise.

Hey, kinda like the iPhone!

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

As of today, there’s less than a week left in September–which has been declared “National Coupon Month” by the Promotion Marketing Association’s Coupon Council. Add to that the Wall Street rollercoaster ride, and there’s no better time than now to try using coupons to boost sales in a slowing.

The PMA’s Coupon Council offeres some interesting stats:
* 89 percent of the overall population reports that they use coupons when shopping.
* Coupon useres report an average of 7 percent savings on their grocery bill with coupons.
*Approximately $2.6 billion is saved annually by consumers using manufacturer’s coupons when shopping for packaged products.

The PMA mentions coupons “on the Internet” in the same breath as “in the newspaper” and “in the mailbox”–indicating that digital coupons are just as important as their paper brethren to consumers wanting to save. By this time next year, I’m betting the Coupon Council will start breaking out digital coupon platforms further.

Of course, we here at mobileStorm have done so already. Our Coupon Management lets users create mobile, email, or RSS coupons–allowing them reach customers the way the most want to be reached. Also, it helps users create coupons, redeem them if they have no POS of their own–and then analyze the success of the coupon campaign.

Those are benefits that even the PMA hadn’t thought of. Yet.

Eydie Cubarrubia, Marketing Communications Manager, mobileStorm

“I’d rather you text me”

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 http://www.mobilestorm.com/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”