Blogs

A|X Armani Exchange Launches Their First Mobile Advertising Campaign

April 17, 2009 — Club Texting

Armani Exchange has jumped into the mobile advertising arena, as we suspect many other brands will when faced with declining revenues:

A|X Armani Exchange has launched its first mobile advertising campaign to promote its A|X Armani Exchange Spring 2009 collection.
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“The Armani Exchange Spring 2009 mobile advertising program gives A|X the opportunity to engage our customers in a timely, relevant and entertaining way,” said Tom Jarrold, senior vice president of global marketing and communications at Armani Exchange, New York.

Read more @ Mobile Marketer
Learn more about Mobile Marketing for retailers @ Club Texting

Greystripe’s iPhone Ad Units Win CTIA Top Prize

April 15, 2009 — Club Texting

One last item to report from this year's CTIA in Las Vegas:

Rich media mobile ad network Greystripe took hope top prize in mobile advertising at CTIA’s Emerging Technology Awards. The SF-based company, which raised $5.5 in Series C funding last month, announced today its big win in the “Mobile Applications and Widgets - Mobile Marketing / Advertising” category at the awards.

So what exactly did they win the award for?

Greystripe’s GS.Rich Media iPhone ad format earned them the prize. They allow for full-screen, Flash advertisements for the iPhone, enabling digital marketers to bring online creatives to mobile. The technology came out of their work in mobile gaming, where they designed in-game ads — images, video commercials and scrolling banners — that were worked into the flow of regular mobile gameplay without causing major disruptions.

Valpak Embraces Mobile Coupons

April 9, 2009 — Club Texting

We've been saying that mobile couponing (see our guide) is taking off for a while now. Now comes word that coupon giant Valpak has embraced the format:

Shared mail giant Valpak is making coupons and offers available to consumers via mobile in yet another indication of the channel's growing appeal for targeted marketing.

The St. Petersburg, FL-based company claims it is focused on reaching people wherever they are, whether on social networking Web sites and on their mobile phones. With this move, Valpak joins rival Money Mailer with its own mobile initiatives for advertisers.

Read the entire article at Mobile Marketer or find out more about Mobile Coupons for your business at Club Texting.

What Happened Today In History?

April 2, 2009 — Club Texting

NBC News recently launched a new SMS alert service that should appeal to history buffs:

NBC News has launched a new SMS service called Today in History. It sends out one fact per day about an event that occurred on the current date in an earlier year. Simply Text ICUE to 275622.

CTIA Panel: Lay Off On The Per Message Carrier Fees

April 1, 2009 — Club Texting

A panel discussion at this week's CTIA show in Las Vegas voiced something we definitely agree with:

The per-message fees that carriers charge mobile marketers are killing the business model for SMS and MMS-based marketing, according to a panel at the CTIA Wireless 2009: Mobile Life conference.

So what is the alternative?

“All organizations have to work on flat fees, and the original models were only meant to support the ecosystem for 6 or 9 months,” he said. “The carriers have done little to speed the robust development of the messaging ecosystem in the U.S., and it needs support from the back end.”

Read the entire article @ Mobile Marketer

6 New Phones For AT&T And They're All About Texting

March 30, 2009 — Club Texting

AT&T recently unveiled six new phones to be sold on their network. Featuring full QWERTY keyboards, they're all designed with texting in mind:

AT&T today announced a fresh new lineup of smartphones and messaging phones that make it easier for customers to message with friends and family and manage their business and personal lives on-the-go. These new models are not available immediately but will be released soon in next few weeks. In the smartphone category, AT&T debuted the Nokia E71x and the Samsung Propel Pro, powered by Symbian OS and Windows Mobile 6.1. In addition, the Samsung ImpressionTM and Samsung Magnet, and LG Xenon and Neon expands the number of full-keyboard mobile phones in AT&T’s lineup to seven.

CBS Scores A Big Win With March Madness Mobile

March 26, 2009 — Club Texting

USA Today's AdTrack column delivers the info on CBS Sports' successful March Madness mobile marketing campaign:

March Madness on iPhone is turning out to be a slam-dunk for CBS TV advertisers.

Advertisers for CBS (CBS) broadcasts of the NCAA men's basketball tournament now underway are getting a bonus: Their ads show up in games viewed on iPhones via a $4.99 CBS application.

Coke (KO), for one, is happy. "It's an innovative iPhone application that gives us an additional way to connect Coke Zero with NCAA fans," says spokeswoman Susan Stribling.

Read the entire story at USA Today.
(via MobileMarketingWatch)

Mobile Marketer's Mobile Outlook 2009 Is Now Available

March 23, 2009 — Club Texting

Head over to Mobile Marketer to download a PDF of their Mobile Marketer's Mobile Outlook 2009. It's packed with important info:

As Mobile Marketer's Outlook 2009 proves, marketers understand the need to integrate mobile into their multichannel branding, customer acquisition and customer retention plans.

Several trends are emerging as mobile matures into a medium that, while not without flaws, is a more palatable option than other marketing channels in use. The emphasis, however, should be on mobile's complementary nature - it gives legs to other channels, including retail, online, television, print, coupons, radio, outdoor, direct mail and insert media.

Top of the trends list is the consumer's growing comfort with consuming news and content on mobile phones, along with exchanging SMS text messages, shopping for products and services, checking email, playing games, conducting mobile banking transactions and searching for retail locations or driving directions.

Read more at Mobile Marketer, and download the PDF!

New Club Texting Web Site. New Club Texting Features!

March 19, 2009 — Club Texting

It's been a busy week at Club Texting. First, we launched our brand new website this morning. It's designed to help you find exactly what you're looking for as quickly as possible. We think you'll enjoy it.

The other major announcement is that we're launch two great new features: Picture Attachments & Voice Broadcasting. Here are the details on Club Texting Voice

With Club Texting Voice, you can send out 1000s of calls within minutes. From your account, just click "Call" and follow the simple instructions to record your voice message. Once you are satisfied with your message, select the group of numbers you wish to call and you are all set! Each call costs 5 cents for US accounts and 7 cents for Canadian users.

And here is the info on Picture Messaging

Would you like to add pictures to your messaging campaigns? Unfortunately this technology - called Multimedia Messaging (MMS) - is not fully supported by all of the wireless carriers. Instead of waiting, we've released our own version of picture messaging via WAP Link!

Visit the new Club Texting website today!

Mobile Bar Codes On The March

March 17, 2009 — Club Texting

Ad Age has an interesting take on mobile bar codes. Have they finally arrived?

When Peter Shipman, a franchise owner of the Qdoba casual Mexican restaurant chain, was launching his third outlet in the college town of Ann Arbor, Mich., he needed a way to draw students to the new location -- and he wanted to speak their technological parlance. So he bought ads in the campus newspaper and posted promotional posters, each with a code kids could scan with their phones to get a mobile coupon for a buy-one-get-one-free burrito.
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Qdoba joins small but growing group of marketers warming to the long-promised technology. In fact, among three vendors working to make this a reality -- Scanbuy, Jagtag and Clic2C -- there are at least 15 initiatives involving national brands in the retail, fashion, food and beverage categories that should hit next quarter.

Read more @ Ad Age.
Visit Club Texting to learn more about mobile marketing solutions for retail.

AMBER Alert iPhone App Goes Multiplatform

March 11, 2009 — Club Texting

Jonathan Zdziarski's recently announced AMBER alert iPhone app is now available on the App Store. You can expect to see it on other platforms in the near future as well:

The AMBER Alert iPhone application we told you about last month, developed by iPhone forensics expert Jonathan Zdziarski, is finally available from Apple's App Store. The free application is designed to help disseminate alerts for high-risk missing children and report sightings to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The application helps NCMEC more accurately pinpoint the location of missing children by sending GPS coordinates of your iPhone when you report a sighting. The NCMEC uses the GPS data to coordinate reported sightings and inform the proper law enforcement agencies.

Car Insurance Firm Alerts Customers Of Icy Roads Via Text Messages

March 10, 2009 — Club Texting

We recently heard about an innovative Dutch insurance firm, over at textually.org:

As soon as weather warnings are issued that could make driving hazardous, Onna-onna sends its clients a text message advising them to be extra alert or even stay off the road. The company relies on weather reports from the National Meteorological Institute, and provides the text messages free of charge to clients who have signed up for them.

Aiming to reduce the number of accidents caused by heavy winds, icy roads and severe thunderstorms, the warning service is part of Onna-onna's wider efforts to promote road safety. Which isn't a purely philanthropic gesture, of course—lower accident rates are good for any insurer's bottom line. Onna-onna is planning to trial the service for a year before evaluating and potentially adding other SMS-based perks.

Talk And Type SMS App For The iPhone!

March 2, 2009 — Club Texting

According to cnet's Crave blog, iPhone owners can bypass typing out text messages with a new app:

Tired of fumbling around the iPhone's onscreen keyboard to send a text message? Soon you can skip that altogether, as long as you can speak English properly.

This is thanks to a new iPhone application that Promptu, a talk-and-type mobile phone application developer, introduced Monday called ShoutOUT. The application is going to be the first voice-to-SMS application for iPhone users in the United States.

The application lets you dictate text messages instead of typing on the iPhone's touch-screen keypad. It also allows for checking the transcribed messages for errors and make corrections if necessary before sending them out to the intended recipients.

St. Louis to announce new archbishop via text message

February 23, 2009 — Club Texting

Barack Obama announced his running mate (VP Joe Biden) via text message. The Archdiocese of St. Louis is following suit:

The Archdiocese of St. Louis is claiming the first use of text-messaging technology to share news of the naming of a new archbishop.

The archdiocese said Monday it believes no other diocese has used the technology for that purpose.

St. Louis has been without an archbishop since June 27, when Archbishop Raymond Burke was named as the first American to lead the Vatican supreme court.

Mobile Marketing Insights From Valista

February 19, 2009 — Club Texting

TMCnet provides some important info on mobile marketing, courtesy of Valista:

The company stresses launching simple offers that can be understood by customers.

Often, customers give up an offer because it is too complicated to understand. This results in lost revenues for the companies and also a loss of credibility if the offer turns out to be what the customer didn’t expect. Simplifying the offer, and also its terms and conditions can be a great way to tackle this problem.

Valista says that to avoid complaints due to misunderstandings, companies should companies should clearly explain any discounts or commitment periods associated with offers. Companies can also simplify the delivery process for anything sold and bundle products that are of similar type, says Valista. Bu they should take care not to bundle more than 3 products as it will increase the cost of the bundle, and will likely reduce customer’s interest in the offer.

University Of Illinois Sets Up Text Messaging Emergency System

February 18, 2009 — Club Texting

Offering a text messaging emergency alert system has become the norm, though not all systems are created equally:

Police responded to a bomb threat at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Sunday evening, but it took a bit longer for students signed up for UNC's text messaging system to find out about the scare.

The slow response has left Illinois students wondering about the quality of the new University emergency text messaging system, Illini-Alert, which will be tested 10 a.m. today, said Todd Short, director of the University's office of campus emergency planning.
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The University of Illinois employs a text messaging system similar to UNC's, but Short said text messaging is just one of nine systems that would be used to alert students to an emergency on the University campus.

"One thing everybody needs to keep in mind about emergency notification systems is that you need more than one," Short said, adding that not everyone has a cell phone with text messaging capabilities.

Las Vegas' Rio Launching A Mobile Marketing Campagin

February 17, 2009 — Club Texting

As Las Vegas casinos struggle through the current economic downturn, we are likely to see more stories like this one:

The Rio is testing an opt-in mobile marketing campaign that sends customers text message alerts for real-time promotions to their cell phone during their stay at the hotel-casino.

Here is how it works: Visitors to the Rio text message the word "Rio" to a phone number posted throughout the property. The customer will then receive no more than 12 text messages during the next four days, the average length of a visitor's stay.

The customer also can send "stop" to the same number to halt the flow of messages.

The messages alert the customer to special deals, usually drink, food or show tickets at a discount.

Katrina Lane, vice president of channel marketing for Harrah's Entertainment, Rio's owner, said the company is trying to find a more direct way to communicate in a more real-time fashion and strengthen the property's relationship with the customer.

When marketing dollars are scarce, cost effective mobile marketing is essential. Read more @ Casino City Times.

Visit Club Texting to learn about mobile marketing solutions for the hospitality industry.

Porsche Find Success With Mobile Marketing Campaign

February 10, 2009 — Club Texting

About two years ago Porsche launched a marketing effort designed to let consumers know that their cars aren't as out of reach as they might believe. Seeking to reach a young, savvy audience, Porsche launched a mobile marketing campaign:

Porsche saw mobile as an opportunity because its customers are technologically savvy and always connected. The creative delivered a straightforward message of "You can own one, click to see how" or "Can you afford a Porsche? Just say "I can."

When users clicked through, they arrived at the "I Can" mobile site and could choose to see the various models and their prices. Traffic spiked on weekends, suggesting users were interacting with the brand as they went about shopping or test-driving vehicles.

The results were impressive:

Mobile delivered 22% of the entire digital campaign traffic, with a click-through rate that was up to six times better than online-display advertising. Mobile generated three times the volume to Porsche's call center than online, and twice as many dealer look-ups. The mobile site logged 40% higher visit rates to the model-pricing sections, compared to online.

Lots Of Text Messages Will Be Sent On Valentine's Day

February 9, 2009 — Club Texting

AT&T Mobility sent out a press release this morning, announcing the results of their pre-Valentine's Day text messaging survey. Some of the highlights:

Cupid is doling out double doses of sweet nothings this year, according to a new survey commissioned by AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets that examines the role text and picture messaging will play in Valentine's Day celebrations.

Among the key findings? Texting is complementing -- not necessarily replacing -- the displays of thoughtfulness typically associated with Valentine's Day. The survey found that of the 36 percent of texters who intend to send a text or picture message to celebrate the holiday, 67 percent also plan to send a traditional card.

Read the entire press release @ Yahoo Finance.

CNN Mobile & UPS Collaborate On Successful Branding Campaign

February 5, 2009 — Club Texting

As the mobile banner advertising space takes off we're like to see more stories like this one:

A recent UPS Store ad campaign on CNN.com Mobile is said to have generated significant lift in brand awareness, ad recall and intent to recommend and to use.

Aided brand awareness among people exposed to The UPS Store mobile ads was 75 percent higher than it was among people not exposed to the ads. That finding was one among from a custom research study that CNN Digital conducted in partnership with UPS Store agency Doner, Southfield, MI.

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