At Empower MediaMarketing, the Media Innovation team’s primary role is to identify, integrate, and implement new and emerging media plans for our clients. One of the most recognized emerging platforms in 2008 is the mobile phone.

With 80% penetration in the U.S., mobile has hit the masses and is beginning to get attention from advertisers. As technology advances and handsets become more sophisticated, usage and penetration of this medium will only continue to grow. According to eMarketer, in 2008 mobile marketing is predicted to be a $1.5 billion industry, nearly doubling figures from 2007.

SMS Text Messaging: Simple, yet Succinct
Within the mobile space, there are four main marketing platforms:
1.) Short Message Service (SMS) Text Messaging
2.) Mobile Web (WAP)
3.) Downloadable Applications
4.) Video

While marketers generally tend to gravitate toward fancier applications such as mobile web and video, penetration for those platforms still lack significance in the U.S. SMS text messaging, however, is the most popular service used on mobile phones and has highest reach among mobile phone subscribers.

Of the 223 million mobile subscribers in the U.S., 41 million send a text message almost every day. A recent report by mobile media research firm M: Metrics cited SMS text messaging campaigns as an “unprecedented platform for marketing, offering simple and effective ways to contact and inform consumers”.

In order for mobile users to participate with SMS based campaigns, a common short code needs to be leased by the brand. Common Short Codes are 5-6 digit numbers that allow brands to deliver marketing messages, promotions, and services to the majority of all mobile handsets and wireless carriers. There are several types of short codes available for marketers to lease that vary in provisioning time and costs. These include:

• Shared – Short code is shared amongst other marketers
• Random – Short code is randomly selected by Common Short Code Administration but exclusive to the brand
• Vanity – Short code is selected by the marketer and exclusive to the brand

Mobile: Unique and Ubiquitous

Mobile is unique in that there is currently no other medium that allows brands to deliver advertisements directly to consumers on such a ubiquitous and personal level. The Media Innovation team recently held an internal company contest to give Empower employees “first hand” experience with mobile marketing and demonstrate how marketing on such a small device can benefit our clients in a big way.

In sharing our experience and learnings, we hope to provide insight into how mobile can work for you. At Empower, we feel it is important to be hands on with new media forms in order to confidently recommend it to our clients. At the end of this article, you will have the opportunity to experience the power of mobile marketing for yourself!

Taking it to the “Third Screen”

The keywords below were released to employees (one per week) using internal communication channels in order to illustrate the effectiveness of integrating multiple media components. Each keyword personifies the advantages of the mobile medium. To take part in the contest, employees had to text each keyword to a shared short code 44636(4INFO). Upon texting a keyword to the short code 44636, employees would receive a SMS text message from the Media Innovation team confirming their entry in the contest.

• INTEGRATE: Mobile integrates marketing efforts, offering brands another way to communicate with consumers and marketers, while also providing a new way to measure the effectiveness of their media efforts.

• RELEVANT: Mobile allows marketers to deliver relevant and targeted messages in a personal environment.

• INTERACT: Mobile enables brands to engage in a two-way dialogue.

• REACH: Mobile extends marketing communications by being able to reach consumers anytime, anywhere.

• EMPOWER: Mobile users are empowered with a new way to engage with brands and brands are empowered with a new form of direct response media.

Connecting the Dots
Empower utilized the following media channels to release the five keywords to employees for the internal company contest. The examples illustrate how we promoted mobile in our contest and how clients can promote mobile within their other media vehicles.

Print
EMPOWER: The Media Innovation team used the internal “Specialty Update Newsletter” to promote the first keyword of the contest. At the end of Innovation update section, employees were encouraged to text the keyword, “EMPOWER” to the short code 44636 to participate in the contest.

CLIENT: Retailers can use print advertisements that encourage readers to text a keyword to a short code in order to receive a promotional code directly to their mobile phone. Instead of printing out a coupon, the promotion can live on consumers’ phones and shown to the cashier at point of purchase.

Radio
EMPOWER: Employees were prompted with the second keyword, “INTEGRATE”, via an announcement from our receptionist over the company loud speaker.

CLIENT: Casual dining/fast food establishments can tag the end of their radio spots during lunch and dinner hours asking listeners to text a keyword and their zip code location to a short code. Once the mobile user does this, a special coupon and the nearest restaurant location will be sent directly to their phone.

Out-of-Home
EMPOWER: The third keyword, “INTERACT”, was featured on signs that the Media Innovation team put up around the office.

CLIENT: Your brand can use event signage or outdoor billboards to encourage mobile users to send a text in order to enter a contest or sweepstakes.

Television
EMPOWER: The fourth keyword, “REACH”, was displayed by way of streaming text across the bottom of the T.V. in Empower’s lobby.

CLIENT: During a T.V. spot, your advertisement could prompt consumers to send a text to participate in a poll.

Online
EMPOWER: From the TV screen, employees were instructed to go the Media Innovation online site to find the fifth and final keyword, “RELEVANT”. Employees that participated with all five keywords were eligible for the grand prize drawing at the next company meeting.

CLIENT: Consumer packaged goods companies can use online advertising to promote their product and encourage consumers to text a keyword to a short code in order to receive an exclusive recipe, which includes their product, directly to their phone.

Dimension and depth, not disruption
Through the mobile contest, the Media Innovation team was able to illustrate that the mobile medium is most effective when it is integrated with other media channels within a campaign, creating a user experience that inspires people to interact with the advertising rather than simply tolerating it.

Empower can amplify your marketing efforts with mobile marketing. Experience the power of mobile for yourself and text the keyword “TOUCHPOINT” to short code 44636 (4INFO).

By: Kyl Boggs, Media Innovation Strategist

Mobile Research Sources: eMarketer, M:Metrics