Comments on: The beauty of SMS marketing http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/ Irish Communications Consultant - Be Noticed Thu, 04 Dec 2008 23:32:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Paul Anthony http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-289644 Paul Anthony Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:15:20 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-289644 I agree that there are negative impacts of SMS Marketing if done wrongly, it is a very intrusive medium, but that is the reason when perfectly targetted and relavant that it continues to receive a higher response rate than other advertising. I agree that there are negative impacts of SMS Marketing if done wrongly, it is a very intrusive medium, but that is the reason when perfectly targetted and relavant that it continues to receive a higher response rate than other advertising.

]]> By: Gareth Stack http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-4887 Gareth Stack Tue, 28 Mar 2006 16:27:24 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-4887 I think you're wrong about their being any positive applications for SMS 'marketing', more often referred to as SMS spamming. The example you cited is actually a service (as when a GP's office call a patient to remind them of an appointment), rather than an advert per say. Now there’s a whole discussion to be had on the boundary between service and marketing, but where the advert does not contain an implicit service to the receiver - above and beyond the offer of a potentially useful service - it is likely to be met with agitation. Even in your gym example the text is only a service if you were inclined to resign up, if you were intentionally letting membership lapse, then its unsolicited marketing; which is why opt-in (specifically, not just tick the box, collect the number at the door number collection) is essential. I think you’re wrong about their being any positive applications for SMS ‘marketing’, more often referred to as SMS spamming. The example you cited is actually a service (as when a GP’s office call a patient to remind them of an appointment), rather than an advert per say. Now there’s a whole discussion to be had on the boundary between service and marketing, but where the advert does not contain an implicit service to the receiver - above and beyond the offer of a potentially useful service - it is likely to be met with agitation.
Even in your gym example the text is only a service if you were inclined to resign up, if you were intentionally letting membership lapse, then its unsolicited marketing; which is why opt-in (specifically, not just tick the box, collect the number at the door number collection) is essential.

]]> By: The holy grail of SMS Marketing at Ed Byrne! http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-4497 The holy grail of SMS Marketing at Ed Byrne! Thu, 23 Mar 2006 21:16:13 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-4497 [...] Piaras Kelly reckons the beauty of SMS Marketing is timing - i.e. receiving a relevant message at the appropriate time, and while he is correct, he fails to state exactly how hard this is! For example, location based SMSing is still a future technology, and getting accurate demographics is the single most difficult element of mobile marketing. Consumers are well educated on SPAM and are not likely to willingly signup for SMS texts - let alone provide the detailed information (gender, age, interests, purchase history, and so on) that would be required to conduct an effective SMS campaign. [...] [...] Piaras Kelly reckons the beauty of SMS Marketing is timing - i.e. receiving a relevant message at the appropriate time, and while he is correct, he fails to state exactly how hard this is! For example, location based SMSing is still a future technology, and getting accurate demographics is the single most difficult element of mobile marketing. Consumers are well educated on SPAM and are not likely to willingly signup for SMS texts - let alone provide the detailed information (gender, age, interests, purchase history, and so on) that would be required to conduct an effective SMS campaign. [...]

]]> By: Ed Byrne http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-4425 Ed Byrne Thu, 23 Mar 2006 08:15:33 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-4425 hehe ... the temptation is just too large for businesses ... and poor marketers let it get the better of them and end up with no database, or a database of disgruntled customers. hehe … the temptation is just too large for businesses … and poor marketers let it get the better of them and end up with no database, or a database of disgruntled customers.

]]> By: Piaras http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-4284 Piaras Tue, 21 Mar 2006 08:32:04 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-4284 There are good applications of SMS marketing and I've been at the receiving end of them. For example, my gym texted me when my annual subscription was about to expire. I wouldn't mind if I got something similar from a dentist, doctor or government body reminding me about an important date. Like Ed said though, it all hinges on consent and disclosure, if they start to send you random stuff then it quickly becomes spam, something which my gym ended up doing. There are good applications of SMS marketing and I’ve been at the receiving end of them. For example, my gym texted me when my annual subscription was about to expire. I wouldn’t mind if I got something similar from a dentist, doctor or government body reminding me about an important date.

Like Ed said though, it all hinges on consent and disclosure, if they start to send you random stuff then it quickly becomes spam, something which my gym ended up doing.

]]> By: Winds http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-4165 Winds Mon, 20 Mar 2006 15:26:27 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-4165 Piaras, SMSs don't always get delivered immediately. If the network is very busy, for example, they get delayed. Also, some people - me included - occasionally switch off their mobile phones. So the timing thing is not dependable. That being said, while I realise you're a PR man and looking at things from the other side of the gate, so as to speak, as a consumer, there is *nothing* beautiful about SMS marketing. It is an ugly invasion of space. I do not think that I am alone in this view. It's a way to antagonise potential customers as well as a way to ram marketing material down their throats. Piaras,

SMSs don’t always get delivered immediately. If the network is very busy, for example, they get delayed. Also, some people - me included - occasionally switch off their mobile phones. So the timing thing is not dependable.

That being said, while I realise you’re a PR man and looking at things from the other side of the gate, so as to speak, as a consumer, there is *nothing* beautiful about SMS marketing. It is an ugly invasion of space.

I do not think that I am alone in this view. It’s a way to antagonise potential customers as well as a way to ram marketing material down their throats.

]]> By: Ed Byrne http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-4100 Ed Byrne Sun, 19 Mar 2006 10:13:58 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-4100 I'd want fairly strong incentives to give out enough personal details for them to build up the required demographics. Mass SMS'ing phone numbers along will just annoy people - to be effective the campaign would need at least to break down men and women. For me, the holy grail of SMS marketing is consent and disclosure. I consent to certain SMSes from you if you disclose exactly what and when you'll be sending them. Email is bad enough, but you check your email and defined or chosen moments - the mobile phone is just so intrusive as it's always with you and SMS is a push technology. I’d want fairly strong incentives to give out enough personal details for them to build up the required demographics. Mass SMS’ing phone numbers along will just annoy people - to be effective the campaign would need at least to break down men and women.

For me, the holy grail of SMS marketing is consent and disclosure. I consent to certain SMSes from you if you disclose exactly what and when you’ll be sending them. Email is bad enough, but you check your email and defined or chosen moments - the mobile phone is just so intrusive as it’s always with you and SMS is a push technology.

]]> By: that girl http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-4095 that girl Sat, 18 Mar 2006 17:31:32 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-4095 Interesting contrasting discussion going on over at the back seat drivers backseatdrivers.blogspot.com Interesting contrasting discussion going on over at the back seat drivers backseatdrivers.blogspot.com

]]> By: that girl http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-4092 that girl Sat, 18 Mar 2006 16:42:32 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0318/the-beauty-of-sms-marketing/#comment-4092 I now refuse to give my mobile phone number to restaurants and hotels following unwanted text messages that I didn't sign up for. I have already reported two organisations to the Data Protection Commissioner and will continue to do it. I think it's fine if you explicitly sign up (but for the life of me I simply can't understand why anyone would)...but any organisation that spams me in the future will be outed in public next time. I now refuse to give my mobile phone number to restaurants and hotels following unwanted text messages that I didn’t sign up for. I have already reported two organisations to the Data Protection Commissioner and will continue to do it. I think it’s fine if you explicitly sign up (but for the life of me I simply can’t understand why anyone would)…but any organisation that spams me in the future will be outed in public next time.

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