Mobile campaigns can be a powerful marketing tool, but the power is in the creative concept. Mobile will not make a poor idea better, but it can make a good idea great.
I have been asked quite frequently about mobile usage. At times I run into the objection that mobile is not an effective way to reach an audience. That it is some kind of side kick. Like a baked potato to steak dinner, like The E Street Band to Bruce Springsteen, like Robin to Batman.
Text is not a side-kick, it’s a utility. Like the steak knife to the steak dinner. Like Timbaland or Santana to almost every popular artist in the last 10 years. Or even better, like Batman’s belt. Think of the value of his Grapple Gun – without it several escapes would never have been possible. It’s an essential tool on his belt. But he doesn’t need it every time…just in select situations.
In the days of ‘small groups of highly interested people’ mobile can be the MOST effective tool you can use for your campaign.
Need proof that Canadians are text addicts? In the last 8 years mobile has grown exponentially. In 2002 Canadians sent 174 million text messages over the year – now we send almost that in a SINGLE DAY!
SMS is a 16 billion+ dollar industry in Canada alone!
Think BlackBerrys BBM will make a dent in the SMS industry? There are 35 million BlackBerrys worldwide, and over 1 billion mobile phones!
So we come back, now, to the campaign: To the car dealer who wants to launch a new model to a specific target audience, to a wedding gown shop that wants to promote their Maggie Soterro line, to the municipal government wanting to promote their community calendar, to the nightclub who wants to bring your target demo in the door.
You can build an effective campaign including on-air, online, texting and on-site that will make texting one of your most valuable marketing partners.
Think mobile is not a broadcast medium? Think again. With an effective campaign, you can build a list or ‘club’ of highly interested consumers that sits in a mobile control panel as long as you need it.
Now…
– everyone who found the car and texted it’s location to win a 1 year lease has at least an interest in that make/model, and can be sent texts with special financing rates.
– everyone who texted to win the Maggie Soterro gown are perhaps in the market for a wedding gown, and they’re all sitting in our text list ready to be sent a special text offer after the draw has been made.
– everyone who signed up for the community calendar can be texted the weekend’s events every Thursday to increase turn-out.
– everyone who texted to bypass the line at the nightclub can now be sent special VIP access once a month to bring them back to the club with their friends.
Start thinking more about mobile and and how you can use it to enhance your campaigns!
[Credits: Kimberly O’Keefe is interactive manager for Corus Radio’s Southwestern Ontario region. Kimberly’s blog can be found here.]
WE ROCK AT MOBILE 