Tag: mobile marketing

Ticking off Idle Screens

On 02/09/2008

Ever heard of response-based segmentation? Super-cool, isn’t it? You can group your customers depending on their actions… Israeli firm Celltick has now published the results of its first trial, an unnamed Brazilian operator. According to the press release, “the results demonstrate a 60% increase in the number of users responding to teasers on the idle screen, and an incredible 80% increase in the overall number of clicks-per-day since the service enhancement.”

So… this means that 60% more users respond to things happening on their idle screens than normal. What happens normally? Nothing. So 60% more than what? Now, don’t get me wrong: I find the concept pretty intriguing but the context is somewhat unfulfilling (“you’re not doing anything. So I, the infamous MS paper clip, think you might want to play a game…”; not very likely).

The Celltick platform seems to have it all: “[it] is designed to provide mobile operators, content providers and advertisers with a mobile marketing media channel […] that maximize response rates, customer retention and enhanced revenue opportunities. User profiling through RBS compliments LiveScreen Media’s existing segmentation capabilities which include location based broadcasting, handset segmentation and time-sensitive campaigns.” How cool is that? Alas, no details are given… I would really, really, REALLY like to learn more substantative things about this but this turns out to being a relatively meaningless PR blurp. The fact that the “Brazilian operator” prefers to be unnamed doesn’t really instil more confidence, does it?

Celltick: please provide us with some meat. Then you’ll get good coverage here, too. And: EVERYONE would love a success story such as yours. Bring it on, guys!

GPS Most Wanted

By Volker

On 21/12/2007

The Global Positioning System (better known by its acronym GPS) sees a meteoric rise to popularity on mobile phones. According to a survey 24% of all Americans want GPS as a feature on their next phone, and they seem to be served: nearly every large OEM offers the feature in their higher-end models already and others rack up to get there (Nokia N95, HTC Touch, Blackberry 8800, to name a few). And – no buzz without the iPhone these days – there is rumour that one of the GPS leaders, TomTom, is developing the respective module for the iPhone.

As the feature shows appeal to a very wide demographic, this might become a feature like the camera today: initially dissed (“who needs a camera in his phone?”), camera phones are the overwhelming standard today and are putting ever-increasing pressure on digital cameras (well, OK, probably not the high-end SLR but otherwise).

This is not entirely surprising: one does not normally turn to one’s phone when feeling the urge for a movie but it provides true value-add when you walk through the streets of an unknown city (or unknown district of your home town) looking for the right street, and you can actually turn to your phone’s GPS function.

GPS of course provides a completely new take to the holy grail of mobile services, namely LBS (or: location-based services), too. I prefer the term location-aware as such offerings need not necessarily be “based” on this. Way beyond simple “sat nav”, everything from dining out, clubbing, flirting, and generally looking for like-minded people in a given environment would be greatly enhanced by such features. Not to mention marketeers of retailers and consumer brands who are surely already drooling on the thought of what they could do when they could lure consumers into their shops with tailor-made offers just when they walk past their shops. ZagMe was a bit too early for this, it seems but then this was pre-GPS. Brave new world?

Buongiorno buys Flytxt… and it goes on…

By Volker

On 15/05/2007

Consolidation of the mobile marketing sector seems to happen faster than people can blog: Italian mobile content distributor Buongiorno has acquired UK and US operations of Flytxt for c. $ 5.4m. With Buongiorno’s platform and D2C focus and Flytxt’s background (they provide a tool that allows marketing types to run their own campaigns), this is a somewhat different twist to the approach Microsoft, Google, Yahoo! and others have been taking. A D2C player should really be better positioned to bridge the gap between advertiser and consumer as they are much closer to the latter.

Here’s what they say: “Mobiles allow marketers to reach individuals in new ways, which are not possible with other media and open up dramatic new opportunities for marketers to interact with consumers. Flytxt’s work with Orange on its ‘Orange Wednesdays’ campaign is testament to how powerful the use of mobile can be as a marketing and advertising tool”. By way of background: Orange Wednesdays are a BOGOF cinema service that has mobile ticketing components (i.e. you can sign up/participate via mobile), and if we get this right, the mobile component is based on Flytxt’s propositions…

No numbers on usage and/or take-up though, and that is a pity… Other than that, this combination could be intriguing. Bring it on, folks!

Mercedes Markets Mobile

By Volker

On 24/04/2007

It is another one of these examples where PR speak dilutes the message till no one knows what it actually is but here goes: Mercedes has instructed an agency to increase its use of mobile phones for marketing purposes, and the good folks from the PR agency do not forget to mention that “no other automotive manufacturer in the UK has implemented and maintained such a large mobile presence” So: what does that mean?

They want to “encourage active response from traditional advertising such as poster, print, TV, and DM, via mobile text calls to action, driving users to Mercedes-Benz mobile sites.” But how, with what, what for? I don’t know and they don’t say. Now, mobiles and mobility – there surely is a common theme here somewhere. But will they do more than inform customers via SMS and try this Bluetooth trial? I would really wish they’d be somewhat more aggressive in communicating initiatives.

Mobile Ads for PrePay Credit works with Teens

By Volker

On 20/04/2007

Here is some interesting research on mobile advertising. According to a recent survey, a staggering 82% (!) of 11-20 year-olds would be happy to receive advertising in exchange for top-up credit (76% for discounts/special offers). There was more to report on the survey of course, which you can read e.g. here.

The most interesting conclusion is that the kids apparently fully understand the mechanics of advertising: advertising business is paying for eyeballs. If you want my eyeballs, you have to pay me.

They do not really seem to give a hoot WHAT ads they actually receive (although at least 71% would not mind to receive ads on things of interest to them) but more what they get in return for allowing it. This would appear to create a small dilemma because it is somewhat difficult to communicate to the advertiser that one wants it to subsidise the youngsters’ top-up credits (“so who was that ad from?” “Can’t remember but was worth 2 quid”). At the very least, advertisers would have to take a different approach to the messages (as in brand message, not as in SMS) and the type of campaigns they create in order to take this into account.

Crazy numbers: mobile marketing worth $19bn by 2011?

By Volker

On 10/04/2007

According to ABI Research, mobile marketing will be worth a staggering $11bn by 2011. Apparently, by the end of this year, it will already be a rather honourable $3bn market.

Now, I don’t have the means (or inclination) to buy the underlying report but at least they divulge that the amount is to include proceeds from mobile search and mobile video, and I suppose one could predict that, in 4 years time, there may well be more advanced devices that will actually make it fun and worthwhile to use them for more elaborate surfing and rich media consumption. Not very specific though. Other than some foggy reference to the wealth of data carriers sit on and “due in part to mobile broadcast networks’ presence in all major markets” (doh!), all the rest is apparently, well, apparent…

To me, it’s a whole lot crystal ball-type assumptions.

12Snap back at home…

By Volker

On 05/04/2007

Neomedia has sold 12Snap back to its management incl co-founder Birkel for $5m (remuneration is $1.1m cash plus debt, services, etc), reports PR Newswire.

That means that Neomedia wiped out a cool $17m value in little more than a year: you may remember they acquired 12snap for $22m early 2006.

All the very best to the good folks of 12snap!!!