February 2007
Monthly Archive
Cell Phone Spammer Slammed With $200,000 Fine
MattE 28 Feb 2007 | : Marketing, Media, SMS
Good news on the fight against mobile phone message spammers with this win in the USA by Verizon. The problem in the USA and UK is far worse than in Australia, which has the toughest anti spam laws.
The mobile space is one we in the mobile marketing industry are trying hard to keep clean – opt in only lists, requiring clients sending blasts to their lists to provide a signed statement saying their lists are opt in and requiring any subscription style messages to include regular opt out instructions.
Negative product reviews and their positive effect
MattE 27 Feb 2007 | : Marketing
If you have an online store, do you offer your customer the opportunity to write reviews about the products you sell?
If you do, are negative reviews included as well?
I was reading an interesting article over at imedia Connenction and they were talking about this very thing.
I guess most of us would be reluctant to include any negative reviews because we reason it will put buyers off…a good rational thought. However Sam Decker of Bazaarvoice says it is not such a bad thing and can be good for business.
Innovative Marketing
I was looking for some examples of innovative marketing techniques…and came across this one:
Now, OK, he is marketing for money for his next meal maybe… but $10 to him for an innovative (if perhaps not truthful) way of going about it!!
Seen or can relate any other innovative (even if more serious) examples? I’d love to hear about them via comments.
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Inapproriate texts can land you in hot water
I was interested to read this today – especially after listening to a program about school bullying via text message.
It seems it is not uncommon for (mainly) girls to send threatening messages, including death threats by SMS. The notion of flash mobs has also been modified to flash bullying.
If you know of any cases, let me know – I am interested in writing an in-depth story on this.
Dove and creating lifelong links with consumers
MattE 20 Feb 2007 | : Communications, Marketing
In a recent post, the move by companies to market to consumers in ways other than promoting the product directly was examined. Instead companies are creating a community/trust relationship with consumers in a push towards a “new loyalty”.
Here is another example – Dove Self Esteem Fund. Not only does Dove work to creating and maintaining relationships with women of an age who are, perhaps since puberty, becoming concerned at the appearance of their skin, but also the daughters of those women.
The site has three main areas:
Self Esteem
Make money with YouTube
MattE 19 Feb 2007 | : Marketing, Media, Web
So it seems YouTube has finally decided to share revenue. Not a new idea of course, there have been a number of discussion groups that have shared ad revenue for a number of years. Plus there are other sites where, if you contribute an article, then you get a share of the revenue from adsense ads shown on that page.
I guess YouTube will initially work this based on page views from ads shown on YouTube where the clip is featured.
An interesting conundrum being addressed is for footage used on third party website via the coding provided for free. Is being assaulted by an ad at the beginning of the clip bearable and will it be contextual advertising?
Mobile phone companies target tweens as customers for life
MattE 18 Feb 2007 | : Marketing, SMS
The Australia Institute has recently released a report that shows that children in the 6-13 age group are being targeted as the next focus market for mobile phone sales. This new market is being developed as the adult market reaches saturation point with the only turnover on phone handset upgrades.
The report says the tween age group is being made appealing to the market through the release of phones specifically for children. These include the Tic Talk phone from Telstra and Mattel, Disney and Nickelodeon brand name phones and ringtones.
Parents are also being marketed to through inferences of safety for children owning phones.
Mobile phones become key tool for health workers
MattE 18 Feb 2007 | : Communications, SMS
The lack of effective internet and land line telephony services in African countries may have led to a new development being launched that will allow effective communications between health field staff and health authorities.
Mobile communications is expanding rapidly in most African countries and provides the fastest way to provide telecommunications in places where running copper or optic fibre cable is unfeasible or too costly in current economic conditions. Sixty percent of the population in developing African countries now live in areas with mobile coverage, with 85 percent expected to be in a coverage footprint by 2010.
It is intriguing, however, as to why this has only just been implemented when the data input technology has been available for a number of years. I guess the answer is politics.
Pay by phone moving nearer reality
MattE 16 Feb 2007 | : Marketing, Media, SMS
This is a great piece of news – finally mobile commerce looks like coming of age. This will free us up to doing transactions previously only possible via PC-interfaces. Ultimately small purchase methods could become commonplace.
Finally the phone is becoming more than just a glorified walkie-talkie.
I’d be interested in anyone’s experience with existing mobile payment methods – did it feel safe? Was it easy. Were you concerned about security?
Got local news? Tell it on Now Public – AP partners
Telling news has become a whole lot easier since the creation of what are called citizen journalism or citizen media sites. These allow anyone to post news about their local area, area of expertise etc and make it available to the world.
One of the larger of these sites is nowpublic.com (I am one of the editors there) and they have reports, news highlights and comment coming in every minute from around the world.
Mainstream media are also recognising the value in having people on-the-ground, in places where they may not have reporters. One of these is Associated Press, who have seen the value of citizen journalists and as a result have just signed a cooperation agreement with Now Public.
