What is Mobile Marketing - Actually? Part two

Part TWO

USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data)
Following on from Part ONE and messaging, USSD is a form of messaging that can be utilised across all handsets and is a solid tool for engaging with users. Practical application of utilisation of USSD is topping up of pre-paid airtime, setting up of one’s phone for WAP or Multimedia i.e. *123# (MTN) or *111# (Vodacom) and many other applications. The only problem I have with USSD is that it can be relatively clumsy for the user in the sense that one needs to have a form of reference to remember the USSD string which can be relatively long and if not used regularly by the users it’s sure to be forgotten.

CONTENT
Content has always been at the forefront in the multimedia space with the likes of ringtones, wallpapers and games and is commonly associated with a premium rated SMS SHORT-CODE which is used to manage the authorisation of the premium for the content you wish to download. In the Mobile Marketing space it is crucial to identify what sort of content you are providing i.e. an advert, instructional video, music, music video, wall papers etc.. And then make sure you provide it for free. The content element within mobile marketing generally forms part of the value add to users and with the success of social networks mobile offers a perfect platform to users to submit their own content.

APPLICATIONS
Applications are the talk of the town at the moment particularly with specific regard to the iPhone and Android based phones. There is a debate going round as to whether one should deploy applications or focus on mobile web however I’m not going to enter into that discussion here. Applications provide quick access to the online environment and as examples one can look at Facebook, The Grid, MxIt, FireID, Pocit, Fring, Nimbuzz, Google Maps, Vufone, and Gravity as classic examples. The only comment I have to make about an application is that although it is designed to operate 24/7 they generally use massive battery resource and if you have a couple of them running at the same time you’ll be charging your phone every hour or so. Applications are utilised (in my opinion) as glorified book marks based on what I have just mentioned above and as such ask yourself whether the money you are about to spend on application development, is justified – when in fact you could have a widget which fulfils the same or a similar role.

LOCATION BASED SERVICES
LBS although defined as a product should be viewed more as an extension of a service where location is relevant. I personally believe that this is the future for mobile services particularly in the tourism and events space however there is one complexity that is holding the uptake back a little – and that is the cost of the location look-up. What this translates to is an undefined cost to any brand or service provider... However I do believe that this will change in time to come.

VOUCHERS
Probably one of the most powerful mediums within the mobile marketing space is the ability to deliver a voucher to a user’s handset. A Voucher is a tool that can be used to encouraging users to fulfil a very specific call to action which means that it can be used to help drive impulse buying, and or provide value in the form of discounts. There are various types of Vouchers that can be utilised, SMS, MMS, Bar-Code) however the one element that has been prohibitive in this form of element truly taking wings is the ability of the retail outlet to redeem the voucher – securely without giving any margin for pilferation. I believe if the retail outlets get behind this form of medium and train their staff on the redemption processes we’ll see an upsurge in the utilisation of vouchers.

RESEARCH
This is another fascinating element in the mobile space and exceptionally powerful in that you have the ability to set up panels who in turn have the ability to set up their own networks or user groups. Considering the size of the mobile market it boggles my mind as to why Research companies have not adopted mobile research platforms fully as this environment can yield outstanding results in exceptionally quick periods of time. The mechanisms that can be used in this environment are; Mobile Online, SMS and USSD.

CRM/PROFILING
CRM/Profiling is a tool utilised for effectively engaging with customers and allows the brand to manage and track all levels of engagement. This tool provides for real-time information giving brands the ability to track and manage the success of the campaign. You are able to profile users in the mobile environment and understand their behaviour and trends allowing you to engage in a relevant manner with customers. It is important to note as with SMS that although you are able to profile your user - your level of engagement should always be non intrusive and at the same time relevant.

PORTALS
In this day and age it is hard to believe that there are people out there without a Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail address. The portal element is a handy mechanism that facilitates a mobile intranet type of environment allowing business or social groups/committees to communicate directly with each other without any other clutter.

BANNER ADVERTS
Mobile banner ad placement is generally used for acquisition of new customers by placing banner adverts on various platforms such as Admob, Buzz City, Vodafone Live, The Grid, MxIt etc. to encourage users to click through to the Online environment. This is one of the most important elements to any form of mobile marketing as this is the tool that gets users into your online environment. In Part 3 I’ll demonstrate how to effectively use this element within your mobile campaigns but now I am going to point out that not only are banner adverts used for acquisition but also within your own mobile environment if applied effectively they can be used to advertise a competition, highlight a news feed or drive traffic to specific areas within your Mobi-site (in essence becoming your own call to action element).
If you are intent on becoming a publisher and have 50,000 unique visitors a month then the banner advert within your Mobi-site could be used to derive additional revenues for you similarly to the online environment where you become a mobile online publisher. My only word of advice would be if you were to do that, please ensure that the adverts served are relevant to the content within your environment.

As you can see there are a number of elements one can use, either on their own or wrapped up to bolster the mobile campaign. There are a lot more elements and I could go into more detail but my objective is to provide an overview of what I do... and this has to be one of the longest elevator pitches I have ever delivered... look out for Part 3 - wrapping it all up.

Mobile Marketing

Leading on from my last post - the insert of the presentation by Graham Brown and taking the fact that my focus is all about Mobile Media, I have in the past few months been giving a lot of consideration to the mobile marketing arena.

I have seen and toyed with some amazing applications that facilitate marketing to users. I consider some of these mechanisms as pure genius and proposed and used some of them in the strategies we have designed, however after having viewed the presentation below I find myself standing back thinking about the relevance of what we do.

4 words have been resonating through my being - what is the relevance?

I look at Mxit - and immediately can identify that the relevance of the platform, which is to provide a cost effective mechanisms for people to communicate. It's no surprise that the platform has been adopted by the younger generation but what is a surprise is how the platform is evloving to facilitate the corporate world and although I get it I can't see the relevance - the engagement is very one sided and totally foreign to what the platform is all about.

Are the users of the platform actually benefitting from being advertised to...? I used to think so but today I'm not so sure.

I look at Multimedia messaging and again logically can identify why the mechanism is a great one, but find myself asking the question; what is the relevance of distributing multimedia adverts? People use the application to send pictures to and from their friends and even in that relevant space there has not been a massive uptake by phone users.

The success of a GREAT marketing campaign lies in the uptake and engagement with your target audience and as much as I'd like to profess that mobile marketing is THE best mechanism within your marketing campaigning I have to be prudent in advising that successful campaigning includes a mix of relevant platforms. e.g. We ran a campaign for a large Blue Chip recently where the campaign made use of TV, Radio, Print, Online, Mobile banner adverts, Splashscreens within Mxit, Multimedia Messages and SMS. It was interesting to note that radio had a tremendous effect on the outcome of the campaign - as we could see traffic spike on the mobisite after the campaign had been pitched. Likewise with MMS and SMS - after sending out the message we had a tremendous spike in traffic on the Mobi-site. It has been difficult to measure the response from Mxit, TV and Print however with the correct mix of delivery and engagement mechanisms one can very easily measure the success of the campaign.

The most important and crucial element that one needs to consider at all times is; "what is the relevance?" Look at all the mechanisms available to you, identify their purpose and establish whether your objective, within that environment, will have relevance. Plan effectively, ensure that your advisors have your best interests at heart and don't be afraid to test the landscape. This is a new channel of engagement, we are all learning and will continue to do so. i.e. What works well with one brand, may not neccessarily render the same results for another.... Test the relevence, understand the mechanisms and have some fun.

Another Successful Mobile Campaign

This is a post I picked up this morning from Just another Mobile Phone Blog which is one of my favourite streams of current and up-to-date mobile information.

Although the headline will appear below later I wanted to highlight the success of mobile marketing which is clearly indicated here. The 2 companies involved are Nokia and Unilever and why this is such a big deal for me is that many people we talk to about mobile campaining often pass the comment that mobile is not relevant to their product or market segment.

Here is proof that mobile marketing, if designed effectively, does work. The products that were being driven were; Nokia 5200 and a shampoo (Seda Teens Shampoo).

Results: The initial goal of handsets sold for this product was met after only one month. In addition to selling out inventory four times, the campaign generated twice the number of visits to the mobile site than the traditional website and more than 11,000 game downloads. The mobile website averaged a 10 percent click-through rate.

The important elements to note when defining your strategy are;

1) Does the campaign give me REACH,
2) What level of INTERACTION do I have with my customers (am I ready for that interaction?) and
3) Finally the MEASUREMENT is it quantifyable.

There are so many other variables to choose from;

The right technology platform
The right banner advertising platform
The right Mobi-Site development
The right community
The right content
The right landscape

In each of these areas you will find specialists comitted to their alotted business. My advise is to ensure that your marketing people are skilled up to understand the entire landscape in order to define the right strategy. Mobile campaigning can be very effective, use the resources throughout the industry to advise you on the elements available but always use your marketing skills to design and define the campaign.

Using companpies that offer only one dimension and promote only their value proposition as the effective mechanism for mobile marketing - could have a dismal outcome on results of your campaign.

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Courtesy of Just Another Mobile Phone Blog.

ESPOO, Finland, -- Nokia took home a Mobile Marketing Association Award for its innovative work on a mobile advertising campaign for Unilever's Seda Teens Shampoo in Brazil. The initial goal of handsets sold for this product launch was met after only one month, prompting four increases in volume to meet retailer demand, still selling out after only two months.

The campaign, which won an award in the Branding Category for Latin America, drew consumers in with a branded mobile device, downloads, a game, a social networking site, and ads that ran on the Nokia Media Network. The Nokia Media Network is a premium, handset-agnostic mobile advertising network comprised of top-tier global publishers, operator partners and Nokia services such as Nokia.mobi.

"We were excited to take part in this new marketing initiative, allowing us to reach the consumers we want on the device they want," said Paula Lopes, marketing manager for Unilever. "This campaign shows how innovative both Nokia and Unilever are when it comes to reaching consumers."

Nokia and F.biz, Unilever's mobile agency, developed the mobile advertising campaign including:

-- A customized device -- the Nokia 5200 Pink packaging came with a Seda Teens-branded sleeve, phone jewelry and a folder presenting the Seda Teens offer;

-- Customized software preloaded with Seda Teens advertisements in the opening and closing screens, four Seda Teens 'themes,' a Seda-branded game and MP3s from a popular Brazilian band;

-- Bookmarks preloaded to the device, pointing to a Seda Teens game named "Dancing Star;"

-- A branded social networking site, accessible on both mobile and the traditional web, that allowed users to browse beauty and health tips, horoscopes and an area called "Experts," where they could submit questions on life; and

-- Banner ads that ran on the Nokia Media Network and decks of all major Brazilian mobile operators, leading to a download page for the game and the community site.

In addition to selling out inventory four times, the campaign generated twice the number of visits to the mobile site than the traditional website and more than 11,000 game downloads. The mobile website averaged a 10 percent click-through rate.

Nokia Interactive Advertising helps brands reach the potential global audience of 3.3 billion consumers with mobile devices. Through the Nokia Media Network and Nokia Interactive Solutions, Nokia Interactive Advertising provides brands with all they need to connect with and engage consumers with mobile advertising.

About Nokia

Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. We make a wide range of mobile devices with services and software that enable people to experience music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games, business mobility and more. Developing and growing our offering of consumer Internet services, as well as our enterprise solutions and software, is a key area of focus. We also provide equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.

Motorola is on the hunt for South Africa’s next music sensation with the launch of MOTOROKR™ STAR.

I have had the priveledge of personally being involved in this campaign, where we developed the Mobi-site and mobile Multimedia components. Needless to say I am very proud of what we have accomplished and as such am posting the official press release on my blog.

The campaign is SENSATIONAL with Wyclef Jean and Fergie - teaming up to record and produce the winners track. Motorola have moved into the music scene with their Rokr range of phones as well as the incredible w230, which is a low end phone with multimedia capability and comes with a 2gig memory card - for R566. Mindblowing!

This campaign is well positioned with their strategy and is set to give local talent a step up to the international platform of musical stardom. If only I could sing!

US Superstars Wyclef Jean and Fergie team up with Motorola for SA MOTOROKR™ STAR

Johannesburg, South Africa – 14 November 2008 – Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today announced the launch of MOTOROKR STAR, a sensational competition to discover and promote new musical talent.

The competition, which will be judged by music icons and Motorola brand ambassadors Wyclef Jean and Fergie, gives one South African finalist the chance to experience the life of a superstar with an all expenses paid trip to New York. One budding pop star will then be chosen to win an amazing prize, which includes the chance to record a brand new song specially written by Wyclef Jean for the competition, vocal coaching by acclaimed singer Fergie and a recording contract with a major record label.

“We are so excited about the launch of MOTOROKR STAR,” said Andrew Morely, Vice President of Marketing for Mobile Devices EMEA, Motorola. “Our ROKR products give music fans a portable way to enjoy their music; twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This competition is going to be a fantastic way to unleash a new breed of musical talent for consumers to experience.”

The MOTOROKR™ STAR COMPETITION

Entry

Participants can submit entries in three ways:

Mobile Submit a video audition to www.motorokrstar.mobi

Web Submit a video audition to www.motorokrstar.com

Live From 1st Nov 2008, the MOTOROKR Star Audition Booth tour will visit six major shopping centres across the country to allow participants to record and upload their entries in a recording booth.

Voting

Members of the public can log onto www.motorokrstar.com and vote for their favourite entries.

In January 2009, the 100 most popular tracks will be judged by a panel of music industry experts to find the top 10 entries for South Africa.

Finalists

The top ten SA finalists will be announced and the South African winner will be selected by Sony Music and Wyclef. The SA winner will receive an all expenses paid trip to New York to participate in the final leg of the competition and the nine runners ups will each receive a MTN Exploded Management program.

Winner – THE MOTOROKR STAR

An expert judging panel, which will include Wyclef and Fergie, will then choose the ultimate winner. The MOTOROKR STAR will receive:

• A recording contract with a major record label*

• Vocal coaching by Fergie
  

• A 12 month management deal* with Maximum Artist Management, whose clients include The White Stripes, Eva Longoria and Elisha Cuthbert
  

• The opportunity to record a song specially written by Wyclef Jean for the MOTOROKR STAR competition
  

Celebrating the ROKR range

The MOTOROKR STAR competition celebrates Motorola’s ROKR™ range of mobile phones.

MOTO W230:

Lose yourself in Music with the MOTO W230’s onboard MP3 player, stereo FM radio and dedicated music keys for quick access to and control of your music. With up to 1GB expandable memory, upgradeable to 2 GB you can store up to 500 songs for your entertainment. RRP R566

MOTOROKR™ E8:

The flagship ROKR product, the E8 uses Modeshift™ technology to seamlessly shift between talk, music and pictures. The haptics keypad technology and the Fastscroll navigation wheel make for the perfect combination of style and function.RRP R2499

MOTO™ EM30:

One moment ROKR EM30 is a mobile phone. The next, it transforms into your favourite music player. It uses Motorola’s innovative ModeShift technology to illuminate the keyboard — red keys illuminate in music mode and a brilliant blue keypad appears in phone mode — to take users from talk to text1 to complete music immersion at the touch of a button. With colourful cues that let users know exactly which mode they are in, the ROKR EM30 connects the sounds that matter most: family, friends and favourite artists. RRP R1999

MOTO™ EM325:

The EM325 offers a genuine music-player experience with immediate access to a stored music library or built-in FM radio with Radio Data System technology. The EM325 includes up to 2GB optional removable microSD storage, which gives users plenty of space for their music. RRP R 999

* Subject to individual contracts being signed

About Motorola

Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications. The company develops technologies, products and services that make mobile experiences possible. Our portfolio includes communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility solutions, digital set-tops, cable modems, mobile devices and Bluetooth accessories. Motorola is committed to delivering next generation communication solutions to people, businesses and governments. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $36.6 billion in 2007. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit http://www.motorola.com.

About MOTOROKR STAR

For terms, conditions and further information, please visit www.motorola.com/motorokrstar or SMS ROKR to 39066.