Re: Mobile advertising

From: Sean Dillon <sean_at_telegraph.co.uk>
Date: Wed 04 Sep 2002 08:41:45 -0500

Dejan Bizinger <dejan_at_lysts.com> wrote:

> What do you think about advertising thru mobile phones and other
> mobile devices? Do you think that it will be the next big thing?

Firstly I can't stand that phrase 'next big thing' :-)
And I think too many people have been bitten by such
glib remarks from consultants about such technology
in the past that we really need to be a bit more
imaginative with out language :-)
 
> I belive that, when imaging phones will have a big market, and when
> we will have a little bit larger screens, there will be plenty of
> options for mobile advertising. However, I think that not many
> people will like it. I think that this will change our approach for
> reading SMS (or to say MMS). I mean, these days, when I get SMS I
> read it ASAP. However, when there will be a lot of MMS ads people
> won't react so quickly.

Currently SMS is HUGE in the UK, latest stats suggest well in excess
of
1,000,000,000 messages are sent in the UK alone, this figure rises
monthly and has shown no real sign of reducing, indeed it has now
become so widespread that we even have television shows that
incorporate sms/mobile messaging into the game play of the show
itself.
Further Big Brother recently included SMS voting into it's
new-media repertoire which by all accounts proved very successful.

MMS on the other hand is showing slow signs of take off, not least
in my view because of the current ad-tag-line by T-Mobile which is
along the lines 'be the first to send pictures by phone' or similar,
not appreciating the irony that if you're the first that you'll
have no-one else to send them to.

Handsets for the MMS-enabled phones currently retail at approx ?200
if you take out a airtime-contract which puts them out of the reach
of the average consumer.

However, I believe that wide scale marketing to people on their phone
will be disastrous for many people. Why? Well, put simply the
mobile/cell-phone is a very personal and intimate device, something
we cherish, customise with different facia and personalise with our
own ringtones. The immediacy of response to SMS is something that
marketers are looking to exploit... I say do so at your own risk
as you're going to have to be absolutely bloody well be spot on on
the product you're trying to flog me.

I mean, how do you feel when you get a random cold-call at home
trying to sell you double-glazing or insurance. It is equivalent.


 
> Do you often get SMS commercials?

I get approx 1-3 per day, but then I haven't let my number
become public property yet :-)

The most effective use of SMS I've come across is in the
reverse-billing of services (such as Big Brother voting or
premium services such as football (soccer to you guys) scores as
they happen or interactive games.

Either way it has to be permission based, without the authority
from the end user to send them messages you're on to loser.
Get that persons agreement and provide a service they want
and watch the money roll in.



Sean


PS: Just flicking through a press mag and came across a piece about
Vodafone's new Extendible Banner ad from which you can send an SMS
message... which has really impressed me as being one of the most
useful banners I've ever seen. SMS is one of the areas that Europe
is streets ahead of the US, it's worth keeping an eye on what happens
here to see how it will filter down that side of the pond.


Sean Dillon
Traffic Manager
www.telegraph.co.uk

e: sean_at_telegraph.co.uk
t: 020-7531-3236
f: 020-7538-7236

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Received on Wed Sep 04 2002 - 08:41:45 CDT