Wii-a-Week Giveaway

Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, a Mo7 client, is running a market-wide mobile campaign in the Austin, Texas. The Wii-A-Week Campaign includes a text-to-win contest. Texters can win a Nintendo Wii console is given away each week, and a 42 inch Flat-panel plasma HDTV is the grand prize at the end of the promotion. The contest is being promoted in Austin Popeyes locations.

Popeyes is also sending mobile coupons to drive repeat business. In fact, the combination of sending value-laden coupons, which can be redeemed immediately, to a database of self-qualified Popeye's fans has produced a startling statistic: virtually none of the consumers receiving weekly Popeyes coupons on their cell phones has opted out of the process.

Text "Popeyes1" to 777111. Go to www.PopeyesWiiContest.com.

Is the Cellphone the Next Great Marketing Frontier?

By: Scott Forrest, Managing Partner of Mo7

With 250 million wireless subscribers in the U.S. and more than 3 million in Houston, the short answer is "Yes." The potential is there to draw big numbers. And a cell phone is, by nature, the most personal communication device a person owns, so it also has great potential to elicit a response. But because it's so personal, marketing on a cell phone needs to be done with great care and consideration.

The cell phone is probably the last spam free place on earth. Effective mobile marketing isn't spam, but relies on a simple opt-in technique. Consumers reach out, using text messaging, to indicate they want what is being offered. The key is that they can do this the moment they see or hear an advertisement. It's an instantaneous direct response vehicle that lets them download information, offers, incentives or digital products in real time right to their cell phones, and every communication after that must include an opt-out function.

The mobile marketer always has a living, breathing database of people who are interested in what he's offering.



Published in the Houston Business Journal during the Week of January 11-17, 2008.

Mo7 is a member of the Mobile Marketing Association!

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is the premier global non-profit association that strives to stimulate the growth of mobile marketing and its associated technologies. The MMA is a global organization with over 500 members representing over forty countries. MMA members include agencies, advertisers, hand held device manufacturers, carriers and operators, retailers, software providers and service providers, as well as any company focused on the potential of marketing via mobile devices.

Mo7 Mobile Interactive Marketing was the sole text messaging provider for the 2007 Army Navy Football game in Baltimore, MD. The Army used in-stadium LED board messaging, as well as display ads in the Game Program and a pre-game flyer program to drive opt-ins. Texters were told they could receive $2,000 for referring a recruit, plus given a url to an Army web site where they could learn more about the referral program.

Who Is Surfing the Mobile Web?

Research on mobile web demographics is still in its infancy, but the picture is slowly emerging like a Polaroid being waved in the air. And the picture bodes well for traditional TV advertisers who have been frustrated by diminishing audiences of young adults.

Nielsen recently reported that 25% of 18-34 year olds used mobile web technology earlier this year. That number, it's assumed, is larger now. And it outpaces, by a wide margin, all other demos.

Among the 12+ population, only 14% used the mobile web. What's surprising is that virtually the same number of teens (15%) reported mobile web use.

And the skew is decidedly male (55%). Not overwhelming, but significant.

What's not apparent is how these people accessed the mobile web. Did they go through their carrier's deck? Did they log onto a site on their own? Or did they click on an SMS-delivered link as part of a text promotion?

The details will emerge as to the best way to facilitate mobile web engagement. But for now, the signs are very encouraging. Especially for advertising who are seeing their target 18-34 demo slip out the back door and leave traditional media sitting alone at the table.

Mo7 Mobile Rules of Engagement: Wrap up

[This is the final installment of this week's series on Engagement. Previous posts are listed below.]

Mobile has tremendous power to engage. Think through your mobile campaign from the perspective of the consumer.

People who use mobile to access your marketing expect to unleash an immediate chain reaction. Make sure it happens for them.

They're letting you into a very personal area of their lives. Feel priviledged. And reward them for it. Make it feel good for them. Whether you're delivering info, access or an instant win, make sure they're gratified by the experience.

The last thing using your cell phone should be is the first thing it often is: difficult! So make it simple. Think it through from the consumer's perspective. Simplicity, ease and convenience will yield results.

Apply our “Mobile Rules of Engagement,” and you’re bound to increase engagement...and ROI with your mobile campaigns.

Mobile Rule of Engagement #3: Convenience

[Part 3 in this week's series on "Engagement." See below for previous posts in this series.]

We are, after all, marketing to people on the go. So keep it simple. In fact, our company’s slogan is: “Mobile marketing made simple.”

Long ago, we recognized that CMOs and marketing directors didn’t have time to adequately deal with all of the intricacies of mobile. They barely had time to manage their mainstream marketing channels. They’re so busy that we needed to make it turnkey.

Mobile consumers are just as busy, so simplify. For instance, we tell clients to provide easy to take action-steps in every communication. And include a WAP link that is barebones, so it downloads quickly to the consumer’s cell phone.

We use drop-down menus whenever possible, to reduce the need for typing. And we try to surround the end-user with multiple response channels that are all just a click away and simple to navigate.