Promoseven offers specialized services in developing successful mobile based marketing campaigns, that are usually integrated within a well crafted engagement plan for our clients' brands.

Advertising via the mobile device is here to stay. With an increasing demand in our region for mobile connectivity, it is becoming imperative for brands to be able to reach their target audience via the mobile device.

In November 2009, the Mobile Marketing Association updated its definition of Mobile Marketing: 'Mobile Marketing is a set of practices that enables organizations to communicate and engage with their audience in an interactive and relevant manner through any mobile device or network'.

Mobile marketing via SMS

Marketing on a mobile phone has become increasingly popular ever since the rise of SMS (Short Message Service) in the early 2000s in Europe and some parts of Asia when businesses started to collect mobile phone numbers and send off wanted (or unwanted) content. In our MENA region, this is the most common method of mobile marketing. It has ben used extensively by many global and local brands, but often brands fall in to a 'broadcast trap' where they send off sms messages to a 'rented list' – and those messages usually have very low response rates.

Over the past few years SMS has become a popular and legitimate advertising channel in some parts of the world. This is because unlike email over the public internet, the carriers who police their own networks have set guidelines and best practices for the mobile media industry (including mobile advertising).

The IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) and the Mobile Marketing Association, as well, have established guidelines and are evangelizing the use of the mobile channel for marketers. While this has been fruitful in developed regions such as North America, Western Europe and some other countries, mobile SPAM messages (SMS sent to mobile subscribers without a legitimate and explicit opt-in by the subscriber) remain an issue in many other parts or the world, partly due to the carriers selling their member databases to third parties. This is common practice in our region, and today sms marketing has a pretty bad reputatoin – if done without proper targeting or opt in by the target audience.

SMS services typically run off a short code, but sending text messages to an email address is another methodology. Short codes are 5 or 6 digit numbers that have been assigned by all the mobile operators in a given country for the use of brand campaign and other consumer services. The mobile operators vet every application before provisioning and monitor the service to make sure it does not diverge from its original service description.

Mobile marketing via MMS

MMS mobile marketing can contain a timed slideshow of images, text, audio and video. This mobile content is delivered via MMS (Multimedia Message Service). Nearly all new phones produced with a color screen are capable of sending and receiving standard MMS message. Brands are able to both send (mobile terminated) and receive (mobile originated) rich content through MMS A2P (application-to-person) mobile networks to mobile subscribers. In some networks, brands are also able to sponsor messages that are sent P2P (person-to-person).

Mobile marketing via Bluetooth

The rise of Bluetooth started around 2003 and a few companies in Europe have started establishing successful businesses. Most of these businesses offer "hotspot" systems which consist of some kind of content-management system with a Bluetooth distribution function. This technology has the advantages that it is permission-based, has higher transfer speeds and is also a radio-based technology and can therefore not be billed (i.e. is free of charge).

So, what do we know about effective mobile marketing?
1. Effective mobile messaging is really all about an interaction or dialog, not just a one way message sent out to a random rented database. Mobiles offer a unique opportunity for interaction – they are there with our target audience 24/7, and they are very personal devices
2. Invasive marketing is something that just doesn't work. Trust is a crucial factor, as the mobile medium is very personal. Gain permission and offer relevant and timely content.
3. It's important to engage in a interaction – a two-way communication, through other media such ads, billboards, the web etc. Similarly, mobile interaction with those mediums should ideally also be a part of the communications mix.
4. Be careful about targeting your demographics and make your ask accordingly. Not all demographics will react positively to a special offer on a pizza sent late in the evening.
5. Be multi-media. Integrate your mobile marketing and messaging into your entire media and messaging campaing; do not let mobile be an add-on - it shows, and it costs you if not done well.

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