Monthly Archives: January 2013

Jan 31 2013

Hooters ‘drives uptake of promotions via SMS messaging’

Summary: US restaurant chain Hooters has been advertising its latest food promotions by sending its customers a text.

Hooters has been spreading the message about its latest food promotion by targeting consumers through their mobile phones.

The well-known US restaurant chain used SMS messaging at the weekend as part of its new mobile marketing strategy, Mobile Marketer reports.

After receiving a text message reading ‘Hooters VIP: Show this text today (January 27th) and buy ten wings and get ten wings free with the purchase of a drink! Dine in only’, people became well aware they could get their hands on some free food at the popular eatery.

Rachel Jensen, director of marketing at State of Text, Denver, which powers Hooters’ SMS campaigns, was quoted as saying: “Hooters recognises the value of SMS when it comes to driving foot-traffic to their locations and offering valuable promotions that show appreciation to their patrons.”

Indeed, a marketing strategy that reaches consumers so quickly and directly is likely to be advantageous to any firm that adopts it, so companies may want to be looking for new ways they too can integrate text messaging into their customer service.

While the buy-ten-wings-get-ten-free promotion from Hooters is evidently a clever move from the restaurant, this is not only occasion the chain has used the power of mobile to build up its SMS database.

In 2010, Hooters of America organised a nationwide mobile sweepstake that was advertised in all 380 of its domestic locations.

Through the text-to-win promotion, Hooters fans were in with a chance to win a life-changing trip for two to Las Vegas, where they could meet country legend Kenny Chesney during his concert at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Hooters arranged this once-in-a-lifetime prize after signing a partnership with Chesney’s NoShoesRadio.com, which hosted the text-to-win campaign. This involved individuals entering by texting the word KENNY to short code 36832.

The diner continued to ramp its mobile marketing strategy up a gear in 2011, when it rolled out a drive to increase awareness of its brand. For this move, Hooters used mobile bar codes and popular social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to excite more interest among consumers who may not have previously heard of it.

Social media in particular is an area that mobile marketers will find crucial to their strategy, as more people worldwide choose to access networking sites via their smartphones and tablets over their laptops or PCs.

Evidence for this was revealed in recent research conducted by eMarketer, which suggested companies that want to see an increase in annual profits should take note of the rising presence of mobile and act on it accordingly.

Another attempt Hooters made to win over customers via their mobile phones is a SMS campaign that gave people the chance to enter a competition that could see them win a trip to a destination of their choice.

Ms Jensen told the news provider State of Text – which offers a variety of mobile services, from marketing to commerce – is always striving to upgrade its software so that it can accommodate the needs of clients like Hooters adding that this is important, as it means brands can “leverage SMS for national campaigns down to the store-by-store level”.

http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/messaging/14668.html

http://kamino.directnews.co.uk/Article/ArticlePreview?articleId=801521941

Dynmark’s extensive experience in working with the food and drinks industries has allowed us to develop specific techniques to support business in their mobile communications. We understand the requirements of the industry and can provide services to suit your business. Read more about Dynmark’s hospitality experience here.

Jan 30 2013

Mobile Brand Masterclass in Barcelona ‘not to be missed’

Summary: Mobile marketers should be looking to attend the Mobile Brand Masterclass in Barcelona next month.

With mobile marketing set to become increasingly central to firms’ strategies in the next 12 months, it may be wise for employees to attend as many events on the subject as possible.

One occasion they will not want to miss is the Mobile Brand Masterclass in Barcelona, which is taking place in the Spanish city on February 26th.

According to a statement published on its website, the Mobile Brand & Agency Masterclass will be showing senior brand and advertising agency executives how they can deploy the latest mobile marketing techniques and tools within their organisation and use them to generate business or retail loyal customers.

It is also an excellent chance for representatives of various firms to share views on the future of mobile marketing and educate one another about their own practices.

A whole host of subjects are due to be discussed at the global meeting, from transactional mobile applications and mobile-optimised sites to tablet strategies, mobile customer relationship management and advertising.

The conference is also due to feature appearances from some of the biggest pioneers of mobile marketing and will provide business leaders with the chance to network and learn more about how to interact with consumers on their handset.

Free to attend, representatives from major brands such as Tripadvisor, Lufthansa, Bauer Media, Centrica, Net-a-Porter and Intercontinental Hotels Group have already confirmed they will be going to the half-day event.

Short presentations from mobile experts are on the bill for the workshop, which will be followed by structured roundtable knowledge exchange sessions and a keynote panel consisting of heads from major global brands who will give details about their own mobile journey.

Firms that are looking to attend the Mobile Brand Masterclass must register on the event’s website and all delegates will be presented with a VIP pass to the Mobile Marketing Mixer.

Taking place after the conference, this party is one of the most exclusive networking parties to be held in Barcelona and will see attendees mingle with other mobile strategies in a restored Mortiz beer factory.

http://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/content/mobile-brand-masterclass-heads-barcelona

http://www.mobilemarketingmagazine.com/mixer/

http://www.masterclassing.com/events/mobile-masterclass-barcelona/

Dynmark is the power behind global cloud mobile messaging and mobile marketing. We help organisations from SME through to global enterprise, to leverage the power of messaging as a business communication tool, for marketing or operational uses. Read more about Dynmark here.

Jan 30 2013

Top 100 brands ‘improving mobile marketing efforts’

Summary: The UK’s top 100 brands are beginning to ramp up efforts to integrate mobile into their marketing strategies.

Mobile marketing is becoming more of a priority for the UK’s top 100 brands, as many strive to optimise their websites for use on personal devices.

This is according to new research conducted by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), which showed there has been a significant rise in the number of companies adapting their sites for use on mobiles in the last six months.

It was revealed in the body’s mobile optimisation study that 57 per cent of the top firms have ramped up efforts to deliver an effective service on handsets, up from the 37 per cent recorded previously.

Using Google’s Get Mobile Meter tool to assess the strategies of the top 100 advertisers in Britain, the IAB measured the progress of organisations in sectors such as automotive, fast moving consumers goods (FMCG), finance and retail.

It found the industries that have delivered the biggest boost to mobile marketing in the last half-year are FMCG – up by 267 per cent – media and technology and telecommunications, which were both up by 150 per cent.

Alex Kozloff, senior mobile manager at the IAB, said the report found brands are moving in the right direction, but with 40 per cent of companies still not optimising their mobile sites, there is still more that needs to be done to promote the integration of mobile into wider strategies.

He added: “It is encouraging to see that the effort the IAB, our mobile council and the wider industry has put into this area is starting to pay off and we will continue to work with our members to help companies make mobile mandatory in 2013.”

Moving forward, the IAB said it will spend this year getting brands and industry practitioners to make mobile marketing mandatory and flagging up the fact that 66 per cent of mobile owners in the UK – that’s 32.7 million people – are now using their device to surf the web every month.

http://www.iabuk.net/about/press/archive/brands-sharply-accelerate-mobile-focus

 

Dynmark is the power behind global cloud mobile messaging and mobile marketing. We help organisations from SME through to global enterprise, to leverage the power of messaging as a business communication tool, for marketing or operational uses. Read more about Dynmark here.

 

Jan 29 2013

Mobile privacy ‘a growing concern among Brits’

 

Summary: Internet security concerns among mobile users in the UK are on the rise.

Mobile users of all ages in the UK are becoming increasingly worried about the security of information they contain on their handsets.

This is according to new research carried out by Ipsos MORI on behalf of TRUSTe, which found a vast majority of Brits between 16 and 75-years-old who connect to the internet on their devices have concerns about their online privacy and user mistrust is on the rise.

It was also revealed in the 2013 Great Britain Consumer Confidence Index report – which was published to coincide with Data Privacy Day today (January 28th) – that these anxieties have swelled over the last 12 months and at present, 66 per cent of smartphone owners are more concerned about mobile security than they were a year ago.

In addition, more than three-quarters (79 per cent) of individuals questioned admitted they tend to avoid downloading applications that they think will not protect their private details.

Danilo Labovic, EU managing director of TRUSTe, said the launch of the EU Cookie Directive has helped to boost awareness about how consumers can have more control and transparency over online tracking.

The regulations relate to the ways in which companies and individuals utilise cookies and similar technologies for storing information and state all websites must obtain consent from consumers before using them.

Mr Labovic explained a number of UK companies have made the effort to comply with the rule changes, but Brits are still concerned about the security risks posed to them.

“With ecommerce booming and mobile phones predicted to overtake PCs as the most popular way to get online, it’s clear that privacy and in particular mobile privacy is the latest red-hot issue for consumers and must be a priority for businesses this year,” he added.

This may be something for mobile marketers to bear in mind when working on their latest campaign, as if they want to succeed, it is important for them to earn customers’ trust in their brand.

It was discovered in the TRUSTe study that overall, online privacy concerns are present among 88 per cent of British internet users and while this is a two per cent drop from 2012, mistrust and worries about the potential impact of security breaches on business is increasing sharply, up six per cent from 2012 findings.

Indeed, more than nine in ten (91 per cent) of connected individuals – up three per cent from last year – admitted to avoiding doing business with firms they have privacy concerns about.

Mr Labovic said it doesn’t matter if you are operating an ecommerce website or running a mobile application – companies that do not have the trust of their users are sure to fail.

He remarked: “As a Data Privacy Day Champion, we will continue to highlight to businesses that they should take consumer privacy concerns seriously and take decisive action to increase consumer confidence online.”

This comes after California Attorney General Kamala Harris recently introduced her office’s recommendations for mobile app security, when she stated amidst the buzz of all the amazing platforms and games being released into the sector, users’ privacy can often become less of a priority.

She said the bottom line is that consumers should be made aware of what personal details they are sharing and with whom, as there are security challenges with mobile devices that go beyond those associated with PCs and laptops.

http://www.truste.com/about-TRUSTe/press-room/news_truste_UK_increase_in_mobile_privacy_concerns

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/01/california-attorney-general-releases-mobile-privacy-recommendations

http://www.cookielaw.org/

http://www.modbee.com/2013/01/13/2531185/ag-is-ahead-of-the-mobile-privacy.html

Dynmark is the power behind global cloud mobile messaging and mobile marketing. We help organisations from SME through to global enterprise, to leverage the power of messaging as a business communication tool, for marketing or operational uses. Read more about Dynmark here.

 

Jan 28 2013

Fox rouses interest in Glee through new mobile ad campaign

Summary: Fox has launched a new mobile marketing campaign to promote the new season of Glee.

Fox is exciting interest in the new season of hit TV show Glee by rolling out a new marketing campaign to mobile users.

The broadcasting company’s new advertisement features a banner ad with the words “Glee Returns Tonight 9/8c Fox” written across it and from there, consumers are redirected to the official mobile Glee site.

Here is where fans are able to browse through clips related to the programme, photos of the cast and information about the crew, Mobile Marketer reports. A Glee Trivia quiz is also included for individuals to have a go at testing their knowledge about the show.

Operated through People’s mobile site, the campaign is highlighting the importance of reaching people on-the-go in real-time and shows how time-sensitive efforts can be beneficial to marketers.

Marci Troutman, chief executive officer of SiteMinis, Atlanta, claimed one of the best aspects of mobile marketing is its ability to run an advert for handsets that give individuals updated information as and when it is posted.

Companies are also able to make a change to the mobile ad the next day, “without a significant amount of prep work,” she was quoted as saying, adding: “There is less risk of running an outdated ad that wouldn’t be relevant.”

This is not the first time Fox has launched a major marketing campaign seeking to attract the attention of mobile users. In 2010, it organised a content alongside Appnation that sought to to find the web developer who could create the most “pimped-out” mobile application and offered the winner a $10,000 (£6,325) prize.

According to Ms Troutman, the new Fox ad could earn Glee more viewers through its click-through system to the mobile-optimised site, as it opens up more opportunities to find out about the cast and people can watch video clips from the show.

She stated people are likely to be drawn to the idea of being able to share and discuss the programme via Twitter or Facebook and the campaign offers “a stickiness factor that would encourage the site to be visited more often”.

http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/advertising/14646.html

Dynmark is the power behind global cloud mobile messaging and mobile marketing. We help organisations from SME through to global enterprise, to leverage the power of messaging as a business communication tool, for marketing or operational uses. Read more about Dynmark here.