The Graying of MySpace

OCTOBER 13, 2006

Do grown-ups really want in on the party?

Last week's release of audience demographics for MySpace set the industry abuzz. Was the MySpace crowd really that old?

New data from Nielsen//NetRatings reconfirm what comScore Media Metrix told us last week.

Nearly half (46%) of MySpace's US-based visitors in September were ages 35 and older, up from 38% a year ago, according to NetRatings. Visitors in the 12-17 age group slipped from 31.5% of the total audience to 20.0%.

Data released last week by comScore revealed that 51.6% of US MySpace visitors were 35 or older as of August. Teens dropped from 24.7% to 11.9% of total unique visitors.

Will a lot more MySpace profiles look like the one maintained by 53-year-old Nintendo VP George Harrison, whose page highlights his favorite movie (Dr. Zhivago) and his interest in historical nonfiction?

It is doubtful. Tracking the percentage of old folks who visit the site is only part of the story, and may not even be all that relevant in the long term. What is far more relevant is the amount of time people spend on MySpace and how they interact with the content and marketing messages there.

As blogger Fred Stutzman pointed out, "A parent knows that their child has a Myspace page. That parent visits Myspace.com, attempting to learn about the service. In Comscore's index, they would be validly counted as a unique visitor." But these visitors are not necessarily regular users of the site.

Young people still account for a vast proportion of usage of MySpace. They spend more time there than older people — which means it is quite likely that a lot of those middle-agers turning up in the NetRatings and comScore data are looky-loos who are there for work (see: George Harrison), who keep tabs on their kids' activities or who are just plain curious.

"The average 12- to 17-year-old spent 260 minutes on MySpace and viewed about 808 pages. By contrast, the average 35- to 54-year-old spent 179 minutes on the site and took in 560 pages," Ad Age reported earlier this week (but did not cite the source of the data).

In other words, teens consumed 44% more content and spent 45% more time there. Those are much more intriguing statistics to pay attention to.

US Mobile Text Ads Move Slowly

OCTOBER 16, 2006

RU text-savvy?

In what is billed as the "first definitive metrics for mobile advertising,"M:Metrics found that a sizable percentage of mobile subscribers are responding to short codes placed in advertisements or other media.

Of the five countries surveyed, Spain topped the list with 29% of mobile users responding to ads, followed by the UK at 18.5% and France at 10%. The US and Germany were both under 10%.

"These numbers are not unlike what we saw in e-mail response during the mid-1990's as the Web emerged [as] an advertising medium," said Will Hodgman, CEO of M:Metrics.

Contests — such as game or reality television shows or chances to win free merchandise — were the leading driver of responses, with 18 million subscribers across the geographies reporting they participated.

Again, Spain showed the highest rate of participation, at 18%, followed by the UK and France, with the US and Germany lagging.

Not surprisingly, the number of subscribers receiving SMS ads is growing.

In Spain, 67% of mobile subscribers reported receiving an SMS ad, with France at 50%, followed by the UK, Germany and the US, where slightly less than 13% of SMS users reported receiving ads.

The largest source of the ads, by a wide margin, were the mobile operators themselves.

"Remember the early days of the Internet, when spam was still a meat by-product?" said Mr. Hodgman. "At that time your Internet service provider was the major commercial e-mailer in promoting their services. It appears that the mobile operator is functioning in the same capacity today on mobile. It will not be long before brand advertisers supersede the mobile operators, though, given the robust activity and consumer response rates we are already seeing in the medium after only a few years of the existence of common short codes."

Routes to the best deals may not always be direct

Those popular search sites help bargain hunters narrow their choices, but they still have a way to go.

October 15, 2006, LATimes.com

SEARCHING online for the best travel deals can be a time-consuming proposition. On average, most consumers visit more than three websites to compare prices. The promise of travel search websites such as Kayak, SideStep and Mobissimo is that they help with some of the heavy lifting of finding the best travel deals online. But they are not yet perfect.

They differ from online travel agencies such as Travelocity and Orbitz in that they do not actually make bookings but send consumers directly to other websites, where travelers can finalize and pay for the deals they find. They comb through dozens of websites, including Travelocity and Orbitz, as well as so-called travel supplier websites such as those operated by the airlines or hotel chains.

The deal-finding websites have been popular with consumers. SideStep has been around as a pop-up application for six years. It has been downloaded by more than 9 million users and, since launching a search website two years ago, has become the 11th most popular travel site as ranked by Hitwise, a New York-based research company that tracks individual usage of the Internet. Kayak's website, which has also been around for two years, is the 10th most popular.

This popularity has gained the attention of Forbes.com, which last month announced a partnership with SideStep to provide its travel booking function on Forbes' new website, ForbesTraveler.com. It builds on the Forbes brand of websites and aims to appeal to higher-end travelers.

ForbesTraveler.com will feature original content aimed at helping the high-end traveler create better vacations. And although folks in these tax brackets probably are not looking for the cheapest way to enjoy a vacation, they are not averse to finding a good deal on a four- or five-star hotel, which is where SideStep becomes useful. Rich people usually don't get that way by being foolish with money.

The search results for those using SideStep via ForbesTraveler.com will be filtered to show those four- and five-star properties first, said John Robison, senior vice president of product development for SideStep.

"We've modified the default content to appeal more to their higher-end customer," he said. If someone wants to see results for hotels with lower star ratings, they can click a button to change the search.

It is one example of how these search engines are not yet the end-all and be-all in one-stop travel shopping. They are powerful and useful tools, but they still require consumers to make certain they are getting the best possible deals for their travel preferences.

Also, while the sites search the vast majority of the websites selling travel, doing a little legwork on your own might still save you money.

A recent survey by Hitwise found that about 40% of the search results at Kayak went to an online travel agency such as Travelocity, while only 20% went directly to a travel supplier site. The remaining 40% visited non-travel-related sites after leaving Kayak. (SideStep sent 28% to agencies and 19% directly to suppliers.)

These findings matter to consumers because, unlike travel supplier sites where you buy directly from the source, online travel agencies add booking fees. And although the fees are not outrageous, they do add up.

I went to Kayak.com to test this principle for myself. I found an example on my first search.

I searched for a flight between LAX and London's Heathrow International Airport in mid-October. I was given an array of choices, all around $700. (These prices are for illustration only and may no longer be available.). I was also given a choice of a $576 fare, including taxes and fees, if I was willing to fly into London's Gatwick Airport on Northwest Airlines with one stop in Minneapolis.

That seemed like a great deal, so I clicked on it and was taken to the online travel agency Cheap Tickets.com (www.cheaptickets.com), an advertiser on Kayak. There was no direct link to Northwest Airlines, though Kayak does search it for fares, said Drew Patterson, vice president of marketing for Kayak.

I then went to Northwest's website (www.nwa.com) to see if I could duplicate or better the fare. I found the exact same flights for $7 less — the cost of the booking fee at Cheap Tickets.com.

Certainly seven bucks isn't a lot of money, but multiply it by two or more tickets and it starts to add up. And although it took only five minutes to find that fare at Northwest, Kayak should have taken me there to begin with.

"I acknowledge that the technology on the site is still growing and maturing," said Kayak's Patterson. "We're not foolproof yet."

And in its defense, Kayak alerted me to the lower fare option to begin with. Fortunately, I knew enough to take the search a step further.

Here's what consumers should do: Always check with the supplier's site directly, whether you are sent there by a search engine or you go there on your own. The money you save may not always be huge, but it is, after all, your money.

Even the well-heeled travelers who visit ForbesTraveler.com can appreciate that.

The Hottest Out-of-Home Technologies

Ad Age's Abbey Klaassen Tells You How Once-Static Outdoor Is Now Truly Interactive

By Abbey Klaassen - AdAge.com

Published: October 02, 2006

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Outdoor is getting more inventive every day, thanks to technologies that allow the once static billboards to be truly interactive. With more cellphones now equipped with Bluetooth, consumers can request more information or download music, while "digital ink" lets marketers change their messages and video screens respond to a touch.

Digital ink lets marketers alter messages throughout the day.

Bluetooth
It was a big trend-to-watch last year, and it's bigger this year. While only about 14% of phones were equipped a year ago, that number is about 30%, said Saul Kato, CEO at Qwikker (formerly Wideray), a San Francisco company that has mostly launched Bluetooth campaigns in the U.K. but is beginning to market the technology in the U.S. In fact, 50% of new phones sold in the U.S. are Bluetooth-enabled. An advertiser can attach a Bluetooth transmitter -- usually no larger than a hockey puck -- to an ad, which then instructs users they can access the content by turning on their phones' Bluetooth function.

The new model, Mr. Kato said, is to push a mobile channel -- a set of rich content packaged into what is essentially a small, cached website so a phone doesn't have to stay connected to the Bluetooth transmitter to navigate the site. In the U.K., Quikker delivered a mobile World Cup channel for Yahoo through transmitters on ads in pubs. A similar deal with Red Bull delivered the Red Bull Air Race channel.

Around 50% of new cellphones in the U.S. are equipped with Bluetooth technology, which gives users the ability to download content from signs and billboards they pass.

Another company, Kameleon Mobile Technologies, is working with CBS Outdoor. And JC Decaux is using its own Bluetooth technology.

It doesn't cost the end user anything to download content via Bluetooth. And Mr. Kato said the mobile carriers like it because "we're helping the mobile industry get people onto a diet of content."

Digital Ink
Call it next-generation paper. While some major out-of-home players are starting to aggressively deploy LED and LCD screens, the most promising technology for broadly deploying dynamic outdoor advertising is digital ink.

How's this for a chemistry lesson? The technology for the "ink" is based on helix-shape molecules, which if stretched to a certain length reflect on color. Stretch them further and they reflect a different color. And so on. And unlike LCD and LED, digital ink looks bright in broad daylight.

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The technology costs significantly less than both LED and LCD to deploy and should increase the number of boards that support dynamic advertising, which allows marketers to change messages throughout the day and buy in dayparts (think McDonald's advertising breakfast sandwiches in the morning; Johnnie Walker advertising around happy hour). It will also eliminate printing costs.

Magink has been developing the product for six years and has been doing some trials abroad, most recently with Clear Channel Outdoor in the U.K. Ran Poliakin, founder-chief marketing officer, said to expect to see it in the U.S. as early as next year.

Interactive Video Screens
In May at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, Accenture launched a rather "Minority Report"-ish interactive video screen, which let travelers use their hands to manipulate content, including weather, news and Tiger Woods' greatest putts, on a 10-by-7-foot touch screen. A month later, it unveiled a similar screen at New York's Kennedy Airport. Right now the technology isn't being sold, but Accenture has been in discussions with several companies about commercializing it.

Accenture has set up video screens in airports that allow travelers to manipulate and scrol through content with their hands.

JC Decaux, meanwhile, is hoping to import from Europe video-embedded bus shelters that have a button users can push to choose which movie clip to watch.

Interactive video screens often are activated by text messaging. LocaModa allows people to use their mobile phones as a remote controls to call up content on an internet-connected video screen. Real-estate firms, for example, have begun using it to let passers-by browse their listings on flat-panel TVs.

Search Engine and Email Marketing are Re-Shaping Advertising Investments | By Duane Crandall

An estimated $270 billion is spent on advertising each year with approximately 90 percent of that invested in ‘traditional’ methods. As I’m sure you have heard, read or seen, the Internet is altering this at an increasingly rapid pace. In particular, Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and EMail Marketing (EMM) are quickly becoming the [advertising] industry standard for reaching, targeting, and selling to businesses and consumers alike.

In today’s ‘digital’ age traditional advertising and marketing mediums are quickly becoming antiquated. Of course these traditional mediums, such as newspaper, magazine, TV and radio will continue to exist for years to come, however their value to the paying businesses will increasingly be challenged by the Internet – primarily by Search Engine and [permission based] EMail Marketing.

Powerhouse online advertising companies like Google and Yahoo! are quickly proving this to businesses worldwide, as well as their investors that utilize Search Engine Marketing (SEM), generating a healthy ‘Return On Investment’. Their ability to reach such highly targeted users of the vast and growing Internet is mind-boggling. Furthermore, SEM is unique in that it is a ‘voluntary and non-intrusive’ means of attracting potential customers. This makes it appealing to Internet users because it effectively puts them in control.

With hundreds of millions of Internet users searching via Google, Yahoo, MSN and AOL daily this has become a ‘no-brainer’ marketing tool for B2C operations, but is it as good for B2B companies? A recent study of 1500 participants revealed some interesting facts:

• When participants were asked to indicate how they would go about making a B2B purchase, 93.2 percent said they would research the purchase online.
• When asked if they would use a search engine at some point in this task, 95.5 percent of participants indicated that they would.
• Most users decided which listing to click on in seconds upon scanning the page therefore position is a factor, with over 60 percent clicking on the top 3 listings.
• When asked where they would start their search for information, 63.9 percent of participants chose a search engine over consumer review sites, e-commerce sites, manufacturer’s sites, and industry portals.
• When taking budget into consideration, manufacturer’s sites and industry portals were the chosen starting place as budgets increased. However, 86.9 percent of participants said they would visit a search engine after visiting those sites.

It can be concluded from delving into this and other research that search engines play a dominant role in B2B purchases and I highly encourage all businesses to participate accordingly. Additionally, you will find that search engines are used in the early- or mid-research phase of the buying cycle. It is at this juncture your business should be well prepared with their EMail Marketing (EMM) messages – permission based of course – to maximize your Return On Marketing Investment (ROMI).

Because search engine research takes place early in the buying cycle it is critical that your business [moreover its web site] capitalize on this traffic by collecting three simple pieces of data about your visitors – Name, Phone and Email Address. Of course it is advantageous to collect additional profiling data from the visitors but often times you will lose more than you gain by attempting this too early in the sales cycle.

Once you have these data points your email marketing messages – which should follow suit with your sales message and process – can increase the likelihood of a sale. If you’re wondering how, let me elaborate. Your email messaging can be helpful in making the sale by automating your email message sequence, thus leaving more time for your sales staff to focus on closing the opportunities that are ready to be closed. These automated email messages still appear to come from the appropriate sales person and are personalized with the recipient’s name but each email message can serve your entire sales staff. Additionally, the email messaging sequence can be [automatically] altered based on how the recipient is interacting or not interacting with your email messages. Hopefully by now you can see the enormous time savings [making your sales team more productive] and brand strengthening email marketing can deliver.

Now, let’s address the fundamental reason both SEM and EMM are so popular and so valuable – analytics! Yes, big brother [that being your business] is watching, learning, analyzing and reacting to, almost in real time, what your potential buyers are searching for and clicking on.

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Imagine your sales team receiving leads like this:

Prospect Name: John Smith
Prospect Phone: 212-555-1234
Prospect Email: jsmith@xyzco.com

Keyword/phrase Used: Online Marketing Services

Date Searched: January 10, 2006
Date Subscribed: January 10, 2006

Email Activity

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Businesses are always looking for a way to save money, reduce the sale cycle, and increase ROMI. With the rising cost of print and broadcast marketing, marketers are quickly turning to Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Email Marketing (EMM). SEM ensures top rankings in Yahoo, Google, and other main search engines so your website is listed at the top and seen first in the sponsored links.

SEM allows you to find targeted traffic and EMM to follow-up with emails that can be personalized and segmented to those customers. Instead of paying an employee to track and pursue each lead, the cycle can be geared toward each prospective customers’ action automatically. Plus SEM and EMM also allow you to easily track your results and amount spent per conversion through reporting.

This translates quickly and easily into massive ROI. One of the best examples is taken from a current customer. With SEM and EMM, a leading golf retail customer saw an increase of 500% in sales revenue over the same month last year. This is not hard to believe when you consider the success and expense reduction that both of these methods provide together. Sending out a 1000 emails will probably cost you about $50.00 where as sending out 1000 printed materials will cost you at anywhere from $500-$15,000 with no reporting, and a long wait for results.

So remember, SEM and EMM are each like a scoop of ice cream. One scoop is good by itself, but two scoops are always better. So if you not using SEM and EMM, you are missing out on valuable opportunities to save money, reduce your sales cycle, and increase your ROMI.

MOBILE-PHONE ADVERTISING IS FOCUS OF CTIA CONFERENCE

But Many Fear Alienating Impact of Phone Spam

By Alice Z. Cuneo

Published: April 05, 2006

LAS VEGAS (AdAge.com) -- Marketing's role on mobile phones takes center stage this week as the wireless industry today opens one of its largest conferences ever, CTIA Wireless 2006.

High hopes for the growth of the mobile-phone advertising business are tempered by concerns about consumer reaction to phone spam.

"How to advertise on mobile search, mobile video, interstitials, opt-in procedures" -- those avenues are top of mind in a conference usually dominated by discussions of phone features, the wireless spectrum and other technical issues, said Mark Lowenstein, managing director of Boston-based mobile consultancy Mobile Ecosystem.

The new medium
With 200 million phones in circulation in the U.S., and 80% of them capable of downloading video, sending text messages and completing other so-called data-enabled functions, the wireless industry has begun focusing on their potential for marketing, and devising ways to attract more brands to the new medium.

In fact, MSNBC.com today led off the announcements at CTIA with news it was testing an ad-subsidized video service for cellphones. In the test, cellphone subscribers will have the option of receiving news and videos, and they'll have the ability to save stories for later reference. Microsoft's Windows Mobile and Embedded Devices Division is the ad sponsor.

"There's still a lot of figuring out," cautioned Louis Gump, chairman of the Mobile Marketing Association and VP-mobile at the Weather Channel. Mr. Gump led off a day-long session, "Marketing -- The Mobile Channel," yesterday.

Marketing intrusion?
Mr. Gump was concerned with one of mobile's most ticklish issues. Marketers might be drawn to the mobile phone because the devices are now indispensable to many consumers. But at the same time consumers view the phone as an intimate device and might resent a marketing intrusion. Mr. Gump and others are concerned that if subscribers are spammed with mobile marketing, the medium's potential will go the way of e-mail as a marketing tool.

The Mobile Marketing Association issues best-practices guidelines requiring double opt-in by consumers before they are charged for new promotions or applications. Mr. Gump said it was "critically important" that consumers "feel they have control over the experience."

"If we don't do things right, we're going to have to live with that for a long time," said Matt Jones, director-mobile products, USAToday.com.

In a positive sign for marketers, two speakers -- Kristen Fox, manager-product marketing, Mobile ESPN Publishing, and Jim Cannella, national director-corporate partnerships, House of Blues -- said they have experienced a very low opt-out rate with their mobile marketing efforts.

So far, marketers have used cellphones as a marketing tool through text-messaging polls, promotions and other short-code marketing programs. Advertising over the phone's more advanced features, such as mobile Web or mobile video, has been limited.

Out of the Wild West
Tom Burgess, CEO, Third Screen Media, said his company is getting from $35 to $50 cost-per-thousand for mobile advertising with a click-through rate of 3.5%, much higher than Web click-through rates. "We're evolving from the Wild West to a more stable environment," said Mr. Burgess, predicting mobile marketing ultimately will grow faster than marketing did on the Internet.

Steven Smyth, VP-media, Reuters, said advertising will take the place of premium SMS (the purchase of ring tones or other content). Wireless subscribers pay extra on their phone bills for premium content. "We decided in the U.S. that ad support is key in driving adoption."

Todd Anderman, president, Dennis Digital, said enthusiasm for mobile advertising is running so high he has to calm down marketers who want to do things like "a mobile blast" (sending messages to all customers of a carrier), something not possible because carriers wouldn't allow it and subscribers would be alienated. "It's 1996 all over again," he said. He said a lot of his job lately "is about educating, hand-holding and a lot of managing expectations."

Nihal Mehta, CEO of Ipsh, Omnicom's mobile agency, said last year 15% of major brands were using mobile marketing. This year, the percentage has tripled to 45%, he said.

Strong attendance numbers
Other aspects of the dot-com era were evident at the show. CTIA spokesman Joseph Farren said attendance boomed this year to a high of about 40,000, up from 35,000 last year. He also noted an increasing international presence at the conference, with a record 20% from non-U.S. nations.

What explains the renewed interest in technology? A number of mobile startups are being acquired by other companies, and venture capitalists are pouring money into the business, said Mr. Mehta. Mobile broadcast software company Roundbox, Florham Park, N.J., announced yesterday it raised $15 million in funding. Last month, VeriSign, making a mobile play, purchased m-Qube for $250 million in cash.

But Mr. Mehta believes that the marketing applications of the mobile phone fueling the funding blitz won't begin to pan out until 2008 or 2009. Between this year and then, he predicted, "there will be another bubble burst."

Already on a Phone Screen Near You

December 05, 2005

By Nihal Mehta

ipsh!'s CEO provides examples of why you should consider a mobile marketing budget in your 2006 planning.

Close to 200 million people in the United States own cell phones, according to the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, and they’re eager to test out their cool handsets today. They have already “texted in to win,” interacted with their favorite brands, let a friend in on the know, and purchased with the convenient push of a button. So what can we offer all these fidgety users right now? Probably more than you think.

Building an anywhere, anytime customer communication list

Similar to the way brands have grown and maintained CRM databases for emailing customers, brand managers are starting to leverage the immediacy and ubiquitous nature of mobile for new databases. Such databases have been popular for charting videos on MTV’s “Total Request Live,” and for driving customers into retail outlets to purchase products.

Consumers who sign up for email and even snail mail change addresses often. Due to number portability, consumers are rarely changing cell phone numbers. This means that mobile information is gaining tremendous value over other forms of identity.

P2P -- Reach out and touch someone

Brand Strategy called last year’s launch of Elizabeth Arden’s Curious the most successful fragrance debut in the last five years. Tapping into the teen love affair with mobile phones, the company invited young consumers to submit their mobile phone numbers and a friend’s online to generate a voice message from pop idol Britney Spears, as well as information about the perfume launch. The promotion, which generated huge buzz and sales, shot Curious to the number one spot in U.S. department stores over the holiday season. Apparently Brittany had a lot more time to call people before she had her baby.

This P2P formula, because it allowed users to refer friends to the Curious campaign, created yet another layer of virtual distribution.

When two’s a crowd

Companies like McDonald’s are using interactive two-way text messaging and short code advertising as effective branding moves across all media. In its recent RUMAC text-in-to-win campaign, McDonald’s invited users to text in “Mac codes” printed on millions of Big Mac boxes nationwide for chances to win tickets to a House of Blues concert. During this campaign, according to AdAge, McDonald’s saw a three percent increase in Big Mac sales.

Shortcodes are sort of like website addresses for opt-in mobile campaigns. They are usually a five digit number like 12345 or word grouping like IPSH1 that correspond to numbers on the phone dialer.

Short codes can help companies measure the effectiveness of ads placed in traditional media. By featuring a short code in a commercial, a company can better assess the direct response of consumers by measuring how many texted in the featured short code for a chance to win cash and prizes.

Rock Txt-n’ Roll

Concert-goers at festivals are being offered unique prizes and giveaways directly to their cell phones. This summer, 30,000 music fans were offered a chance to win concert prizes at Lollapalooza, a large-scale touring festival in the United States featuring 60 artists performing on six stages. An astonishing 10 percent of the audience -- that's 3,000 people -- participated in the “Txt-n’-Win” campaign. The increase in audience participation, compared with previous years, is a strong indication that people want to extend their concert-going experience beyond listening to their favorite artists -- they want to play around with their cell phones.

Digital coupon book, scissors not required

Mobile users can also get discounts and coupons on everyday items without ever looking through their Sunday newspaper. Mcoupon, a coupon received through SMS that users can redeem at the cash register, eliminates the need to remember to clip or print a coupon, let alone remember to take it along. Case studies show that coupons retained on phones as text or bar codes realize up to a 10 percent redemption rate. One example is Capitol Records’ recording artist Chingy. Mobile coupons redeemed at Musicland (Sam Goody) locations nationwide for his new album, Powerballin’, realized a 10 percent return in February 2005.

In the store

Imagine texting in a UPC code for any product in a retail store and receiving real-time price comparisons, mobile coupons and recipes in grocery stores. Stop imagining, it’s happening right now!

No more lines at the movies

Another creative and effective tool for mobile users to try, and for marketers to drive up sales, is direct purchases via mobile phones. This direct purchase technique has successfully driven ticket sales for movies. Before a movie’s release, ad banners and movie websites invite users to sign up to receive show times and alerts. On the day of the release, all registered users receive a text message, which contains show times for their local movie theater as well as the option to purchase tickets from resellers such as Fandango. Users can also hear a short movie promo message. This technique is also highly effective for concerts and live events. Fans can sign up to receive alerts for their favorite band and potentially purchase tickets before they go on sale to the general public.

Mobisodes coming to a small screen near you

With live TV streaming starting to trickle in on select phones (Verizon’s VCAST), we sometimes lose sight of the fact that we can already send mass video to cell phones in what are called Mobisodes -- 15- to 30-second video clips sent to a handset from a website or in response to a short code.

Innovation works best with integration

The most successful mobile campaigns include integration with the mobile shortcode into print, online and broadcast. This strategy lets companies create a “surround sound” marketing environment that showcases their product in multiple media outlets, creating both visibility and interactivity.

The payoff for mastering the mix-media technique has already proven to be enormous. Users are getting hooked and texting in to offers online, at concerts, on radio, TV and billboards. One can only imagine what more is in store for 2006.

Nihal Mehta is founder and CEO of ipsh!, a mobile marketing "boutique" that has successfully implemented over 400 innovative campaigns in the United States since its inception in June 2001. ipsh! clients include Kellogg, Reebok, HBO, SONY, BMG, EMI, A&E, Nokia, Budweiser, Warner Bros, FOX, ABC, Dunkin' Donuts, Johnson & Johnson, K-Mart, and Universal.