Marketing to mobile phone users is about to get easier

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 04 April 2007 10:46

Your IT - Home IT

The main advantage of SMS response marketing is that it establishes a communication channel between advertiser and individual that can be expanded over time. "Increasingly in Europe SMS response marketing is moving into a more sophisticated environment of WAP links, dotmobi domain links, links to mobile payment platforms and to building a community of people who want information. Remember that in Australia, the mobile number is a far more consistent address for someone than their postal address" Edwards said.

The initial participants in the trial will be Ford Motor Company, Dell, Virgin Money, Foxtel, Tabcorp, the Australian Defence Forces (for recruitment) and Quit Smoking (call 13 QUIT).

"Txt4 are the application provider in each case," North said. "The number of corporates was very limited and the trial was oversubscribed. The second phase which kicks off in June will have an addition 14 or 15 corporates."

Communications Alliance, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), Industry Number Management Services (INMS), mobile operators, existing local-rate service providers and mobile aggregator Sybase 365 have been working together over the past few months to enable the trial.

TXT4 started in the UK about three years ago with three people and has grown to about 80 staff and 160 corporate clients, and expanded into several European countries. It has been active in Australia for about a year using 19 numbers and employs seven people currently. "We are planing to launch in several Asian countries over the next six to 12 months," Edwards said.