For companies offering incentives and for consumers looking to save money, the mobile phone is emerging as the premier option to get the most bang for the buck. Coupon redemption via mobile phones is growing exponentially year over year due to many companies discovering the power of SMS advertising, as well as the almost total permeation of cell phone ownership and text message capacity within the country. Continue reading
Pull out your smartphone and check this stat, how many Americans are using their smartphone while at the same time listening to music? Or playing a video game? Or watching movies, television or even reading a book?
If you have a smartphone, you might suspect the number to be quite high (because you are probably multi-tasking at this very moment), if not, you may be surprised. The hard science, provided from the Google blog, tells us that 81% of Americans are multi-tasking with smartphones throughout the day during a variety of their of activities: Continue reading
Americans today spend more time on their cell phones than they spend eating. When one considers that the 2007 Economic Census found that there are 566,020 food service locations, 217,282 full service restaurants and over four hundred thousand limited food service restaurants in America, it ought not come as a surprise to learn that cell phone marketing providers are cropping up everywhere, offering services and promotions. Continue reading
Golf television has seen an incredible boost in year-over-year television ratings in 2012. This is primarily due, of course, to the incredible quality of the golf game on the courses today. However, another factor to this astronomical ratings boost could be attributed to the golf industry’s innovative use of mobile marketing incentives. The Northern Trust Open golf tournament held last week in Pacific Palisades is an excellent example of both great golf, and innovative marketing. Continue reading
The Valentine roses are just beginning to wilt, the chocolate has all been eaten and the cute little cards have moved from the kitchen table to the bedroom floor, as the children examine and re-examine them.
While the consumer is cleaning up after Valentine’s Day and putting it on the mental backburner until next February, restaurants and retail stores are taking a closer look at the impact of mobile marketing on Valentine’s Day, particularly on those who procrastinated their Valentine shopping. Continue reading
As a business owner, there are many factors that one must take into account in order to be successful. Keeping up with products, employees, services and competition are all challenging and demanding aspects of running a company. Too often marketing is pushed to the sidelines or deemphasized in the midst of other
pressures, resulting in companies continued reliance on traditional, and not necessarily creative or innovative advertising techniques. Consumed with other pressures, some business owners are not even aware of the advertising revolution taking place in their very midst. An even greater number of business owners are aware that advertising has undergone a transformation, but do not appreciate the extent of that revolution or know how to apply this transformation to their company. Continue reading
Last night as I sent my three children to bed, my entire kitchen table was a red and white paper heart and chocolate mess. The last minute sorting of valentines and the painstaking process of addressing each note consumed a better part of the afternoon. Yet, as I picked up Sweetheart candies off of the floor and tried to organize the chaos, I began to think about the significance of this holiday in the American business world. Continue reading
I’ve spoken repeatedly here about the importance of a multi-tiered mobile advertising plan. However, it seems with each day the need for an integrated mobile approach including SMS advertising becomes more apparent. Americans are relying on their cell phones more than ever for a multitude of uses, from basic communication with friends and family, to obtaining information, shopping, banking, scheduling, entertainment and relaxation. Continue reading
This week as French travelers bemoan the latest series of airline workers strikes in airports throughout France, they are at the very least receiving updates on the delays and cancellations of their scheduled flights in a timely manner. NPR reported yesterday that SMS technology was playing a huge role in updating customers about their flight status and trying to keep customers from flooding the airports of France. Officials hope that information communicated through mobile phones will keep customers waiting in the comfort of their homes, rather than long and drawn out waiting times at the airport. This current crisis is the first test of Air France’s new reliance on SMS texts to communicate with customers. Last May Air France debuted this new SMS service in which customers would receive updates concerning their flights, baggage and check-ins directly to their phones. Continue reading
It’s Super Bowl Sunday! The culmination of an entire season of football – the blood, sweat, tears and months of training, wins and losses finally come together today for one final, epic battle to determine the best football team of 2011/2012. While the Giants and the Patriots battle it out on the field, advertisers will take part in their own epic battle of sorts on this same day, to reach, engage and win over new customers. Continue reading
Everyday 280 million people walk by a Redbox kiosk at some point during their day. Within every second, Redbox records up to 40 rentals. To date, over 1.5 billion people have rented a movie from Redbox. A staggering Sixty-eight percent of the U.S. population lives within 5 miles of a Redbox kiosk (Redbox.com). In the past ten years Redbox has gone from ten kiosks in the Washington Metropolitan Area to over 28,000 nationwide, from locations as diverse as the Empire State building to the McDonald’s down the street. This enormous success can be attributed to the company’s ability to embrace and accommodate the increasing pace of the American people. Redbox has also innovatively reimagined the video rental store and looked beyond conventional advertising to reach their customers on the go. Continue reading
Jeff Hasen, CMO of Hipcricket co-creator of the certification program for the Mobile Marketing Association and certified MMA trainer, wrote a piece in late December of last year published in the Adotas online newsletter detailing the benchmark year mobile marketing experienced in 2011 and his projections for the future of mobile marketing in the upcoming year. His insights focused on the return on investment for companies, user experience, social media and the influx of SMS text vendors in the market. Continue reading
In recent weeks it seems that everywhere one looks the Republican primary candidates are right there making a speech or shaking hands. The news is regularly punctuated with breaking news about their campaigns, sound bytes from their speeches and their comings and goings. As Gingrich, Paul, Romney and Santorum crisscross the nation on the traditional campaign trail, a new kind of political campaign is gaining traction in the world of elections. This new campaign is the mobile text campaign, in which constituents opt-in to receive SMS messages from their preferred candidate, or those about whom they are interested in learning more. Continue reading
As I write, a perfectly steamed latte sits beside me, perfuming the air with the rich tones of delicious coffee. The inviting ambiance of Starbucks embraces me with its free Wi-Fi, comfortable couches, and hip, unique, but relaxing music filling the background. As I look around the coffee shop, I am reminded of all of the reasons that Starbucks is more than a coffee company, but a cultural icon. Continue reading
I found myself today standing in a local home improvement shop scanning a QR Code on a piece of hardwood flooring. I came to be in this particular store doing reconnaissance due to a hard fought, and unexpectedly successful stance in a longstanding marital dispute. The source of this dispute was, “Our Next Home Improvement Project.”
My husband wanted a new deck and BBQ Grill.
I wanted new flooring downstairs.
I won because I am willing to fight dirty. I somehow succeeded in tying in painting the entire house to the new deck project. Suddenly, flooring seemed like an excellent idea to my husband. Continue reading
“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today at Qittle we have polished our spoons, and we are working up an appetite in preparation for Aspen, Colorado’s annual Soupskol competition. Not only will members of the Qittle staff be out and about tasting the delicious soups prepared by Aspen’s master and amateur chefs, we will also be tallying the votes through mobile texting. Continue reading
Mobile technology is becoming increasingly a part of every aspect of our society. So much so that even professional sports teams and organizations are looking at ways to use mobile devices to reach their fan bases. Continue reading
“If you want a love message to be heard, it has got to be sent out. To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.” ~ Mother Teresa.
These words resonated with me today as I reflected on the meaning of messages. It seems like everywhere I look I am surrounded by messages. Continue reading
In part two of Qittle’s look back on innovative text message campaigns of 2011, Proctor and Gamble’s varied and creative approach to reaching their diverse customer base is worth a closer look. Continue reading
