Tag archives: sms

The messaging business

People love to communicate with each other. Sms, mms, instant messaging, the briefer the communication, the more they love it, and this passion for communication means business for a lot of players. On Telco(r)evolutions, The Radicati Group features a deep analysis of the “messaging” phenomenon and of its business implications with stats and revenue estimates.

File under: estimates, instant messaging, mms, sms

Mastercard: buy, text & win

Mastercard has launched in Italy a competition connected to the European Football Championship which will take place in Portugal next June. After a purchase with the credit card, Mastercard’s owners can enter the competition by texting an SMS with the first four digits of the card and the purchase authorization number. Entrants can win a travel to Portugal, digital cameras, and official Euro 2004 balls. It’s an interesting initiative to engage clients with the brand. Mastercard is investing pretty much in mobile marketing, looking to increase the loyalty of its customers rather than to acquire new clients. This is an attractive aspect to analyse. As in the online world, we see an evolution in the approach to the media: from acquisition and direct marketing, to branding, loyalty and CRM. Consolidation is in the air?

File under: euro 2004, mastercard, sms, text & win

Chinese are in love with SMSs

Chinese are going crazy for SMS. They sent about 15.6 billion short messages through their mobile phones during January, with a rise of 91 percent over the same period last year. Yahoo! News reports, adding that short messages are popular in China because of their low cost and efficiency, with subscribers paying on average about 0.1 yuan (0.01 US dollar) for each message.

File under: china, sms

I’m dreaming of a… “wireless” Christmas

More than 600 millions SMS have been sent in Italy last week to wish “Merry Christmas”, while the MMS have been 20 millions. The news is reported by Cellulari.it, quoting numbers estimated by Telefono Blu. I confess it. Given the Vodafone Christmas card promotion, I sent more than 30 SMS myself, and I’ll probably do the same on January 1st.

File under: christmas, italy, sms

From SMS to Video: Growing Mobile Data Applications

German research firm Soreon has recently release the report “From SMS to Video: Growing Mobile Data Applications” dedicated to the wireless market in Germany. As explained in the press release by Steffen Binder, research director at Soreon:

“While SMS and ring tones have been around for years as Cash-Cows for network operators rapid growth of GPRS-services (E-Mail, MMS) and premium applications like chat, sports and adult content over the last 12 months gave an extra boost to the data revenue growth.”

SMS, ring tones and similar services will generate this year more than 3.7 bn � in Germany.

File under: adult content, chat, ring tones, sms, sport, wireless

Coca Cola ‘Decibel Central’ promotion

Mobliss has brought two-way wireless text messaging to Cokemusic.com’s Fall 2003 under-the-cap “Decibel Central” promotion. As explained in the press release, Mobliss new technology allows Coca-Cola consumers in the U.S. to redeem cap codes from 20-oz. bottles via Short Message Service (SMS) enabled mobile phones. Participants can enter cap codes using their mobile phones to accrue points, or ‘Decibels,’ in their Decibel Central account on Cokemusic.com entering for chances to win one of thousands of prizes. Rouben Haroutoonian, Vice President of Sales and Client Services for Mobliss says:

“This innovation allows the consumer to communicate instantaneously with the brand directly from the point of sale. While drinking their Cokes, consumers can immediately participate in the program by redeeming cap codes on-the-go via their mobile phones, with no need to save bottle-caps.”

File under: coca-cola, decibel central, sms, sms promotion

SMS mania in the UK

In a press release the Mobile Data Association (MDA) says that 55 million sms have been sent daily across the UK last August. In August 2002, the number was lower, with “only” 45 text messages sent. A total of 1.69 Billion texts were sent person-to-person throughout August 2003. Futhermore, I pass you the link to an article today on The Advertiser in which it’s said that a well-known London clinic, The Priory, is treating patients addicted to sending text messages. “Psychologists claim many people have now embraced texting as a way of avoiding telling their partners things they dare not say to them face-to-face“. As the REM used to sing… It’s the end of the world and you know it!

File under: mania, numbers, sms, uk

The movie is a flop? Blame the sms!

A curious article today on the Independent: according to the movie industry recent flops of The Hulk, Charlie’s Angels and Gigli are due to… “sms”. “The problem, they say, is teenagers who instant message their friends with their verdict on new films - sometimes while they are still in the cinema watching - and so scuppering carefully crafted marketing campaigns designed to lure audiences out to a big movie on its opening weekend.” Well, my dear movie industry managers, if you really believe their flops are due to sms instead that to lack of quality and originality, then I have only a suggestion… Sequestrate the cell phones to people before entering the theatre!

File under: flop, movie industry, sms

Mobile messaging always hot

Mobile messaging will drive data revenue and provide operators with the tools to bring multimedia into the hands of users, according to a new study by IDC. Quoted in a Press Release, Paolo Pescatore, senior analyst for IDC�s European Wireless and Mobile Communications Service, says: Mobile messaging will be the bridge that will assist operators to aid the take-up of mobile data in Western Europe. It is important to remember that mobile messaging allows users to communicate, depending on their needs and acceptance of using that medium. SMS is discreet, direct, and in most cases quick, whereas the first offerings of MMS allow users to send pictures to one another, and IM offers presence allowing users to interact with other users. So much is mentioned and said about killer applications but in terms of potential and current usage of SMS so far, mobile messaging will be the killer cocktail for mobile operators.

File under: interactive services, mim, mms, mobile marketing, mobile messaging, mobile operators, sms