You've got to get it right or consumers will shut you out. Understanding consumer preferences is the place to start.



  

Enter your address here to subscribe via e-mail:


Powered by FeedBlitz

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Carphone Warehouse Messaging Solutions - SMS Gateway solution using XML and SOAP.

Carphone Warehouse Messaging Solutions - SMS Gateway solution using XML and SOAP.

I first read that Carphone Warehouse were offering an SMS Plan for business users in an article in NMA and I must say that I was instantly skeptical - but upon further investigation it seems that I was guilty of "Contempt Prior to Investigation".

Focus on Permission

The messaging campaign tool has two areas that are of interest when it comes to permission management: 1) a Distribution List Management section and 2) a List Cleansing section.

The Distribution List Management section specifically talks about managing opt-out requests and how changes can be applied to live campaigns. This is really good stuff. They even talk about the Black-List availability so that some numbers never receive your communications. On the other side of the issue, the tool supports your ability to upload lists into the tool. This is fine but relies on the business to understand the risk involved in purchasing 3rd party lists of mobile numbers - or more importantly - understanding the requirements for securing an opt-in permission from an existing clients number.

The List Cleansing section is a great add-on functionality that helps to control cost and network traffic by deleting numbers that are inactive. The curious part of this one for me is how Carphone Warehouse plan to accomplish this. According to my sources at the UK operators they are not making lists of inactive numbers available. ( Why? - Because this information could potentially be used to calculate the churn rate at an operator - a number they don't want the street to have... )

Consultancy also available

Whoa! - this is completely new. Carphone Warehouse is not just dropping a tool in their lap, but offering consultancy on how to use the tool. They even include a specific topic of regulatory consultancy. I hope that companies will avail themselves of this type of service - and I hope that they also spend some time working on the creatives. This will cover not just that the content looks right - but that it meets the requirements of Timely, Relevant, Valuable and Requested. (TRVR). And in looking at how they are promoting the service it looks like they have the right idea as to how to use mobile as a CRM and a marketing channel.

The article in NMA says that Carphone Warehouse thinks they have found a gap in the market - and they are looking at the tool. What they may or may not realize is that they have found a solution to a bigger gap in the market and that is a way to demystify mobile marketing by providing not just the tool, but the expertise to help them use the tool - something that Gary Corbett, CEO Opera Telecom would agree with (per his Letter in this weeks NMA).

On a final note...

Spinvox was selected by Carphone Warehouse for the service. Spinvox claim to fame is the ability to turn voice messages into SMS text messages. On the one hand it would seem that their platform is much more capable than they have let on. On the other hand it might mean that Carphone Warehouse will extend their FRESH MVNO product to include Spinvox voicemail to Text capability in the future.

posted by Troy Norcross at 3:49 PM  

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Links to this post:

Create a Link

<< Home

A few words about why we're here

Since consumers first started to use SMS marketers have had the idea of text message marekting or marketing sms - also known as mobile marketing. And since that time marketing sms messages have grown and changed and new technology like bluetooth marketing, marketing bluetooth style to phones in close proximity to an advertisers.

And since the e-mail spam scourge took over the media, people have worried that there will be mobile phone spam. Spam is just another way of saying that advertisers send unsolicited text message marketing, marketing sms, bluetooth marketing or any other form of mobile marketing - it's mobile phone spam. There are even guides on how to spam phone s.

Consumer Preference is about permission based marketing, permission marketing solution. If, as an advertiser you can execute permission based marketing campaigns then you can certainly find ways to benefit from mobile marketing. And permission starts with understanding the consumer marketing preference. If you can understand consumer marketing preference, then you can execute permission based marketing. And permission marketing is not mobile phone spam.

There are many mobile marketing company listings that can be found on the Internet - and most mobile marketing company websites will tell you how they focus on permission marketing. Make sure that the one you partner with does more than tell you about it on the website. Opt-in marketing starts with your traditional marketing soliciting for permission.

Yes - Mobile marketing starts with traditional marketing - print, web, radio, television - all of the old standards. Because before you can send the first message to a consumer, you must obtain their permission... and that means that you understand consumer marketing prefernce.

Please enjoy reading consumer-preference.com - and if you feel that there is a point I'm making you'd like to share - then put a link to it from your own site. And always feel free to leave comments!

Troy Norcross

 

Hosted by Unixguy.net