TXT4 - a great system and now exactly what you think...

My original post was entitled:
TXT4 - a great system but not exactly what you think...

UPDATE 18-April-2007

TXT4 - a great system and now exactly what you think... Please read more about TXT4's changes to their data policy.








Broadsystem partners with TXT4 for mobile response services - Data Bulletin - Data news by Email - Brand Republic

LONDON - TXT4 and Broadsystem have established a partnership that will allow Broadsystem's clients to use TXT4's range of mobile response services.

An excerpt from the article gives only a clue of what's really going on...

"Consumer details gathered through this channel can still be stored alongside those gathered in other channels in one central marketing database, giving Broadsystem and its clients a single view of the data."

I was recently contacted by another mobile marketing consultant who was emphatically stating that the way this was done was in violation of various data protection laws and had asked me to take a look.

The fine print

Working from an example campaign, I tried the response mechanic myself and this led me to the Privacy Policy for txt4. If you go to their home page the link for the Privacy policy is at the bottom of the page in almost the same colour as the background. (Makes you wonder why it's so carefully hidden). Nonetheless - I'll make it easy to find. TXT4 PRIVACY

You can read the policy yourself but there is one particular point that is clear upon careful reading. Your data relationship is with TXT4 and not with the brand. This means that it's the privacy policy of TXT4 that you need to read in very close detail.

Perception is reality - sometimes.

TXT4 has a number of high visibility brand clients including Ford, Volvo and Vauxhall. The Telegraph recent promoted the Visit England campaign suggesting that people text the word "enter" to 84118.

If you've never used the service before you may be prompted to reply with your postcode and house number so that you can be sent a brochure from Visit England.

The terms and conditions of the competition don't make any reference to how the data collected will be used or who owns the data - but most consumer's would most likely assume that their data was being given to Visit England. But alas - this perception is not reality.

Fast forward a little bit in time...

At some point in the future you see a very sexy add for the new Ford Supercar and are invited to text "supercar" to 84118 in order to receive a brochure in the post. You send the text message and you get a snappy response telling you that the brochure is en route to you in the mail without ever having to tell them your address. Isn't that snappy!?

Hang on a minute!

UPDATE 18-April-2007

TXT4 - a great system and now exactly what you think... Please read more about TXT4's changes to their data policy.

That's right - the information that you gave to Visit England is now being used by Ford. But did you really give your information to Ford? Did you give your information to Visit England? Actually you gave your information to TXT4 and they can then use that information for any of their future clients that run a campaign where you respond.

On the one hand, TXT4 is providing a unique and valuable service to the benefit of both you - the consumer - and each of their advertisers. TXT4 collects your personal details once and then provides them to any future advertiser where you ask for information. No more entering your house number and post code for each and every campaign - that's cool. But the problem is that it was not fully disclosed and made clear that is what is going to happen.

I contacted James Critchley, M.D. of TXT4 and expressed my general dismay at the fact that my details had been shared between brands without my express permission. James was very apologetic and offered to immediately unsubscribe me from his system.

After a bit of explanation James finally caught on to my point. It's not that I object to his service, I actually think it's very cool and convenient. What I object to is that the service operates in a way that is misleading and does not make clear to the consumer what is going to happen with their data.

How to make this better.

TXT4 has a good service and really can add value to consumers and to the brands that use their service. I would suggest adding a statement to the terms and conditions of the every original campaign that explains to the consumer that the brand doesn't hold their data - but that TXT4 holds their data - and I would explicitly include the contact information for TXT4 and their Privacy Policy on how consumer data will be treated.

Oh yes - and I'd recommend that TXT4 make their Privacy Policy link just a bit more visible -- It's so hidden away it makes one wonder what's in there!