Mobile Marketing & SPAM: January 2005 Archive

In a recent article from TNA English News it has been reported that MDM & IC Co. will be working to provide text messaging services as part of political campaigning efforts in Korea.

Sueng Ho Choi believes that text message campaigning has already been widely used in South Korean elections - but it is not clear what result and/or how the consumers who received these messages reacted.

When we look at SMS marketing from a commercial perspective, there is considerable risk of brand damage. (See articles from Clickatell and Martin Lindstrom) But what of the damage to someone's political campaign?

Many politicians are unaware of the damage that mobile marketing can do if their campaign is tarred with the brush of being SPAM.

During the run up to an election in the US, citizens are overwhelmed with campaign messages through every possible channel. Telephone campaigners are exempt from the Do Not Call Registry - Postal Campaigns are exempt from the DMA's Do Not Mail registry - Television and Radio campaigns run at every hour of the day and night - it's total marketing overload. And let me tell you - if you start campaigning to me on my mobile phone without my permission then your opponent is going to get my vote. And let's tell you why:

If you're sending me messages without my permission - you're SPAM'ing me.
If you're spending all this money to SPAM me then how responsible are you likely to be with my tax dollars?
If you're so desperate to get elected that you'll ignore your constituents right to basic privacy - then what other rights will you ignore when you get into office?

You get the idea.

It All Comes Back to Permission

So - how can a political campaign avoid all of this? - in the same way that brands do - Get Permission First.

Campaigners are building e-mail lists and voter polls all the time. It's very easy to add the request to communicate with someone via their mobile when you're already collecting their e-mail or land line number. But here is where I see the significant difference.

E-mail marketing during a political campaign is a constant line of communication with a politicians network of supporters. During the last US Presidential Election I had chosen to Opt-In to e-mail from my preferred candidate. (No - I'm not saying, because Edwards didn't even make the party ticket. But I'll tell you that it wasn't "W".) The e-mails I received were calls to action and calls for fiscal support. They were not requests - VOTE FOR ME - they were requests - WORK WITH ME. And I find that very effective.

Changing the Focus

Sending out high volume text messages to consumers is costly and potentially wasteful. Anyone who's not going to vote for you is especially not going to vote for you if you start send them text message SPAM. And anyone who is undecided may take an even more dim view of you and your candidacy if you start bashing them with text messages throughout the day. And I have to say that even if you send a text message to a person who is in favor of your candidacy - if you SPAM them they may think twice. It's just a very risky thing to do.

By taking a permission based approach to marketing communications - whether it's mobile campaigning or e-mail campaigning - it requires a change in strategy.

When you have secured someone's explicit Opt-In permission they are part of your team - they are a friend of your brand - they are a consumer, a voter, a partner. And communication to your partners is different than communication to the general population. You can ask you partner to talk up your campaign over dinner. You can ask your partner to help you raise more funds for your campaign. You can ask your partner to help a senior citizen to get to the polls.

When you have secured permission - then you have reduced your costs and limited your risk of having your political campaign text messages being considered SPAM.

What's to Happen with MDM & IC?

I sent an e-mail to MDM & IC requesting a comment from them and asking them how they intend to address this opportunity. Will they collect Opt-In permission before sending messages for their candidate? If I get a reply - I'll let you know.

So... Are Political Text Messages SPAM?

As it says at the top SpamToGo is about Mobile Marketing and SPAM. First Mobile Marketing - and Second SPAM. The focus here is intended to be about how to successfully navigate the troubled waters of mobile marketing and how to be a responsible mobile marketer. By educating the business and marketing public on how to avoid the perception of SPAM it is hoped that mobile marketing will grow from the nascent business it is, to a growing and thriving marketing channel. And yes - that includes mobile as a channel for political campaigning.

Even if it is perfectly legal to send letters to people that don't want junk mail, and telephone people that don't want telemarketers, and send e-mail to people that don't want e-mail - when you send a text message it can still be considered SPAM by the recipient. The key factors to successfully using text messaging for campaigning are focusing messages on communicating with your supporters - and ensuring you only communicate with supporters by first securing their explicit Opt-In permission. Waiting and watching for the next SMS Campaign message,..