World AIDS Day

Wise up. Wear it. Where's Yours?

Today, 01-Dec-05 is World AIDS day. Please, take just a minute and do something to learn more about HIV/AIDS - show your support for those afflicted with HIV/AIDS and their families - or find a red ribbon to wear for today.

Today's postings at Consumer Preference are dedicated to my friend Jon Hook (1955-1998) and to all of my friends and their families affected by HIV/AIDS.

Mobile Marketers - Take your cue from the theatre

On Wednesday last week the Independent reported how actor Richard Griffiths was given a standing ovation in how he dealt with an audience member who couldn't seem to silence their phone during his performance of Heroes at the Wynhdam theatre. You can read the article entitled Independent Online Edition > Actor wins ovation as he stages attack on phone offender.

It seems that the woman in question had let her phone go off 3 different times before Griffiths finally pinpointed her and asked, "Is that it, or will it be ringing some more?" And I can remember saying the same thing about some mobile marketing messages that I would receive in a flurry -- "Is that all - or will there be more?!"

Kevin Spacey weighs in as well.

As artistic director of the Old Vic Spacey has declared the theatre a phone free zone stating, "You have to respect that there is some degree of behavior that we expect in the theatre and we are going to demand it at the Old Vic."

Marketers would do well to listen up!

Marketing to someone on their mobile phone is not unlike letting your personal phone ring and interrupt a performance at the theatre. What you think is a great deal may be a complete annoyance and interruption to someone who is trying to concentrate on something completely unrelated.

All of this brings me back to the guidelines that I try to promote when it comes to mobile marketing: It has got to be more than clever - it has to be TRVR! Timely - Relevant - Valuable - Requested!

It's not your parent's direct marketing...

Mobile marketing is different than most other forms of direct marketing. It's not a flyer that you find littering the pavement and simply walk past, nor is it a door drop/mail slot piece that you move from your hallway to your wastebasket when you get home, it's not an e-mail that gets filtered into your SPAM folder and it's not a telemarketing call that gets screened by your Caller ID. Mobile Marketing is something that can come right through no matter where you are -- so long as you have your phone... And let's face it - who doesn't have their phone with them nearly 100% of the time these days?

Mobile marketing can be received in the middle of the night and wake you and your partner up... in the middle of the meeting with your boss asking for a raise... on the way home when you're supposed to be paying attention to the traffic...

Or when you are standing in the supermarket trying to decide which pasta sauce you should buy <-- A requested coupon or receipe idea from a trusted brand right now would be ideal!

Put the campaign on your own personal phone... not the test phone in the lab.

Remember my marketing friends, before you engage in a mobile marketing campaign be sure to ask yourself how you would feel about being a recipeint of your own content. And if you are really brave - sign yourself up for your own marketing communications. Make the experience personal to you so you can see it from your customer's point of view.

If you want the legislative and regulatory bodies to get the standing ovations for applying more and more restrictions on mobile marketing - then throw caution to the wind. But, if you want to get a standing ovation from your customers for your marketing messages be sure you send them make sure the messages are not just clever - make them TRVR! ( That's trev-or )

Verizon says No Spam for Thanksgiving

Looks like Verizon is taking the high road and pursuing another of those aggressive marketers for sending 93,000 SPAM messages. And although the article doesn't say it expressly - we can only guess that the access to the Verizon network was through their e-mail to SMS gateway.

I've written about the US carriers using e-mail to SMS gateways and the huge problems that they cause in SPAM - and the huge investment they are making in buying e-mail anti-SPAM solutions.

All you have to do is turn them off!

There are a number of legitimate solutions for allowing businesses to access the Verizon network for sending messages - and an e-mail to SMS gateway just isn't the best one.

If it weren't for those "few pennies" they receive from every message that is sent Verizon would shut these access points down.

Ok - so that may not be completely true - it is possible that the carriers are still trying to encourage adoption of business use for SMS messaging. And the best way to do that would be to make the messages FREE through an aggregator for this period of time. Why don't we put this in the suggestion box and see if it floats? It is the season for giving - and New Year is always a good time to change!

But what about the aggregators?

Ah yes - the problem of the aggregators. Each of these businesses would need to have an account with the aggregators and they would need a way to make some money. Why don't the operators just redirect their e-mail SPAM license cost to subsidize the aggegators during this time? That would work? (I'm thinking we are actually close to a solution here...)

"But Troy - Tell me again why all the fuss?"

If we keep the e-mail to SMS gateways open we will always run the risk that some SPAM will get through. We have the entire world of SPAMmers out there who all know exactly how to send messages through the e-mail to SMS gateways.

If you force everyone to connect through an aggregator you close the huge gaping hole in the network and offer an environment that is much more closely controlled and this results in much less SPAM.

Furthermore, this leads the carriers down the path of moving businesses and others towards a pay-to-send model going forward. It's the first in a multi-phased approach.

What do you think?

Carnival of the Mobilists

This week the good people at SmartMobs are hosting the Carnival of the Mobilists with some help from Russell in the editing department.

Be sure to check out all the latest news in mobile technology, marketing and more at this weeks Carnival of the Mobilists.

Troy

Welcome Message for Roamer - SPAM?

Coming home to Indianapolis for Thanksgiving my plane first touched down in Chicago. As I cleared immigration and customs I switched on my mobile phone where I was greeted with an immediate Welcome message from Cingular/AT&T. In the trade this is called a "Welcome Message for Roamer". For the techies in the crowd you can read more about how the messaging systems discover that I've arrived.

Welcome Message for Roamer is considered by most legislation - both US and EU - to be considered a network service message and thus not SPAM. Further, in that you are using these networks to place and receive calls one could argue that you have an existing business relationship with the mobile network operator and thus an implied consent exists.

As these messages are considered to be related to the service and not marketing - there is no way to Opt-Out or to request not to receive the messages - (try though I might!)

A marketing opportunity?

According to the recent Global Roaming Report from Informa Telecoms there were 210,000,000 GSM roamers in 2004 and they forecast that number will soar to 850,000,00 by 2010 (but since when has a forecast ever not suggested that numbers will soar?!). Marketers, having seen this report, are now looking at way to capitalize on this unique group of traveling mobile consumers.

In order to maintain the "service" classification of the messages, mobile network operators are unlikely to try to extend the content of these messages to include marketing messages for third party brands or services - but what about another way?

Valuable Network Information

Mobile network operators can provide more than simple transit for voice and data - they can be more than a dumb pipe. Contained in the network are other valuable elements including location, presence and availability. And one example of this is the information regarding a consumer who is roaming.

What if a marketer or content provider could be alerted when a consumer was roaming? The consumer could be identified as simply being off their home network meaning that services should be suspended until they return. Or, the consumers roaming location could be made available so that tailored services could be made available to the traveler while roaming. In either case this adds significant value to the service.

With roaming information a mobile marketing or mobile content service can come closer to the guidelines of offering content that is Timely, Relevant, Valuable and Requested (TRVR™). And the value of the information is such that mobile network operators can extend the business model to achieve new revenue streams from this presence and availability information.

No SPAM for Thanksgiving!

There are great ways to enhance mobile marketing and mobile content services to avoid the consumer perception of SPAM. This is one suggestion. Would love to hear your thoughts and any ideas that you might have.

Until next time - Happy Thanksgiving and remember

If you send SPAM for Thanksgiving - that makes YOU the turkey!

Mobile is a Channel - Not a Strategy

This article was included in the Mobile Marketing Association November newsletter.

What do you think?

Oh yes - it's my article so I might tend to agree with it...



Troy

TiVo sync to iPod

Business Unlimited | Business latest | TiVo to offer last night's shows on the go for video iPods

All I can say is - That didn't take long!

.t.

Faster and faster - Carnival of the Mobilists 5 - Week 46

Welcome to Carnival of the Mobilists #5
Week 46, 2005

The carnival is rapidly gaining speed and momentum and going ever faster and faster - and this is a good thing! One of the great things about this is that there are a growing number of submissions every week. Please take a minute to complete the survey on how you would like to see the Carnival grow! Now - on with the carnival!

This weeks entries to the Carnival!

Kicking off this weeks entries is David Taylor from his new Mobile Marketing Magazine blog - writing about all things Cool in the UK and specifically how Sony Ericsson is connecting with the 18-35 year old market and their idea of what is cool. Read more at Mobile? That's Cool.

And if that's not enough cool for you - the Mobile Diva herself wants to talk about the Attack of the Series 60 phones from Nokia - giving you insight into all the latest and greatest features and a slice of Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First?"

So, you know all these cool people we've been talking about with their way cool phones, SmartMobs likes to talk about the next social revolution and how mobile phones can play a part in that. This week SmartMobs directs us to a really insightful white paper called A Democracy of Groups. Read more here.

Exploring the growing number of WAP sites and providing the added value of a rating system for both content and usability - WAP Review takes a look at the latest in local news coverage via WAP "Local TV News on your phone". Great screen shots of the application as well as a bit of forward looking insight into where the application might go (streaming video?).

Should Walmart be afraid of Google? - the Pondering Primate weighs in on this discussion of two very large gorillas in different - but potentially overlapping markets. ( a pun I couldn't pass up) Taking the discussion directly to the mobile the Pondering Primate opines, "The 'next Google' is an application for mobile information that uses the physical world."

Russell over at MobHappy writes this week about the Bluetooth File Sharing Tsunami - or lack there of. There is a great discussion in the comments already regarding watermarking and DRM and how that relates to the sharing of digital content via Bluetooth. Maybe you should join in! Russell also references the Nokia Cool Zone service and their recent partnership with EMI with the bFree music download service. Nokia Cool Zone, by-the-by, is a great example of Bluetooth marketing done in compliance with opt-in marketing best practices.

Now I've always been told to stay away from dark alleys and scary neighborhoods - but Ajit seems to be perfectly comfortable taking a stroll Inside the Mind of the Mobile Operator. Seriously though, Ajit offers some great insights into things we should consider when we're working with, partnering with - or even competing against the mobile network operators.

Now I'm not sure why we don't have more articles on this - because I think it's pretty big news - but C. Enrique Ortiz' writes this week on Google's Local App - Is this Mobility 2.0? Ok - and a late entrant to this week - Oliver at Mobile-Weblog has a few furter tests and further impressions of the Google Local app.

But what Oliver really wants to talk about is how carriers (Europeans will call them operators) are missing the mark by advertising the wrong thing. Some might title his post - "It's the content, stupid." - but he says Verizon May Have "The Network" but the Customer Cares About Content

iRadioWaves tracked Motorola's dive into the mobile music market with its Wi-Fi enabled, car stereo compatible, mobile music subscription service, iRadio. Most recently, Mike wrote about Motorola's newly launched Get Heard Network, observing that the program accomplishes two important feats: Motorola is simultaneously constructing a passionate, word-of-mouth marketing force along with a content-generating community. He also provides a highlight summary of a recent interview with Dave Ulmer about Motorola iRadio.

Over at imodestrategy.com they're feeling pleased with their prediction of October 2004: "[we] suspect that MS will try to finally capture ground in China where most of its previous battles have been fought and lost. This being the case it will have to announce an industry-shaping partnership with either Nokia, or Motorola or one of the dominate local handset makers." with the news that Qiao Xing Universal Telephone (XING) announced that it has partnered with Microsoft to launch a new pocket PC mobile phone. Qiao Xing is one of China's largest manufacturers and distributors of telecommunications products with a retail distribution network of more than 5,000 stores. Read the entire blog entry here.

For those loyal Bluetooth marketing and technology junkies - be sure to read my own post this week on how Coke is using Bluetooth for vending machines and what marketers could learn from Inspired Broadcast Networks and their Urban Digital Vending solution in my post: Urban Digital Vending - Bluetooth done well.

And finally - in the Obituary Section for today's Carnival - Alan Moore writes about the death of an old style communications medium in Requiem for a Phone Booth.


This week the carnival prize for best blog entry goes to:

Rudy De Waele from M-Trends!

This week Rudy provides a detailed look at Mobile Social Software (MoSoSo). "I thought it might be interesting to give people an overview of the companies, projects and the applications in the Mobile Social Software (MoSoSo) area now that hybrid phones will hit the international market soon.

The entry covers more than just traditional mobile including Bluetooth ( a favorite topic of mine) Wi-Fi and more. There are plenty of references to both studies and software companies both in the US and across Europe making it more than just a blog entry - but practically a white paper on it's own. Way to go Rudy. Read the complete blog entry here.

Next Week!

Next Week - Look for the Carnival of the Mobilists to be hosted at the Pondering Primate! Be sure to submit your entry for next weeks Carnival of the Mobilists by e-mail to mobilists (at) googlemail.com or you can use the online submission form. Next weeks entry deadline is 16-Nov at 9PM PST. -- Go on... send something! You know you want to!


Contributors for this week (Blog Roll)


Walter Adamson from imodestrategy.com
Dennis at WapReview
Howard at SmartMobs
Mike B at iRadioWaves
Vangorilla at the Pondering Primate
Darla Mack - the Mobile Diva at her personal blog
Alan Moore from Communities Dominate
Russell Buckley from MobHappy
Rudy De Waele over at M-Trends
C. Enrique Orit'z at his personal blog
Ajit from Open Gardens
David Taylor at Mobile Marketing Magazine
Oliver from Mobile Weblog
And me... Troy at Consumer Preference formerly SpamToGo

Urban Digital Vending - Bluetooth done well

In a recent article Brand Republic reports that Coke is trialing some new vending machine ideas in Dublin that use Bluetooth to deliver the content - and no I'm not talking about delivering cans of Coke via Bluetooth (too sticky!) - but digital content.

I called and spoke with Neale Deeley - VP Sales at the London offices for Inspired Broadcast Networks - to learn more these Urban Digital Vending (UDV) systems.

The UDV can be used to deliver all manner of digital content including simple things like ringtones and screen savers - but less obvious things like coupons, WiFi access codes, and other digital content. They even have a jukebox solution with access to over 2M tracks for download - all appropriately setup with Digital Rights Management (DRM). Not only can these machines be used to deliver content, but the UDV can be used for marketing and self-promotion via Bluetooth rather than just content delivery - but Neale assured me, "...that's not it's main purpose."

Identifying the customer

What was very unique about this solution is that the consumer absolutely wants to talk to the UDV and the UDV wants to talk to one and only one consumer (the one who just paid money for the content) so getting the communication right is absolutely important to both parties in the transaction. How does the UDV do that?

The UDV includes a touch screen display allowing the consumer to register their device. The registration process is a simple scan by the UDV and the a display of Bluetooth devices that it finds. If there is more than one device it asks, "Is this you?" allowing you to confirm that the device has been identified correctly.

Every Bluetooth device has a unique Bluetooth Device Address (BDA) as per the IEEE standard 802.15. The vending machines use this BDA to associate the phone with the purchaser - but what else might these unique identifiers be used for?

Using BDA isn't BAD at all!

If marketing companies succeed in their efforts to evade the Data Protection laws and to be exempt from the "opt-in" requirements for mobile SPAM then it is entirely possible that there would be a need for a Do-Not-Bluecast list - a place where you could register your device that you do not wish to receive any unsolicited Bluetooth communications. It wouldn't be hard to implement if you could just include it in the phone shops as a free standing kiosk. "Don't want to receive Bluetooth Marketing - register your phones here."

The kiosk would allow you to register your device - using the BDA - and then create and maintain a list of those device addresses that did not want to receive unsolicited marketing. Each BDA would have no consumer specific information associated with it but be strictly the 48-bit unique Bluetooth Device Address for that specific device. No need to know if it's a phone or a PDA or a laptop - or an earpiece (Can you imagine what the earpiece will do when you try to market to it?!?)

Bluetooth marketing can be made to work.

The bottom line is that YES - Bluetooth can be used as an incredibly effective way to market to consumers provided you offer a reasonable effort to a.) respect their privacy and ask permission and b.) give them a suitable and simple channel to communicate their preference to stop or opt-out. Keep checking back for updates on the evolution of Bluetooth in the marketplace - and for a refresher course in polite society in case you are a marketer that has lost your way.


TALK BACK!

Please do come back and comment on this article - I welcome your views. You can also comment on Today's question:

Does it matter what the technology is when it comes to being interrupted on your mobile phone? i.e.; - is there any difference between receiving an SMS or receiving an invitation to receive content via Bluetooth ("Do you want to receive content?") Are they both SPAM? Or is one OK?

Privacy and Respect - Your thoughts?

I have been having an ongoing debate with the anonymous (bt_user) regarding marketing practices and the fundamental question of:

Should consumers have an expecation of privacy when it comes to marketing to them on their mobile phone? i.e.; Should consumers invite marketers first or is it ok for marketers to send friendly "invitations" for FREE content?




Please send me comments as a response to the following 3 scenarios.

Scenario 1:
You are inside a movie theatre waiting in line for your popcorn when your phone beeps telling you that you have a new message. You pull out your phone and see a message displayed on your phone:

Would you like to receive a FREE movie trailer? (Yes/No)

Would you:
a.) Say "Yes" and download the trailer
b.) Say "No" because
i.) You don't know who is sending it
ii.) It might be a virus
iii.) You didn't ask for this so it's SPAM
iv.) You aren't sure if it costs you anything to download


Scenario 2.

You are standing in the bus shelter - it's pouring down rain - and your phone beeps telling you that you have a new message. Inside the bus shelter is a poster telling you that there is a FREE single from NickleBack available for download.

Would you:
a.) Say "Yes" and download the trailer
b.) Say "No" because
i.) You don't know who is sending it
ii.) It might be a virus
iii.) You didn't ask for this so it's SPAM
iv.) You aren't sure if it costs you anything to download
v.) Who is NickleBack?

Technically speaking both of these situations qualify as SPAM. You did not expressly give anyone permission to contact you on your mobile phone and yet they did - and you had to take the phone out of your pocket/purse/backpack and answer it. Even if the content is cool and you are happy to get it - the first time contact was made it was without permission.

Privacy:

There are a number of studies that discuss personal "zones" of privacy and how we should respect these different zones. A great sales book by Tony Paranello ("Getting the Second Appointment") discusses these as the confidential zone, the individual zone, the social zone and the common zone and how in sales you should never cross from one zone to the next closer zone without being invited. Marketers could learn a lot from this.

The phone is in the closest zone - the confidential zone which is roughly defined as an 18 inch space all the way around you. My phone is almost always within that space. And to reach me within that space without invitation is taking a huge risk.



There is a simple matter of respect that has to be acknowledged that people have the right to their privacy - especially within their confidential zone.


Scenario 3.

In scenario 1 and 2 you said - "Yes" I'll have it. And you also said you don't think this is SPAM and I'm just being draconian in my thinking. Let's fast forward taking advantage of the benefit of Hollywood and look at a variation on a theme from the movie "Minority Report".

You're walking along the high street or through a mall and your phone beeps and buzzes constantly in your pocket. Every shop wants to offer you something. Every billboard wants to offer you something. Every lamppost wants to send you FREE cool content. None of these people know who you are or what you might be interested in, they just know that your phone is nearby and that if you don't have it turned off, then you are happy to receive the "invitation" to get stuff. You have to say "No Thanks!" every other step. SPAM isn't in your e-mail box and being filtered - it's in your pocket and your pocket is vibrating and ringing so much it's worn a hole in your pocket. All because when this started you said, "It's fine! I like getting FREE stuff."

So what am I suggesting?

I'm suggesting that we take the traditional approach of using those posters and billboards to let people know that FREE content does exist - but then ask the consumer to take the first action - to request the content be downloaded to their phone. The consumer has to take the first step.


Did you notice anything missing?

That's right - I never discussed the technology - I left it completely out of the discussion up until now - because it didn't matter. But anyone who knows me can guess that I'm talking about Bluetooth.




Companies like Beamzone, WideRay, Alterwave, Hiwave, Lesswire, Eyeled, Filter, Aura and more are popping up all over the place - and each and every one of them is offering solutions to SPAM people on their mobile phone via Bluetooth. They all have their own unique ideas and justifications as to why it's ok to invade people's privacy and their own unique ideas on what it means to Opt-out. And I believe that many of them are currently trying to influence EU and other legislative and regulatory and industry bodies that what they are doing should be exempt from SPAM.


To give you a snapshot of bt_user's ideas:

I suggest that if we don't watch it then the governments will decide - his response:

>"The governments will decide."

> German government mostly decides the way, the marketers want them to.
> Besides that, they are very slow. I don't worry.

I suggest that Newspaper, TV and Radio are different - his response:

>"Newspapers, TV and Radio don't force you to take action like your
>mobile does"


Wrong. They do. TV and Radio, both force you to switch to another
channel, if you don't like the ads.

"if it were the case that I pointed a spotlight on your company and
business practices - you know they wouldn't hold up."

> Calm down. Our business practicess are legal, successful, and people
> like it. We have big customers. They would not do anything which was
> not legal or not favoured amongst their users.

"You would never publicly say some of the things you've said either anonymously or here in this private e-mail because you know that you can't defend them publicly."

> There is no need to defend something which is agreed by most people. I simply hide because > a) we face a rough competition (you see: it is a market) , and b) I never use my clear name on > the web.


=====

So - I wonder where mister anonymous_bt is today? Are they still in business?

Open Gardens: the carnival commeth ..

Open Gardens: the carnival commeth ..

Please be sure to visit this weeks Carnival of the Mobilists hosted by Ajit.Jaokar at futuretext.com

And next week - you can look for the Carnival to be hosted right here at Spamtogo by the guy who really REALLY hates SPAM - that's me!

You can see past editions of the carnival over at the Blog Carnival archives here courtesy of those nice folks at BlogCarnival

For this edition, send me your favorite blog articles on all topics mobile by Nov 9 at 9pm PST. To submit your blog articles you can send e-mail to mobilists(at)googlemail.com or you can use the HYPERLINK http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_121.html to carnival of the mobilists submission form.

Is an SMS a "call"?

Will more courts frown on SMS ads? | Perspectives | CNET News.com

This is a great piece outlining a problem that could be solved very simply if I don't miss my guess - and it could be solved in one of two very simple ways:

1) This could be solved by closing down the e-mail to SMS gateways that were used when Acacia Mortgage sent the messages
2) The e-mail addresses could be scrubbed to eliminate those addresses that are translated directly to SMS messages for delivery onto a consumers mobile device.

Now - as it happens - the cellular carriers are not inclined to shut down these E-mail to SMS gateway and are instead spending thousands on anti-SPAM solutions to try and stop messages just like the ones behind this.

What's really aggravating about this is that people are getting tripped up in the language without looking at the true intent and the spirit of what was happening... the guy was getting E-mail SPAM'd and the cellular carrier allowed it to be delivered to the mobile.

What else is missing?

Considering that this e-mail allegedly occurred in 2002 it was not subject to the CAN-SPAM act of 2003 that tells marketers how they "can SPAM" consumers so long as they give full contact details and a working opt-out mechanism. Where is any discussion of these elements in this case? What effect, if any, will CAN-SPAM have on the interpretation of this case going forward?

One of the main points behind the TCPA is that a consumer is charged to receive an incoming call. Considering that many carriers charge consumers to receive an inbound SMS text message - then I guess the spirit of TCPA applies - at least on this point.

I'll take this opportunity to suggest that the US change to the standard adopted by the rest of the world which is one of "calling party pays".

And what if an SMS is considered a call and subject to the TPCA?

Well - in that case - it wouldn't matter if the message originated from an e-mail to SMS gateway- or if it was sent via an aggregator - the origin would be from an "automated dialer" and that would effectively end SMS marketing. But considering the power of the marketing lobby (as evidenced by the last minute GUTTING of the CAN-SPAM act) I'm sure that they'll think of something...

When does Viral Marketing become SPAM ?

You get to your computer and login to your e-mail account and amidst the fun party invites, the coupons from the cinema and the e-mail from your mother asking for your Christmas list you find 17 new mails from Uncle Zeno. Everyone has an Uncle Zeno.

Uncle Zeno sits at home and forwards you every single joke, coupon, discount, political rant and stupid-pet-trick MPEG that comes to him from his band of merry men. Someone like Seth Godin might even mistake Uncle Zeno for a sneezer... someone who spreads an ideavirus. But I think he'd be wrong... I think. In my book Uncle Zeno is only one step removed from a SPAMmer -- and that one step is the fact that most of what Uncle Zeno sends me isn't marketing.

Viral Mobile Marketing

My good friend Jonathan Ratner over at Start Creative forwarded me this link from Bore Me and their new sub group Bore Me Mobile. Bore Me Mobile is all about allowing people to download short video clips for only £1 and then forwarding them as many times as they want. (Personally I think they should make them download for FREE. If you want to remove the initial barrier to entry - give the content to the consumer for FREE.)

The content can be shared in any way the consumer likes - it's not subject to digital rights management (DRM) like your ringtones - and as such it isn't locked into your device. And if you can forward or share the content, you can do so any way you like including via Bluetooth. Bluetooth has the unique advantage in that it's free to the consumer to both send and receive content via Bluetooth (as opposed to sending the content as an MMS / Photo message )

But when does it become SPAM?

I've talked before about the fact that consumers seem to use the word SPAM to apply to anything that they don't find TRVR (Timely, Relevant, Valuable & Requested). Will the same apply to concepts like Bore Me Mobile? Will mobile consumers suddenly find that within their social network they have a high-tech-mobile version of Uncle Zeno? Will consumers decide that it's just more SPAM they are getting from their friends? Is this really just more spam-to-go?

Bluetooth Done well by Nokia

For those of you following comments in this BLOG from the anonymous bt_user you know that we've been having a very spirited debate about the consumers expectation of privacy when it comes to Bluetooth marketing (and also talking about EU legislation and best practice marketing in general)

bt_user recently pointed me to an excellent site from Nokia: Nokia - CoolZone. Seems that Nokia is doing some really great stuff with Bluetooth Marketing using a S60 based application. Admittedly this reduces the addressable market size but I'm sure that a Java application can be made to do the same thing.

What's great about the service is that it clearly shows the consumer taking the first action - no Bluetooth Broadcasting here... (good for you Nokia!)

bt_user and I are continuing our spirited debate and when it's all said and done I'll try to post a little synopsis. Until then, just check the comments from the original post.

Welcome Mobile Marketing Magazine!

Hot off the virtual presses - Mobile Marketing Magazine is a new online publication dedicated to Mobile Marketing. Editor David Murphy has asked me contribute a piece to the launch and I was all to happy to oblige.

I'd like to invite you to have a read for my view on "What is Mobile Marketing" - as well as that of 3 other industry pundits. Oh yes - and be sure to read the rest of the publication too!