Posts Tagged Advertising
For effective SMS marketing
SMS marketing to the publicity-deprived entrepreneur is like the Gold rush to the small-time miner. You have an easy mine of gold found at very low cost, mined like crazy without a process or a plan, profits reaped, other miners join in for scale, more competing miners rush in and before you know it the gold mine is empty.
Today the cell phone user is inundated with marketing SMS and it is increasingly difficult to catch user attention. Check out my friend’s frustration on the number of mobile spam he receives: “51 unread SMS in just 3 days!”
Just like how gold mining improved in the prospecting, extraction, purification and transportation, mobile SMS marketing has to find ways of getting effective – finding the right, needing audience, at the right time and with the right message. Here is a quick checklist before you send out that SMS:
- Who is in your database of mobile numbers? Have you got their permission? Even if it means reading through every entry and investigating, make sure you know your list.
- Make sure your SMS has a value offering, not just an introductory SMS. e.g. “Reply YES to join the XYZ 25% discount promo“
- SMS is very personal. Never send an SMS without the customer’s name being mentioned.
- Get the message worded perfect. I loved this one from this site.
“Beat the queue! Show this text at Metropolis Nightclub before 10pm tonight and we’ll take you through the members’ only entrance. Free single shot at the bar with this text.”
Any club in Chennai reading?
- Always include an ‘unsubscribe’ or opt-out option such as “reply STOP to be removed“
- Never send the same SMS twice!!!
- When you have many messages to be sent(highly discouraged though), never have the SMS sent in a flurry, space them out over time.
- make sure your website has a mobile friendly version
Here is one that I received recently, it did not follow much of the above list but it caught my attention and it stays in my inbox!
Dear Customer,
Stay Indoor to Get Outdoor!
Bicycle service at your doorstep – BSA Hercules Care,
Call Toll Free 18001022324.
Mon to Fri (9 am to 5 pm)
“Stay indoor to get outdoor”… I liked that 
Cartoons for advertising and communication
Cartoons are loved by everyone, of every age group, of every social/economic/cultural background. And that includes marketers and advertisers! Amul’s ad campaigns are one of the most long-running and anticipated ads in India… Whether it’s the very recognized Amul baby face or the good product quality, it’s always Amul butter and cheese in my fridge.
The cartoon medium is probably the easiest, quickest and most powerful way of communicating even a serious message. Check out this signboard I captured at the Madras Crocodile Bank. It not just passed on the message clearly, but put a smile on every visitor’s face too.
‘Dil titli’ Airtel ad – thumbs down!
I felt so strongly on this one I had to blog! Airtel’s marketing made a big mistake with the latest ad on “superior picture clarity” for Airtel DTH . These guys always had feel-good ads – the husband-wife relationship with Madhavan and Vidya Balan, the beautiful father-daughter ad with papa showing sweet daughter the stars over a phone call, the two kids playing football across the border.. The latest one has Saif looking for his childhood sweetheart, finding her thanks to “picture clarity” and then finally dumping her for Kareena just as she walks by. C’mon guys, Airtel is all love and warmth, not this idiocy! And don’t tell me you are trying the “hep/hip youth” angle here!
Indian Thanksgiving?
It’s Thanksgiving in the US today.
I asked myself have we no such day here in India? That’s when I realized that we are supposed to be giving our thanks on Onam, Pongal & Makar Sankranthi. Instead we are all so excited about the new clothes, gadgets, food, sweets, gatherings etc. that comes with the festivities.. I don’t recall any Ad campaigns that focus on the ‘thanksgiving’ part during any of these festivals. Instead it’s just “50% off”, “buy one get two free” and other plays on numbers. Someone should do a campaign on the ‘gratitude’ aspect of these festivals, bring alive the goodness and love within society and yes get some good sales done while they’re at it. Marketing is a powerful act, in getting profits, for your company as well as society.
Here’s saying Thank You to all my friends who’ve encouraged me on my writing here. If I ever get more regular at this, here’s an even Bigger Thank you!
Helpline @ an eat-out
The ‘Business Definition’ of Helpline as given in dictionary.bnet.com is “a telephone service operated by a company that offers customers product information, advice, or technical support“.
But aren’t we so used to seeing the word “helpline” next to names of hospitals, trauma centers, call-centers, information portals?.. This was the first time I met ‘Helpline’ with fish curry, mutton masala, butter chicken …
Dominos uses – “Hunger Helpline” , full points to them !
The Kenyan Keralite- SLAs – for differentiation & positioning July 31, 2010
- You have to be the First-Announcer in the Internet age March 1, 2010
- Congrats Premchand! February 18, 2010
- Implementing IPv6 November 30, 2009
- marooned, n lovin it! November 10, 2009
- Tata Nano suppliers’ performance in the stock markets October 25, 2009
- For effective SMS marketing October 10, 2009
- Cartoons for advertising and communication October 4, 2009
- Happy Onam! September 2, 2009
- ‘Dil titli’ Airtel ad – thumbs down! August 26, 2009