Get Out of My Phone! 5 Ways to Add Value

36245 is the code sending me SPAM text messages on my mobile phone. Note that it is a code, anonymous, not a person. I registered my phone with the "do not call" list -- would that apply to text messages as well? I surely hope so.

Reporting the incident with Cingular, the new AT&T, got me no response from the company. They used to be quite attentive to this sort of incident as Cingular. Then again, as I said before, it never was about the logo.

UPDATE: it seems that insisting helps. I was able to take care of blocking SPAM text with a customer care rep at AT&T.

Several months ago I wrote about new mobile operator Blyk in the future (of advertising) is already here. The premise of the service is quite simple -- users will be able to earn airtime in exchange for receiving advertisements on their handsets. It's an opt in function vs. the usual opt out and "where do I find the eject button?" problem.

A recent article by The Economist, The Next Big Thing, highlights that "mobile advertising through text messages is the most focused: if marketers use mobile firms' profiles of their customers cleverly enough, they can tailor their advertisements to match each subscriber's habits."

Tell those spammers, whoever they are, that I'm not interested in promotions of Vista office and ringtones and movie downloads from hot adult sites. As I'm not interested in enhancing anything the dozens of emails SPAM keep offering in my bulk email box every day. If that is targeted I must be confused about who I am.

I predicted back in December that the US market is light years away from this model. The main reason being that in the US we pay for all calls, even the ones we receive -- who wants to pay for ads peddling stuff we don't need? Who likes to be interrupted in a meeting by an intrusive text message we don't want?

If you're serious about using mobiles as a medium, think communication first. Here are 5 ways to interest people and be invited into their lives in an opt in format (for me that is key):

1. Use your research and intellectual capital to teach me something I care about -- put great content out there. Find ways to add value by providing value where and how I might be on the look out for useful tips. Nokia introduced a new range of Bluetooth headsets with a mini-site where you can watch video stories of people in the context of their daily lives. You get the story of how it works and why it's useful before you get the technical specs (tip of the hat to Martina at Adverblog).
   
2. Get out from behind your desk and show me you're willing to communicate -- be real, don't put up a show. I really liked what Karl Long of Nokia did during the iPhone roll out. He reached out to Apple fans waiting in line in front of the San Francisco store for their iPhone with an impromptu conversation captured on video by a Nokia N95.
3. Tell me something nobody else knows, share the behind-the-scenes of what's going on in your product development -- give me the inside scoop. In the case of Jim Long from NBC, that means being invited to take a peak behind the curtain of the news making business from a Twitter feed.
4. Since you are thinking of invading my personal space on my mobile -- be personal with me. A piece of advice -- do not call me a target, I really don't like the image and idea of being the object of a hit of any kind. And don't be generic. Learn from the good advice Charlene Li gives us on advertising in social network sites with her Fecebook flyer test results -- impersonal stuff in media we use as personal tools doesn't work.
   
5. Give me the chance to respond, react, come back to you with feedback -- allow a conversation. The thing I dislike most about code 36245 is that when you reply to sender you get nowhere. And now I'm more than a bit incensed with AT&T, they are the carrier I have a relationship with after all. Note that there is opportunity in that statement. What have you done for me lately? To note that the vision statement from the company's site says, "To be the most highly regarded wireless company in the world, with a driving focus around best-in-class sales and service." What is my outcome? Don't focus on effort, show me, allow me to tell you.

In other words, tell me a story that jives with mine. We know the alternative, we call it SPAM and it goes automatically into our brain's bulk folder where it gets deleted promptly after a flare of annoyance, a dose of distrust and a dash of disapproval.

[Nokia from l'Amour Collection, Italy.]

Comments

[Trisha Miller]

May I add one to your list?

6. When I ask to opt back out again, be respectful and remove my mobile number from your marketing list promptly.

I mistakenly opted-in when responding via text to a promo to win a prize while at a sporting event out of state - the company then started sending my twice-weekly text messages (even though they must have realized I had an out-of-state number!) that took many months to get stopped - I had to actually speak to the head of their marketing department to get removed - it was very frustrating and left a bad impression of their company with me.

In most cases texting "quit" or "cancel" ususally does the trick. In your situation, since that wasn't available, contacting your carrier was the right way to go. In my case, because I did opt-in (even if I didn't realize what I was doing at the time) contacting the marketer was my best option - it just would have been nice if they'd honored the normal way of opting back out.

[Valeria Maltoni]

Yes, of course. I was browsing through AT&T's web site today to find out if there was an easier way to "opt out" of that function, in case I had not already done so and all I came up with was the customer service number. So I had to make the call.

Anything that will make US mobile carriers look like they're not trying to "lock you in" even when they are goes to positive vibes for their brands in my view.

As for the marketing tactics run by companies -- tsk, tsk; if you're inviting someone to participate in *one* event, don't expect they would love to get all your communications. How old is the concept of permission marketing now? Exactly!

[Richard Becker]

I wrote up Harris Interactive's take on mobile advertising a few months ago. They presented some great ideas and innovations. However, they stressed the importance of opt-in requirements to any advertising program.

In the meantime, before all that gets sorted out, here is one way to ensure you do not get text message spam:

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/canspam.html

All my best,
Rich

[Valeria Maltoni]

A mobile phone fits in someone's pocket and purse -- it's very personal and needs to be handled that way.

Thank you for the link to the FCC guidelines, Richard. I'll need to come and find your post.

[Phil Barrett]

i've worked with clients who wanted to send a text message about a product to a list of customers who had opted in for "future communications" and where they had a mobile number

Although technically they are allowed to do this, to the points made above, mobile is highly personal and you should always get a specific opt-in for mobile communications before launching a campaign

I would recommend that marketers go even further and allow people to self-select the types of SMS alerts they will receive.

[Valeria Maltoni]

Phil:

Especially in this age of transparency where people choose to join conversations, it's critical that marketers learn to listen and take the extra steps to confirm people's preferences.

Plus, as Trisha mentioned above, our availability changes. Better to be safe than banned. Thank you for joining in, you clearly have the experience with this medium.

[Connie Reece]

Valeria, I just got a "tweet" from Jim Long saying he was encouraging you to get on Twitter ... so of course I had to come over here right away and ask you to join the conversation. :)

Excellent post -- bookmarked it for future reference. It's something we need to give thought to as we rely more and more on mobile technology.

[Robert Merrill]

I know this is off-topic, but you really need to Twitter. Try it, you'll like it! www.twitter.com.

P.S. Posting this from my mobile.

P.P.S. @newmediajim made me do it! :)

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Connie -- you are so on top of all of this, I am constantly impressed! If you look up Phil in the comment before yours, he's an experienced mobile marketer from Canada. You'll find more useful tips at his blog. It's amazing and humbling how these conversations can go.

@Robert -- Jim is very persuasive, I was under his spell at the event. Soft spoken and well rounded. I know you're glad to be part of his community ;-) Thank you for reminding me of his invitation.

[Matt Dickman]

Valeria -- Oddly enough according to this site http://www.usshortcodeswhois.com, which lists the owners of shortcodes (like the five digit one you are receiving messages from) that code is owned by Cingular for the purpose of routing email. Maybe they forgot to tell AT&T in the whole re-naming thing.

And welcome to Twitter!

[Simone]

Ciao Valeria!

Completamente daccordo ma anch'io ti scrivo un commento totalmente off topic per consigliarti Twitter.
Jim Long mi ha dato il la ma credo che sia un mezzo molto interessante per una conversation agent!
Ciao

Simone

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Matt -- clearly, the mail I received was not informative or targeted. Plus, I had already logged my preferences with Cingular. That code would explain why AT&T was all too happy to help me reset that filter.

@Simone -- I see you have not updated your blog in a few days. Benvenuto alla conversazione!