Ever since smartphones were launched, first with Blackberry in 2002 and the iPhone five years later many businesses have put their mobile marketing efforts into applications for 3-G phones. iPhone in particular has seen a plethora of applications developed, with more than 100,000 available to download. While this many be great news for the industry that was developed around the creation of these niche applications, is an iPhone application (or any app for a smartphone) the best use of your mobile marketing budget? Although applications have a high media profile they simply do not have the breadth of reach of SMS marketing. Most mobile phones these days have access to SMS and nearly all users are familiar with its use. By contrast, it is estimated that globally smartphones will account for less than a quarter of all the mobile phones sold each year by 2013. So, for brands that want to attract mass market appeal for their products and services, using SMS marketing will give them greater reach to a broader audience.

//Ever since smartphones were launched, first with Blackberry in 2002 and the iPhone five years later many businesses have put their mobile marketing ef...

Every now and then you stumble across a bit of news that make you sit up and take notice. Certainly this was the case when I read about a mobile messaging campaign being used to control Aussie-rules footballers in post-match bevies in Melbourne, Australia. It seems that the celebrating has gotten a bit out of hand, so the Victoria police and the State Government have started a 'look after your mates' campaign - Championship Moves. One aspect of the Championship Moves campaign is sending text messages to more than 50,000 footballers to remind them to behave, drink sensibly and look after their friends. The point behind Championship Moves' mobile messaging campaign is to help reduce alcohol-fuelled violence, by reminding people to drink sensibly and look after one another. The Government's research found that 85% of the target market (young males) said that the SMS campaign would make them think twice before getting into drink-induced trouble. Certainly it makes sense to use a communication that this age group is familiar with, such as sending text messages, to remind footballers to stay out of trouble.

//Every now and then you stumble across a bit of news that make you sit up and take notice. Certainly this was the case when I read about a mobile messa...

It is an idea that been around awhile, linking online and mobile technology to home appliances. One ambition for the manufacturers and techies has been to get the washing machine to send you a SMS alert to tell you it's finished. Well... at last some has actually done it. Following several instances of wet mouldy clothes after forgetting about the laundry for several days, a hack in California has rigid up his 25 year old washing machine to tweet him when the cycle is finished. Twitter then sends a SMS alerts to his cellphone. How great is that! The innovative use of the internet and SMS has even attracted the attention of Whirlpool (a leading manufacturer of washing machines in the States). //It is an idea that been around awhile, linking online and mobile technology to home appliances. One ambition for the manufacturers and techies has bee...

With the recent chaos to air travel that ensued following the eruption of the Icelandic Volcano no doubt several people were relying on SMS alerts to keep on top of an evolving situation. With people all over Europe unable to fly the airlines must have been working overtime to let passengers know that their flight had been cancelled or destination changed. To make matters worse, the eruption (and disruption) happened during the Easter school holiday which meant that numbers were up that week as holidaymakers returned from a skiing break or week in the sun. However, travel companies and airlines should have been able to use bulk SMS to keep their customers informed during the travel chaos that was felt across most of Europe. So the lucky travellers (.... if you can call it lucky) will have been those that received travel information updates via SMS alerts.

//With the recent chaos to air travel that ensued following the eruption of the Icelandic Volcano no doubt several people were relying on SMS alerts to ...