| Marketing to customers via mobile phones has come | | | | In the beginning mobile marketing was negatively |
| on in leaps and bounds. Finally the mainstream | | | | received by the media. This was due to its |
| marketers who promote the largest firms in the | | | | vulnerability to spam text messages. Admittedly |
| world have cottoned onto mobile marketing, which is | | | | many advertisers blemished the name of the medium. |
| a sure sign that it has come of age. The | | | | They employed the classic spam techniques, such as |
| development of Short Message Service SMS | | | | buying lists of mobile numbers and sending unwanted |
| technology, or text messaging as the technique is | | | | messages to tens of thousands of mobile phones. |
| more commonly known, has advanced dramatically. | | | | Once regulatory guidelines were put in place, |
| This has allowed SMS to dovetail with other | | | | however, mobile marketing matured and became |
| computerized technology and making test messages | | | | popular with advertisers and acceptable to mobile |
| easily distributed and monitored. SMS communications | | | | phone owners. According to the experts, over 100 |
| now form part of most major marketing drives. | | | | million SMSs marketing various products are sent to |
| Mobile marketing had its origins early this century in | | | | mobiles every month. |
| Europe where businesses started to build lists of | | | | Mobile marketing has reached maturity over the past |
| mobile phone numbers and send text plugs to offer | | | | few years. The main reason has been that |
| various products. The service was often abused. This | | | | businesses are devoting a large portion of their direct |
| has since become better controlled and refined. | | | | advertising budgets to this form of advertising. |
| Certain protocols are in place in most of the worlds | | | | Because companies regard mobile texting as a |
| leading economies to limit the flood of text messages | | | | valuable investment, they are keen not to see the |
| to private mobile phones. | | | | system abused. An important reason for businesses |
| It is true to say that SMS has entered the | | | | using mobile marketing is that customers are |
| mainstream as an advertising medium because of the | | | | increasingly asked permission to have SMS sent to |
| flexibility it offers to advertisers. While email goes out | | | | their phones. |
| over the public internet, mobile text messages are | | | | Mobile operators are even putting in place double opt |
| distributed via a wireless service. This has given | | | | in measures so that consumers are very sure they |
| advertisers who are using the system the | | | | want to receive text messages. In addition, |
| opportunity to initiate ways to track of the sort of | | | | consumers are able to opt out of the service |
| advertisements that are going out over their | | | | whenever they wish by SMSing the word STOP to |
| networks. Also there are several agencies concerned | | | | the sender of the message. Advertisers and mobile |
| with mobile marketing. Two of these are the | | | | operators now follow the guidelines that are present |
| Interactive Advertising Bureau and the Mobile | | | | in the MMA Consumer Best Practices Guidelines. All |
| Marketing Association. MMA. Part of their task has | | | | mobile marketers in the US are obliged to comply |
| been to set parameters for the industry. | | | | with these guidelines. |