Def Leppard Rocks Detroit & Joe Louis Arena With ROCKZIMITY

VALLEY STREAM, NY--(Marketwire - September 2, 2008) - Ace Marketing & Promotions Inc. (OTCBB: AMKT) announces the campaign results of their "ROCKZIMITY MARKETING" launch with Def Leppard at Joe Louis Arena on Aug 23.
Ace Marketing & Promotions Inc. (AMKT) is the exclusive provider of "ROCKZIMITY," the only known US Bluetooth & Wifi marketing solution. Ace Marketing and Def Leppard celebrated the successful conclusion of "ROCKZIMITY" with Def Leppard at Joe Louis Arena on Aug 23rd. ROCKZIMITY gave Def Leppard fans the opportunity to receive more of what they were there for -- Def Leppard.
From the moment fans came into the hot spots with their Bluetooth visibility enabled, the ROCKZIMITY experience began. Def Leppard drummer, Rick Allen stated, "Def Leppard fans thought that it was amazing that they could take the show with them simply by accepting a message from Def Leppard. We struck a chord with a new generation of Def Leppard fans by delivering a multimedia experience in which they only left the show wanting more from the Sparkle Lounge and that's what we want as artists, fantastic."
ROCKZIMITY hot spots were active in a few key locations around the venue and delivered everything from, videos from the show, ringtones, wall papers and two fans even won a trip to the Sparkle Lounge to meet Def Leppard. Michael Trepeta, President for Ace Marketing, stated, "ROCKZIMITY interacted with over 1,648 unique devices -- that means 18% of the entire audience; we had 62 rejections all night that means we positively engaged 93% of fans that were presented with the content, that's ROCKZIMITY." Matt Gaines, SVP Marketing for Ace, said, "We can deploy these campaigns quickly and results are updated throughout the course of the campaign, sponsors love that, real engagement, fans love that they can save the content, Def Leppard loved that it brought their legacy to a new generation -- a win-win-win. Fans adapt well, understand how to use it and they engage it, with no usage cost, no data plan required, a totally free multimedia experience."
Ace Marketing & Promotions Inc. positively identified what phones people are carrying utilizing the proprietary software, which identifies which phone model is being used and who manufactured the device.
About Ace Marketing & Ace Marketing & Promotions Inc.
Ace Marketing & Promotions Inc., based in New York, is a full-service promotional marketing company offering a wide array of business solutions. Ace Marketing is a global leader in proximity marketing with proprietary Bluetooth and Wi-Fi integrated technology that establishes the benchmark for how multimedia messages are being delivered. Established in 1998, the Company has built a successful, scalable business platform capable of consolidating a portion of the promotional products industry. Rockzimity & Rockzimity Marketing are trademarks of Ace Marketing & promotions Inc.
Def Leppard
With more than 65 million albums sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards to their credit, Def Leppard -- Joe Elliott (vocals), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick "Sav" Savage (bass) and Rick Allen (drums) -- continues to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career, the band has produced a series of classic groundbreaking albums that set the sound for generations of music fans and artists. The group's spectacular live shows, filled with powerful melodic rock anthems, have become synonymous with their name and they are an institution in the touring industry as they continue to sell out arenas worldwide. The ban's latest album, "Songs From The Sparkle Lounge" (Bludgeon Riffola/Island/UMe), debuted at #5 on the Billboard Top 200, earning Def Leppard their highest-charting debut since 1992. "Songs From The Sparkle Lounge" contains 11 new songs including the hit single "Nine Lives," featuring a groundbreaking collaboration with country music superstar Tim McGraw.
Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements express or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, changes in levels of competition, possible loss of customers, and the company's ability to attract and retain key personnel.

SOURCE: Ace Marketing & Promotions, Inc.
Sep 02, 2008 10:42 ET

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A wheely great way to see Fermanagh

Fermanagh is set to feature in aa new marketing campaign launched by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB).
The innovative marketing campaign in the Republic of Ireland aims to encourage visitors to travel to Northern Ireland as part of their holiday on the island of Ireland.
Visitor attractions such as Marble Arch Caves European Geopark and Enniskillen Castle will feature strongly in the £1 million campaign. Cutting edge technologies such as bluetooth advertising will be used, while two-wheel Segways as pictured, will be used to spread the message.
A team of promotional staff will use the branded transporters around Dublin city centre to raise awareness of things to see and do in Northern Ireland. The campaign is one of the first to use the head-turning vehicles as part of a promotional campaign on the island of Ireland.
VISITORS
Ruth Burns, Destination Marketing Manager at NITB said that in 2006 the Republic of Ireland received 3.7 million holiday visitors, and while Northern Ireland was getting a bigger share of these visitors, it could be attracting a lot more.
"This gateway campaign will directly target international visitors already on the island and increase awareness of Northern Ireland as a place to go for a day trip or a short break while they are in Ireland."
"Northern Ireland offers a unique experience for visitors to the island of Ireland. From the world famous Giant's Causeway to the stunning Fermanagh lakes, we offer so many options for the tourist in a relatively compact geographic space."
NITB's gateway campaign will run from June to September targeting entry points such as Dublin and Cork airports, car hire companies and visitor attractions.

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Bluetooth Marketing used at Nascar Events

Posted by justin on Jul 10, 2008 in In The News, Marketing Strategy, Mobile Advertising, Mobile Fun, Mobile Marketing, Proximity

Fans that attended last weekend’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona were greeted with a unique form of marketing and interaction with the brands supporting the race. A new system of ad-supported Bluetooth and Wi-Fi messaging was put in place to offer fans information about entertainment and driver appearances throughout the race. It’s all part of an effort to introduce proximity-based information and marketing to other race-tracks and sporting events.
The campaign was lead by Ace Promotion & Marketing who partnered with International Speedway Corp. to place seven “hotspots” capable of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi transmissions throughout the complex. As fans made their way throughout the track, they would receive various connection requests and could opt-in to receive the content.
The race’s two main sponsors; Coke and Chevrolet supported the campaign with 15-second video spots placed among the content. Chevy notified people of the vehicle demos they offered around the track, and Coke directed people to free samples of Coke Zero as part of their promotion integrated into the system. Other content the fans received were things like concert information for the infield performances, and driver autograph-signing information and times.
With the controversy surrounding Bluetooth-spamming and other concerns with proximity-based marketing aside, the campaign proved rather successful for all parties involved. It was noted people were immediately reaching for their mobile phones upon seeing the call-to-action signs placed around the track. There weren’t many details about the actual success-rate of the campaign, but officials said overall it was a “positive experience.”
Sounds to me like it didn’t go as well as they’d hoped for, or more details about how it performed in terms of conversion for the advertisers would have been reported. The only concern mentioned by staff putting on the campaign was how many people actually had active Bluetooth or Wi-Fi -enabled devices on them during the race. I would have to agree fully- I think proximity marketing via Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi can and has worked successfully, but only in carefully researched situations and places. Other parts of the world besides the US, where mobile devices with this functionality are more ubiquitous are much better testing grounds for such campaigns. I think it’s still a little early for proximity marketing as a whole, but the future looks bright if done correctly.

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Bluetooth Castle

Today I visited Raglan Castle in Monmouthshire with my family. Cadw, the government body that manages the castle, were running a trial to deliver audio files to visitors' mobile phones using Bluetooth. As I walked through the entrance I simply made my phone discoverable, waited a few seconds for the MP3 to download, then started listening to a guided tour of the castle. It's a great use of the technology: it just worked.The talk only lasted a few minutes, so we had plenty of time afterwards to run around the ruins.A couple of technical questions that sprang to mind:
How would you set up a server to push files over Bluetooth? (There are loads of ways you could use this - maps of the local area at transport hubs, sharing the schedule at conferences, random photo of the day at home, etc.)
Can you make audio files navigable? That is, make it easy to go to the part of audio file that is about a given exhibit by typing in the exhibit's number? (This problem reminds me of Cliff Schmidt's talk about the Talking Book Device at ApacheCon EU 2008.)
Posted by Tom White at 17:15

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Garden and Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur

Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. SacklerGallery Send Ads to Bluetooth Phones
August 7, 2008
The digital marketing industry is growing rapidly and the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery are taking advantage of its momentum. The museums are launching a marketing campaign using Bluetooth technology for the opening of “Garden and Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur,” Oct. 11 through Jan. 4, 2009, at the Sackler Gallery.
Already a phenomenon in Europe and Asia, and now launching in cities across the United States, this new medium of advertising prompts Bluetooth phone users to opt-in to receive a free downloadable message. Clear Channel Outdoor and Qwikker, the leading providers of location-based mobile content distribution infrastructure, are offering this mode of advertising. Bluetooth-enabled bus shelters, located in Washington, D.C.’s major pedestrian areas, will deploy a silent prompt to mobile users with Bluetooth within a 30-foot radius.
The galleries will be able to target new and younger audiences through this innovative medium of advertising. A message from the Smithsonian will appear on pedestrians’ mobile screens, and those who accept the message will receive a detail of the bus shelter advertisement and a message urging them to visit the featured exhibition, “Garden and Cosmos.” This advertisement magnifies the eyes of a Nath Yogi from the exhibition and gives users the opportunity to use the artwork as wallpaper for their mobile devices.
The galleries are located near the Smithsonian Metrorail station on the National Mall. For more information about the Freer and Sackler galleries the public is welcome to visit http://www.asia.si.edu/. For general Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.

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Ringleader Digital Claims to Invent Our Unique ID Technology

At Mobile Internet World a few weeks ago, I was particularly impressed by one member of a panel I had attended. Bob Walczak of Ringleader Digital appeared to be a “tell it like it is” kind of guy, and I found him extremely refreshing and entertaining.

Well apparently I was wrong. He appears to be more of a “Tell it like you want them to think it is” kind of guy.

Bob has publicly taken credit for a “new” technology they invented called “media stamp”. The weird thing is that it sounds exactly like the process we use to uniqely identify users for our analytics. This technology was discussed at a Mobile Monday panel I sat on back in April that Bob attended.

Since cookies and Javascript are rare on mobile browsers, we developed a way to create a unique fingerprint for users without them. Essentially we take all the information we receive from the carriers, all the information we have about the phone model and it’s capabilities, and other information derived from the actual browsing experience, to create this fingerprint.

We then provide each unique ID with a score from 1–100 which gets attached. The score is based on how sure we are of the uniqueness of the user, and how sure we are that we can identify them when they return.

While any claim that Bob makes that he can 100% identify unique users is false, we can still uniquely identify a very high percentage of unique users. This is why we give them a score.

In a press release yesterday, Ringleader made the following claim:

By “stamping” a mobile device, Ringleader Digital enables agencies and brands to identify unique visitors and track their clicks, impressions, and acquisitions across all browsing sessions, mobile sites, and wireless carriers. Media Stamp is the first technology to standardize these ad serving and analytic capabilities in mobile, which were previously only available for online advertising.

Sorry Bob, you were not the first, and you knew it.

“The potential of mobile advertising has been constrained because agencies and publishers have not had the real-time visibility or analytics required to validate the return on investment for mobile ad campaigns” said Bob Walczak, CEO of Ringleader Digital. “Media Stamp is reinventing mobile advertising by quickly gaining a strong understanding of user preferences and enabling mobile advertisers to provide targeted, relevant advertisements to growing and active mobile audiences.”

“Reinventing” is an appropriate term for what Ringleader has done, since we already invented it. Mobilytics is still the only “impartial” third-party ad tracking tool that can use this fingerprint to track “across” ad networks.

Conversion tracking capabilities from Media Stamp analyze how impressions/click results are connected to actions. Media Stamp can also associate the user’s behavior to each page that included a specific served ad – enabling publishers to identify all pages that contributed to a visitor’s conversion. Ringleader Digital is also expanding Media Stamp capabilities to enable real-time delivery of targeted ads by correlating behavioral and engagement patterns to deliver targeted and actionable advertisements.

While it is great to see them using this technology on the ad-serving side, we have been doing it with ad campaign tracking for over 6 months.

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Mobilytics Releases White Paper on Mobile Web Analytics

Since the launch of Mobilytics, we have found that many people don’t understand why mobile specific analytics products are needed to track and analyze mobile web site traffic.

Both from an accurate tracking and marketing perspective, mobile analytics can make a huge difference in your everyday business decisions. Using Internet based analytics will produce inaccurate and missing information. This is a fact, and should be understood by anyone using that data.

I’ve put together an in-depth white paper that is the “everything you need to know about mobile analytics” of white papers, to explain what this is all about.

In it I cover the following topics in detail:

• Brief history of web analytics
• What makes mobile different, and why traditional analytics won’t work
• What mobile web analytics is
• What to look for in a solution provider

Without getting too technical, I explain how vendors do their tracking, and what the pros and cons of each are. I do not compare the specific vendors, only the methods they use for unique id tracking. No vendors are mentioned, and it is not a “sales pitch” oriented paper.

At the end of the day, anyone evaluating a solution should put the tracking code from multiple vendors on their site and review the results. The process of viewing the reports in the vendor’s interface, and the report data will speak for themselves.

Download our Actionable and Accurate Analytics on the Mobile Internet white paper, and let us know what you think. Pass it along to others as well.

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Robotube Games Makes Heavybag Media More Mobile - by Greg Walsh

Research and Markets (researchandmarkets.com/reports/c15752) has announced the addition of Mobile Marketing - Exploiting Marketing Opportunities in Emergent Mobile Media to their offering. (PRWEB) April 18, 2005 — Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c15752) has announced the addition of Mobile Marketing - Exploiting Marketing Opportunities in Emergent Mobile Media to their offering. Increasing functionality of mobile handsets and expanding network data capacities are facilitating the creation, delivery, and consumption of multimedia mobile content. With mobile media growing increasingly rich and penetration levels among European consumers nearing saturation, this one-to-one channel will become increasingly compelling to marketers. This report ‘Mobile Marketing- Exploiting Marketing Opportunities in Emergent Mobile Media’ answers the following key questions? -What can the European mobile marketplace currently offer marketers? -What is the current level of marketing investment in the mobile platform? -How will emergent mobile media create new opportunities for marketing? -How can brand marketers and other key stakeholders exploit opportunities? Information covered in the report includes: -European Handset Landscape in 2004 -Demographic Profile of Nonvoice Mobile Data Consumption, 2004 -Profile and Characteristics of Average Mobile User and Advanced Mobile User, 2004 -Total European Wireless Marketing Spending, 2004 -Evolution of European Handset Landscape, 2004 to 2008 -Opportunities for Marketing Exploitation of Mobile Content, 2004 -Drivers and Inhibitors of Mobile Marketing Spending, 2004 -Applicability of Mobile Tactics by Consumer Product or Service Industry Sector, 2004 -Relationships Among Key Stakeholders in Mobile Content/Marketing, 2004 For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c15752 Laura Wood Senior Manager Research and Markets e-mail protected from spam bots Fax: +353 1 4100 980

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Robotube Games Makes Heavybag Media More Mobile - by Greg Walsh

Leading interactive marketing company, Heavybag Media, announced today that it will begin global distribution of mobile content produced by its subsidiary, Robotube Games LLC. New Haven, CT (PRWEB) November 18, 2005 — Leading interactive marketing company, Heavybag Media, announced today that it will begin global distribution of mobile content produced by its subsidiary, Robotube Games LLC. Robotube Games develops original video games, interactive content, and promotional messages for the mobile platform, including cell phones, PDAs, and personal computers. Jason Cirillo, founder and creative director of Robotube Games, started the company in 1999 from his apartment in Tokyo, Japan. Today, operating out of New Haven, CT in the U.S., the company has developed 35 games that are played online by over 200,000 visitors a month to the robotubegames.com website. In 2005, Robotube Games began developing games for cell phones to reach the over 1.5 billion mobile subscribers. “One thing that makes Robotube unique as a company is that we develop and own the IP for all of our games,” Cirillo said. “While the market has increased exponentially for Robotube Games, our creative mission is still the same. We love to play games, so we build games that we want to play.” In 2004, Cirillo and Dennis Peters, Chief Creative Officer of Heavybag Media, joined forces to form Robotube Games LLC. Heavybag Media provided the infrastructure to support Robotube Games as the company expanded from online content to the mobile platform. The growing distribution channels for Robotube’s library have provided a creative extension to Heavybag Media’s interactive marketing programs. “We’re very excited about Robotube Games expansion into developing and distributing mobile content. It provides Heavybag Media with another interactive marketing option for our customers,” Peters said. “By adding the mobile marketing of Robotube to our mix of services, Heavybag Media is at the forefront of interactive marketing.” Robotube Games focuses on developing games with the end user in mind. “Because of the online and mobile technology formats, we are minimizing the learning curve so the player can get right into the game,” Cirillo explained. “Each game integrates fun, engaging elements that maximize interactivity for a full gaming experience in as little as a five-minute time frame, or enjoyed for longer time periods too. The games are all easy to learn and easy to play while being challenging and competitive to maximize replay value.” Robotube Games has a following that stretches across not only the US but Asia and Europe. The demographics of the players are not all Gen Y and younger. “We have a large following among 30 and 40 year-olds who played the classic video games in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s,” Cirillo added. About Heavybag Media Heavybag Media, founded in 2002, is a concept-to-completion interactive marketing company that immerses a target audience in its customer’s messages. Based in New Haven, CT, the company creates interactive content that people choose to experience. Heavybag Media’s staff is uniquely equipped to formulate complete integrated marketing projects tailored to meet each customer’s goals. The company also develops original mobile technology games under its Robotube Games LLC subsidiary. For further information, visit the company websites at www.heavybagmedia.com and www.robotubegames.com For Heavybag Media and Robotube Games sales, contact: Dennis Peters 203-624-4117 www.heavybagmedia.com ###

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Redesigned Corporate Event Planning Website Unveiled - by Bob Irving, President

Mobile event marketing is a powerful method of introducing new products and technologies. EventPro’;s recently redesigned website permits companies a risk-free opportunity to explore the possibility of utilizing corporate event management services or mobile marketing and demonstration tours. (PRWEB) March 18, 2006 — Launching a new product? Introducing a new technology? Need to demonstrate new systems? These accomplishments can be achieved with dramatic effect, generating excitement and sustained enthusiasm across the country. Mobile event marketing is a principle described in depth in EventPro’;s recently redesigned website. Entrepreneurs can witness hugely successful corporate events, and see how this proven marketing technique has benefited others. Thorough corporate event planning is essential for ensuring the success of any type of public relations or mobile event marketing effort. Locating the proper staff within their own organization can often be difficult for some companies in the initial stages of corporate event planning. Especially in the case of mobile event marketing, it is frequently helpful for companies to enlist outside corporate event planning and management services. By utilizing the services of planning and management specialists, companies can take advantage of the contacts and channels already in place for their corporate or mobile marketing event. Thus, one of the greatest challenges in planning is easily overcome. Thereafter, the actual management of the mobile event can be run with or without outside assistance. Generally, however, most companies find that the expense of using internal staff is equivalent to, or more than the cost of utilizing the full-range expertise of a corporate event management services firm. One of the most exciting features of EventPro’;s redesigned website is its introduction of Sponsorship Programs. This concept is worth checking out because it can instrumental in the financing large-scale mobile event marketing efforts for smaller-sized businesses. Considered as one of its many corporate event management services, this concept deserves the attention it has been getting. Alongside the corporate event planning information featured on the redesigned website, there are also useful case studies on the effectiveness of full-scale mobile marketing tours. These items present a brief but solid picture of how far marketing dollars can go, and how advertising expenses can actually be spared. Certainly, for companies who are currently considering their marketing options, this website will be extremely informative. About A leader in the mobile event marketing and corporate event management services for over a decade, EventPro’;s name has become synonymous with every type of corporate event planning. Their work can be viewed at http://www.eventpro.com Contact EventPro 9000 Keystone Crossing, Suite 650 Indianapolis, IN 46240 (317) 580-0006 http://www.eventpro.com/

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Proximity Marketing or SPAM?

Written by olafdunn on Jul 4th, 2007 Filed under: advertising, Wireless Innovation
Roughly half of all bluetooth devices have their phones in discoverable mode. Allowing other bluetooth devices to make contact with them. Recently this is beginning to be exploited for marketing purposes.
Unlike MMS and SMS and WAP Push, bluetooth content delivery is free. Being a push technology, the recipient does not require and discovery of the service, the only pre-requisits for delivery are:
Bluetooth enabled phone
Bluetooth in Discovery Mode
User to accept the download
With all this being an advantage to the advertiser, what is the benefit to the end user?
Targeted ads - User can receive information about special offers in their vicinity or related to the event they are attending etc.
Free Content - Brands can deliver wallpapers or videos to the user, this may be part of a promotion
The ability to reject the delivery and switch off Discoverable

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Ace Marketing & Promotions Inc. Takes Proximity Marketing(SM) to the MAX

VALLEY STREAM, NY, Jan 08 (MARKET WIRE) -- Ace Marketing & Promotions Inc. (OTCBB: AMKT) announces that IMAXTheaters is piloting Proximity Marketing at its Palisades theaterlocation in N.Y., one of the top four IMAX locations in the country. "Theresults of the campaign have been fantastic. Thousands of visitors tothis single location have downloaded the Free 'Watchmen' trailer and wehave seen Positive Engagement rates topping 90%," stated Michael Trepeta,President of Ace Marketing & Promotions. "As we partner with movietheaters to implement a permanent network, we will give studios theability to deliver promotional trailers and special offers to millions ofmoviegoers each month. Our technology is ideal for the motion pictureindustry as it provides studios and theaters the ability to advertise andmarket their films in their actual medium as opposed to traditional formslike print, radio or billboards. Since we provide actual statistics ofdownloads in a relevant proximity, our clients now have measurable resultsand the ability to target a succinct demographic... the actual moviegoer." Currently, patrons can go to the large-format theater and, using theBluetooth or Wi-Fi connection on their cell phones, download an exclusive30-second clip from the upcoming graphic novel adaptation "Watchmen,"which will be released March 6. At the end of the clip, patrons are thendirected to a Web site that gives them a VIP opportunity to buy ticketsto the first public showing of the film on March 6 at 12:01 a.m. "We'llbe the only theater in the United States selling tickets for the midnightshow," said theater director John Jarvie. IMAX has strategicallypositioned the program to coincide with "The Day the Earth Stood Still."It is targeted to reach the same demographic that will be excited for the"Watchmen" debut. The Watchmen window treatments are clearly tagged with"Enable your Bluetooth Visibility to receive a FREE Movie trailer." Thesignage is accompanied by a creative blue floor graphic just beneath theposter and is designed to attract consumers into the "IMAX ZONE." "Our focus is clear. We provide simple solutions that work. Our ProximityMarketing(SM) is engaging consumers by the thousands and we are fortunateto have forward thinking partners like IMAX that provide their patronswith promotional offers and great content that keep them coming back formore," stated Matt Gaines CMO for Ace Marketing & Promotions Inc. About Ace Marketing & Promotions Inc., based in New York, is a full-servicepromotional marketing company offering a wide array of business solutions.Ace Marketing is a leader in proximity marketing with proprietaryBluetooth and Wi-Fi integrated technology that establishes the benchmarkfor how multimedia messages are being delivered. Established in 1998, theCompany has built a successful, scalable business platform capable ofconsolidating a portion of the promotional products industry. Rockzimity& Rockzimity Marketing are trademarks of Ace Marketing & Promotions Inc. Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Actof 1995. Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-lookingstatements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation ReformAct of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknownrisks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results,performance or achievements of the company to be materially different fromany future results, performances or achievements express or implied bysuch forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements aresubject to risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, changesin levels of competition, possible loss of customers, and the company'sability to attract and retain key personnel.

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SMS Text Messaging for Hair & Beauty Businesses Made Simple - Salon.Textalert.com Launches - by David New

Textalert launches world’s simplest sms marketing tool for hair & beauty businesses at http://salon.textalert.com. Salon businesses now able to take advantage of mobile marketing revolution. Free sign-up, no hidden costs – pay-per-use system offers value for money. Works globally, from any internet connected pc with no additional software required. (PRWEB) June 29, 2005 — Salon.Textalert.com, an easy-to-use online service enabling hair and beauty businesses to send promotional and marketing text messages to customers, launched today at http://www.salon.textalert.com. Salon.textalert.com is the world’s first SMS marketing solution specially designed with the needs of hair and beauty practitioners in mind. Having collected customer’s mobile phone numbers, salon owners simply enter the message, input the numbers of their customers into an online address book, and click ‘send’. Salon.Textalert can send messages to all their customers, or ‘filter’ their address book according to such criteria as the name of the customer’s stylist, or whether the customer is male or female. The service operates on a pre-paid credits system and there are no sign-up or subscription charges. No additional software is required to use the system, which can be accessed from any internet connected PC. Marketing via SMS has traditionally been the domain of large organisations. CEO David New said “hair and beauty salons whole livelihood depends on loyalty. Text messaging is the most exciting loyalty tool and marketing channel available at the moment – it is more effective than direct mail and traditional advertising, and far more memorable than email. And it’s costs much less. Pre-launch customer Joe Mills, owner of prominent style-leading Soho salon ‘The Lounge’ said “We use it in a couple of different ways. We turn away far fewer appointments by promoting quiet times during the week, which spreads the workload. We also use it to promote parties we do once every few months” “We set out to demystify SMS marketing for small and mid size businesses. We’ve made it so simple that no prior knowledge is required and new users can be up and running in just two minutes! We also offer more complex features that allow filtering and targeting but there’s no need to learn how to use them right away,” said Sarah Hodkinson, Marketing Director of Textalert. The applications are countless but popular examples include: *Informational : cancelling batches of customer appointments when stylist absent through illness *Promotional – product or service discount coupons delivered by SMS *Marketing – new salon products and services NOTES TO EDITORS: Mobile Marketing enjoys the highest recall rate of any advertising/marketing medium Research has shown that there is a 71-96% recall rate to mobile marketing campaigns (MMA 2002) and that 23% of people will show or forward a marketing message to a friend or colleague (Enpocket Insight Report 2003). Reach Textalert’s service sends to over 500 mobile networks in 170 countries. There are 1.52 billion mobile phone users worldwide. Out of the 135 billion SMS messages sent worldwide in March 2004, 2.1 billion were sent in the UK alone. Textalert & SMS Spam Textalert stressed that the system was specifically for marketing to an existing customer base, for CRM or as a means of driving loyalty, and not for advertising. Textalert.com provides help and information for businesses on how to go about collecting their customer’s numbers, and their responsibilities. Users are required to include contact information on each text message they send, to facilitate customers wishing to ‘unsubscribe’. Therefore unsolicited mobile ‘spam’ was not an issue. Costs Prices are pay-per-use and there are no additional or hidden fees. Prices start at around £0.08 /

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Bluetooth proximity marketing

March 2nd, 2007 by Luke

Bluetooth proximity marketing – or Bluecasting as it has been trademarked by one agency – doesn’t get a great press. Yet it has obvious potential for the marketer.
It works like this: you walk past Starbucks with your mobile phone set to discoverable. You receive a message. Such as: ‘Starbucks wants to send you something – accept?’
You say yes and you get their message - a discount voucher or perhaps an invite to stop for free coffee. If you say no, you don’t get their message.
That’s it.
The message has been sent by a server, situated somewhere within 100 metres of you. In the case of the above example, it’s probably situated in Starbucks itself.
Some say this sort of thing is as bad as email spam.
Ouch.
That’s bad.
However, I don’t see it that way.
1 By being on discoverable, surely you are inviting enquiries?
Okay, so you may be wishfully expecting an enquiry from some hotbody sat across the train carriage tapping away (it happens…apparently).
But you can’t be choosy when you stick a sign on your head saying ‘Talk to me’. On discoverable you are telling others they can approach you.
Really: turn off this feature if you don’t want to be approached;
2 It’s not like email spam because it should be obvious who the sender is, and often it will be possible to contact them in person within minutes if they have sent you something that really deserves complaint.
Unfortunately, this isn’t possible with email spam – the Nigerian 419 scammers, Russian stock advisors and Viagra pushers are kind of hard to pin down;
3 How different in principle is this intrusion to any other we suffer in the street: the charity chugger; the market researcher; the leafleter? We take the time to tell these people ‘not today’. Sometimes they pester us further, despite our protests.
With Bluetooth, you don’t even have to talk to the sender – just junk the message if you’re not in the mood;
4 Any Bluetooth campaign lives or dies by the quality of the message.
If Starbucks wants to give me a free coffee, I will respond positively. If, however, they are trying to tell me about some lame pastry promotion or push a cringeworthy viral clip, I will feel negative towards them. And I will refuse any future messages from them. And I will go to an AMT Coffee stand next time (the coffee is much better anyway).
I can see there is potential for abuse and irritation. But the responsibility is with the sender to use the technology tactfully.
If they are any kind of marketer worth their Saxo, the last thing they will want to do is end up angering the audience.
Let them make fools of themselves; their reputation is on the line – all we have to do is press delete.
Some of the ‘bluespamming’ debate here in the UK has referenced an activity run by Avenue Q, the West End musical.
People passing the Noel Coward Theatre received an invitation to receive content from Avenue Q. Those that accepted then received video clips from the show. The acceptance rate was 7% - or 703 people during the campaign period.
Co-incidentally, Reach Students is working with Avenue Q right now, though we have had nothing to do with the Bluetooth work delivered by Square One (we have been handling PR through student social networks; it’s the most effective and successful work we have ever done - a fantastically enjoyable campaign).
However, we are talking about Bluetooth and we are interested in Student Media UK’s offering. They work closely with students’ unions and are in a position to offer proximity marketing on campuses.
Student Media UK have a background of adding interactive technology to students’ union events. Their main interest is offering the technology for students to upload instant photos of themselves to in-bar screens and other user-generated content innovations. But they also see a role for straightforward offers, and their union clients are interested in using their system to tempt in students with promotions.
With their technology Avenue Q could deliver content, offers or freebies via Bluetooth within an exclusive environment dominated by one of its target audiences: London students.
Awareness now among London students at selected universities is very high. Most will know the show. Many will be interested to hear from Avenue Q. I would expect better response rates than the Bluecast from the Noel Coward Theatre, and I don’t think it would anger many – if any.
I really can’t see how this would be different to standing outside the union with a bundle of flyers, an activity that is commonplace and accepted.
Tell me I’m wrong!

http://www.bluespotmedia.ning.com/

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http://www.bluespotmedia.ning.com/