December 11, 2007 – BELLEVUE, WA
HipCricket, Inc., a pioneering mobile marketing company that creates measurable, real-time, one-to-one relationships between advertisers and their customers and prospects, has named Steven Siegel Vice President of Brand Solutions. Siegel has developed successful mobile marketing programs for brands and agencies such as Dunkin Donuts, The History Channel, McDonalds, Snapple, Verizon Wireless, Viacom, Mediacom and Ogilvy.
Most recently, Siegel was Vice President of Mobile Marketing & Solutions at Enpocket (now Nokia Ad Solutions). He has created strategic mobile marketing programs for operators, media companies, marketers and agencies, and drove significant gains in new market revenue over the past four years. Siegel has also held senior sales and management positions at Responsys (an email service provider), Engage Media, and Mediacom/Beyond Interactive.
The hire comes at the end of another significant year for HipCricket's brand business. The company orchestrated successful promotions with Nestle Waters, M&M Mars, Chevrolet and Nintendo, among many others.
“HipCricket's brand business has experienced significant growth and developed a reputation for accelerating revenue and creating loyalty for national brand leaders and agencies,” said Eric Harber, HipCricket's president and chief operating officer. “Steven's expertise in integrated marketing and mobility, combined with his management acumen, further strengthens our ability to design and implement superior campaigns for our clients.”
“HipCricket is doing impressive work for brands and the company's commitment to its clients is a major factor in its success to date,” said Siegel. “Brand marketers and agencies are increasingly looking to include mobile as an integrated part of their campaigns. I'm thrilled to be part of a company that has produced over 24,000 mobile marketing campaigns and is generating results for its clients today.”
Saturday, January 31, 2009
HIPCRICKET HIRES VICE PRESIDENT OF BRAND SOLUTIONS
Local Broadcast Stations Tap HipCricket to Deliver Mobile Alerts to Listeners and Viewers
HipCricket Inc., a pioneering mobile marketing company that creates measurable, real-time, one-to-one relationships between broadcasters, advertisers and their customers and prospects, today announced that select broadcast customers have embraced their mobile marketing platform to deliver important and personalized information to their listeners and viewers. Among the broadcast stations using these alerts are KNBC, WTMJ-AM, WTMJ-TV, and WKTI-FM.
In the case of Los Angeles-based KNBC, the station looked to HipCricket to provide geographically-targeted messages to opted-in subscribers during the October 2007 wildfires that overtook parts of Los Angeles and San Diego. Realizing the information gap that existed due to rapidly changing conditions, KNBC connected with HipCricket to send key information directly to the mobile handset of each person.
In less than four hours, a program was initiated and launched after which subscribers were able to respond with a request for additional information such as evacuation routes. The station's audience quickly took advantage of the program, with more than 18,000 opting in on the first day. In total, well more than 25,000 participated, including those who had the opportunity when the program was expanded to KNBC's sister station in San Diego.
“Broadcast stations like KNBC have taken the lead when it comes to realizing the value that mobile marketing can bring not just to building their brand but to more effectively serving the needs of their listeners and viewers,” said HipCricket CEO Ivan Braiker. “By tapping into the power of mobile alerts, KNBC was able to provide valuable and relevant information to their audience. This information ultimately helped inform people of the status of the fires and kept them out of harm's way.”
WTMJ-AM, WTMJ-TV and WKTI-FM also realized the power of HipCricket's mobile alerts during the Milwaukee school closings in December. Instead of sifting through hundreds of school closing announcements, subscribers were given the opportunity to sign up to receive a text message specific to their selected school(s). The alerts would inform subscribers of delays and school closings. Nearly 1,700 signed up through these Journal Broadcast Group stations in the first weeks of the program.
“HipCricket allowed us to reach a mobile audience quickly and efficiently during a major news event. It is our goal to connect with the community, in as many ways possible, especially during breaking news situations,” said Linda Sullivan, president and general manager of KNBC.
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Jameson® Taps HipCricket to Power St. Patrick’s Day Mobile Marketing Campaign
March 13, 2008 – BELLEVUE, WA
Revelers seeking the perfectly pithy Irish toast this St. Patrick’s Day won’t have to look any further than their mobile phone, thanks to Jameson and HipCricket, a mobile marketing company that creates measurable, real-time, one-to-one relationships between brands and consumers.
America’s fastest-growing whiskey brand has turned to HipCricket's mobile-marketing platform to send unique Irish toasts via text message to consumers who have opted-in to the "Jameson Full-On Irish" Sweepstakes. Irish whiskey is by far the fastest-growing spirits category in the U.S., and those enjoying St. Patrick’s Day festivities can quench their thirst and impress their friends with creative toasts sent daily from February 17 to March 17, and then hourly throughout March 16 and 17.
Jameson’s domestic importer, Pernod Ricard USA, worked with its creative agency, Marketing Drive, to develop the national campaign, built around a sweepstakes featuring five Grand Prize trips to the Old Jameson distillery in Dublin, Ireland. Consumers of legal drinking age can opt-in to receive the toasts and enter the sweepstakes by texting IRISH to 80782; revelers at participating bars and restaurants can text JAMESON to 80782.
HipCricket provides a flexible, scalable platform that will enable thousands of Jameson fans to simultaneously receive these toasts. On the back end, HipCricket’s platform offers Jameson the ability to measure the results of their campaign with drill-down analytics.
"Working with HipCricket further extends Jameson into consumers’ St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. HipCricket empowered us with the means to very easily implement a mobile campaign that will provide us with measurable results,” said Wayne Hartunian, Brand Director for Jameson at Pernod Ricard USA. “Everyone wants the perfect toast on St. Patrick’s Day, and mobile is the ideal medium to quickly distribute these gems to our customers who have opted in. It is the ideal way to be creative and enjoy St. Patrick’s Day with friends and family."
"Working with Jameson this St. Patrick’s Day is an exciting opportunity that truly showcases HipCricket’s capabilities for leading consumer brands,” said Steve Siegel, HipCricket’s Vice President of Brand Solutions. “Brands are looking for creative yet welcomed ways to become an integral part of consumers’ lives; the ‘Jameson Full-On Irish’ campaign and “texted toasts” provide something fun and enjoyable to their customers. Consumers are welcoming Jameson be a part of their lives via a very personal medium, their mobile phones; we’ve helped Jameson to create a fun way to stay top of mind."
Pernod Ricard USA urges all adults to accept responsibility when considering consuming alcoholic beverages. For more information, please visit: http://www.acceptresponsibility.org/.
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About Pernod Ricard USA
Pernod Ricard USA, based in Purchase, N.Y., is a leading producer, importer and marketer of prized spirits and wine brands in the United States and is one of the fastest growing subsidiaries of the world’s #2 spirits company and #4 wine company, Paris, France-based Pernod Ricard, S.A. The completion of Pernod Ricard’s acquisition of Allied Domecq in 2005 vaulted Pernod Ricard USA to the forefront of the U.S. spirits market, doubling the company’s sales value and market share. The company is now the third largest in the U.S. spirits industry by sales value and the fifth largest by sales volume in the U.S.
Pernod Ricard USA's leading brands include Kahlúa® Liqueur, Chivas Regal® Scotch Whisky, Seagram's Extra Dry Gin®, Malibu® flavored Rum, Stolichnaya® Vodkas, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, The Glenlivet® Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Wild Turkey® Bourbon, Beefeater® Gin, Martell™ Cognac, as well as Jacob's Creek® and Brancott Estate® wines, Perrier-Jouët® Champagne, G.H. Mumm® Champagne and Mumm Napa® wines, and Pernod® and Ricard® Liquors.
About Marketing Drive
Marketing Drive (http://www.marketingdrive.com/) is a promotional marketing agency dedicated to helping clients realize their brand’s full potential. We do this by driving incrementality. Our trick, discover an unexpected insight or opportunity to translate into a creative idea that goes Boom – simple to say, hard to do. Marketing Drive is proud to partner with such notable clients as: Dannon; ExxonMobil; New Balance; Novartis Consumer Health; Pernod Ricard, USA; Procter & Gamble; and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Initiative Brings Together Broadcasters and Brands to Create Targeted Marketing and Advertising Marketplace of Active Mobile Technology Users;
HipCricket, a pioneering mobile marketing company, today launched the first-ever comprehensive Hispanic mobile marketing network. The network is composed of a family of Hispanic media properties that can be leveraged by brand marketers to deliver highly targeted and interactive mobile marketing programs directly to the handsets of opted-in, engaged mobile users who are part of the $860 billion Hispanic consumer market.
HipCricket, cited by CTIA and others for its innovation and ability to drive broadcast revenue and consumer engagement, also announced that major Hispanic media companies Bustos Media, Lotus Communications and Davidson Media Group are among the first to join the network. These companies and others collectively represent more than 50 radio and television stations, nearly one million listeners and viewers, 24 overall markets and reach into seven of the top 15 Hispanic markets.
Brand marketers will be able to tap into and customize a media plan of Hispanic stations in the network and their audiences with a single buy. They will be able to choose the markets, stations and the demographics to develop a sophisticated media buy that pinpoints their target audience.
One of the nation’s most rapidly-growing demographics, Hispanics are heavy users of mobile technology and text messaging. In a recent Mobile Marketing Association study, 32 percent of Hispanic consumers indicated that they were moderately or highly receptive to mobile marketing messages. And they’re already equipped to receive those messages. Seventy-five percent of all U.S. Hispanic households have multiple mobile phones and use them more than any other form of personal or handheld technologies on the market today – and more than half regularly use text messaging.
Important for broadcasters and marketers seeking to reach this demographic is the number of Hispanics responding to text message advertisements, which has increased by 20 percent in the past year. Overall, the rate of text message usage is growing dramatically among Hispanics, increasing by 39 percent in the last 12 months, according to a recent M:Metrics study.
“The Hispanic market represents an unprecedented opportunity for broadcasters and brands because of its large and growing population, enormous purchasing power and great consumer loyalty,” said Ivan Braiker, chief executive officer of HipCricket. “Hispanics are also among the earliest and fastest adopters of mobile technology, so the ultimate way to meaningfully engage with this community is through mobile marketing. The Hispanic Mobile Marketing Network gives brands and broadcasters a premier solution that facilitates real-time, measureable, one-to-one relationships with Hispanic customers.”
As with all HipCricket programs, the Hispanic Mobile Marketing Network is entirely permission-based so consumers only receive the text messages, alerts and other mobile interactions they request. Additionally, all mobile messages are customized based on the consumer’s preferences and needs, helping broadcasters and brands maximize their reach to Hispanic consumers.
“Joining HipCricket’s Hispanic Mobile Marketing Network was an easy decision because of the company’s proven track record—they have executed more than 17,000 mobile campaigns that have delivered dramatic, measurable improvements in revenue generation, listener engagement, audience growth and advertiser ROI,” said Amador Bustos, president and chief executive officer, Bustos Media, a Spanish-language broadcasting company that owns and operates radio and TV stations in high-growth markets throughout the United States.
“Mobile marketing solutions from HipCricket will help us to connect with our audience in ways we never thought possible,” said Peter Davidson, president/founder of Davidson Media Group. “The company offers a flexible, easy to use platform for delivering customized messages to Hispanic audiences. This capability will allow us to successfully increase our loyal following while maximizing the promotion of our shows, talent and events. By becoming an inaugural member of their Hispanic Mobile Marketing Network, we expect to see even more added value for us and our advertisers.”
HipCricket will assist companies with mobile messaging and marketing campaigns and provide hands-on assistance in building a station loyalty club that can provide special offers to opted-in members. In addition, and in keeping with the overall mission and philosophy of HipCricket, member stations will also have full-time access to a dedicated account manager that is always available to provide support.
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Leading Mobile Marketing Company Adds to Technology Team to Drive Next Phase of Solution Development and Implementation
HipCricket, a pioneering mobile marketing company, today announced the appointment of Greg York as vice president of engineering. A mobile technology veteran, York will play an integral role in helping the company evolve its solutions to build on its leadership position.
York served as the vice president of engineering at VoiceBox, a leader in voice-led mobile search for the automotive and telecommunications industries. Previously, he was vice president of technology at GiftCertificates, a top provider of e-commerce gift card solutions. While at GiftCertificates, he created gift solutions for consumers and incentive management solutions for businesses including T-Mobile, Cingular and Coca-Cola.
Earlier, at Ontain, York led the technology organization for a startup company creating and integrating mobile ordering and financial services solutions for major brands such as Boston Market, McDonalds, Starbucks and Subway.
“Greg’s multifaceted experience and strategic technology skills will be a great asset to HipCricket in the continuing development and implementation of the HipCricket system and related products and services,” said Eric Harber, HipCricket president and chief operating officer. “More and more, major consumer brands and broadcasters are turning to us for solutions that may begin with SMS and include a WAP site, mobile advertising and interactive online development. Greg will be a key player in enabling HipCricket to bring strategic offerings driving revenue and engagement for our current and future customers.”
“HipCricket has been recognized by many, including CTIA and NeuStar, as a pioneer,” York said. “The HipCricket system provides industry-leading flexibility, measurability and usability. I’m pleased to be joining the HipCricket team and its talented team of developers who are playing a big part in delivering revenue today for its clients and enabling broadcasters and brands to measure the ROI of their marketing campaigns, while building listenership, viewership and loyalty.”
Mobile Marketing Leader HipCricket Guides Station to Near 100 Percent Growth in its Mobile Database
Each participating high school in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties was assigned a keyword for the 25-day contest that ended in late April. Students and others could text as many times as they wanted to the station’s shortcode. In just over four weeks, Power 96 received 4,161,644 votes via text message. The station also nearly doubled its mobile marketing database, with listeners opting in to receive future promotions from the station. Coral Reef Senior High won the performance by Plies, Colby O’Donis, and Pleasure P.
HipCricket, which works with Power 96 and all its clients in creating real-time, one-to-one relationships, has a long and successful history with similar campaigns. More than a quarter-million texts were received by a Beasley station in Philadelphia for a concert with Paula DeAnda.
“Talk about listener involvement,” said Tom Calococci, program director of Power 96. “This campaign really shows the power of mobile marketing and our partnership with HipCricket. This is a perfect case of us engaging our audience and creating an opted-in relationship for interaction with our listeners moving forward.”
“We’re thrilled for Power 96,” said HipCricket CEO Ivan Braiker, a 30-year radio veteran. “This campaign and many others we’ve run just like it are proof that broadcast can be interactive. Power 96 is now in perfect position to bring further value to its opted-in listeners through offers and other promotions.”
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Former Premiere Radio Chief Joins Forces with Leading Mobile Marketing Company to Revitalize the Radio Market
Currently the co-president of Big Shoes Productions and a founder in Sound Mind, LLC, Kitchin was one of the founders of Premiere Radio, which launched in October 1987. He began his career at the company as the executive vice president of sales. In 1998, at the age of 37, Kitchin assumed the role of president/COO, one of the youngest in the country to run a $300 million-plus radio company. Taking notice of his quick assent, Radio Ink magazine named him one of the most powerful men in radio in 1999. He has remained on that prestigious list every year since.
“As the original social medium, radio can remain a leader. A key is leveraging today’s mobile marketing solutions from HipCricket which helps stations address the number of challenges facing the market at this time,” said Kitchin. “HipCricket is the best in the business. Their mobile marketing software and client services are revitalizing radio by enabling stations to drive revenue, listenership and loyalty.”
At Premiere, Kitchin directed and oversaw all talk and music programming and services, featuring Delilah, Rush Limbaugh, Jim Rome, Glenn Beck, Casey Kasem, Ryan Seacrest , Bob (Kevoian) and Tom (Griswold), Steve Harvey, Whoopi Goldberg, Blair Garner, George Noory, Maria Bartiromo, Ty Pennington, John Boy and Billy, Matt Drudge, Art Bell, Donald Trump, Big Tigger, Bob Costas and others. In addition, he supervised Premiere Radio’s other properties: Mediabase 24/7, the industry’s leading music monitoring service, MJI Programming and FOX Sports Radio.
“Kraig’s insights will be invaluable as we expand our leadership position in broadcast,” said Ivan Braiker, HipCricket chief executive officer. “He shares our interest in making traditional media interactive, thereby satisfying broadcasters’ hunger for a new revenue driver that provides advertisers with a more effective and measurable way to market their products and services. We are thrilled to have someone of Kraig’s stature join our team in a senior advisory role.”
Kitchin, 47, also serves on the board of directors for Operation Hope and Point Hope.
Coincident with Kitchin joining HipCricket’s board of directors, Wes Bray, a founder and major shareholder in the company, is stepping down from his current role as a director.
“The company is deeply appreciative for Wes’ many contributions to the development of HipCricket’s business,” Braiker said. “Given his deep industry connections and domain expertise, Wes will continue as an advisor to the company.”
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Partnership with leading Hispanic Media Company Boosts Network’s Reach to over 100 Stations in Major U.S. Markets
HipCricket, cited by CTIA and others for its innovation and ability to drive broadcast revenue and consumer engagement, announced the launch of the Hispanic Mobile Marketing Network in April with inaugural partners Bustos Media, Davidson Group and Lotus Communication. One of the nation’s fastest growing demographics, Hispanics are among the most active users of mobile technology and text messaging. HipCricket’s Hispanic Mobile Marketing Network enables marketers to tap into and customize a media plan of Hispanic stations in the network -- and their audiences -- with a single buy.
“This deal with SBS is a significant milestone in the growth of our network, and represents a strong endorsement by a major Hispanic media player of the power of mobile marketing for Hispanic audiences,” said Ivan Braiker, Chief Executive Officer of HipCricket. “We are grateful to all our Hispanic media partners for their leadership and vision in working with us to create a uniquely powerful mobile marketing platform connecting brands and advertisers with Hispanic consumers.”
“We are always looking for new ways to deepen our audience’s engagement with our radio properties, talent and advertisers,” said Marko Radlovic, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for SBS. “We chose to work with HipCricket because they have delivered over 17,000 successful mobile campaigns with dramatic, measurable results. Most importantly, they truly understand Hispanic consumers and can help us reach our listeners through their favorite digital device – their mobile phones.”
Spanish Broadcasting System has leading radio properties in major markets that dramatically expand the ability of the Hispanic Mobile Marketing Network to connect brand marketers with the Hispanic consumer. In New York, for example, SBS’ La Mega 97.9 FM is home to “El Vacilón de la Mañana,” the number one rated morning radio show in the city regardless of the language. SBS also has leading radio properties in Chicago (La Ley 107.9 FM), Los Angeles (KLAX 97.9 FM La Raza), and Miami.
In a recent Mobile Marketing Association study, 32 percent of Hispanic consumers indicated that they were moderately or highly receptive to mobile marketing messages. And they’re already equipped to receive those messages. Seventy-five percent of all U.S. Hispanic households have multiple mobile phones and use them more than any other form of personal technology on the market today. More than half regularly use text messaging.
Important for broadcasters and marketers seeking to reach this demographic is the number of Hispanics responding to text message advertisements, which has increased by 20 percent in the past year. Overall, the rate of text message usage is growing dramatically among Hispanics, increasing by 39 percent in the last 12 months, according to a recent M:Metrics study.
HipCricket offers a flexible, easy-to-use mobile marketing platform that is entirely permission-based so consumers only receive the text messages, alerts and other mobile interactions they request. Additionally, all mobile messages are customized based on the consumer’s preferences and needs. HipCricket works closely with its partners to launch mobile marketing campaigns and provides hands-on assistance in building a station loyalty club that can provide special offers to opted-in members. In keeping with the overall mission and philosophy of HipCricket, member stations also have full-time access to a dedicated account manager that provides support when and where needed.
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About Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc.
Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. is the largest publicly traded Hispanic-controlled media and entertainment company in the United States. SBS owns and/or operates 21 radio stations located in the top Hispanic markets of New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Puerto Rico, including the #1 Spanish-language radio station in America, WSKQ-FM in New York City, as well as 4 of the Top 8 rated radio stations airing the Tropical, Mexican Regional, Spanish Adult Contemporary and Hurban format genres. The Company also owns and operates Mega TV, a television operation serving the South Florida market with national distribution through DirecTV Más. SBS also produces live concerts and events throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. In addition, the Company operates http://www.lamusica.com/, a bilingual Spanish-English online site providing content related to Latin music, entertainment, news and culture. The Company’s corporate Web site can be accessed at http://www.spanishbroadcasting.com/
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Leading Mobile Marketing Company Expands Executive Team to Deliver Cutting-Edge Solutions to Leading Brands and Broadcast Companies
With nearly three decades in broadcast sales, McCormick has extensive experience growing revenue for radio and television affiliates in Seattle, the nation's #12 market. As General Sales Manager, he grew Entercom's KIRO Newsradio into a top-15 national revenue generator among commercial radio stations. At CW affiliate KSTW Television, McCormick served as general sales manager and delivered an eight percent increase in station revenue, more than double the market increase. He also garnered impressive sales and revenue numbers at FOX affiliate KCPQ and NBC Affiliate KING, consistently delivering revenue increases surpassing market expectations.
McCormick also has extensive experience working with leading brands, managing key customer accounts including McDonalds, Pepsi and 7-Up while at EvansGroup (now Publicis). Most recently, McCormick served as director of business development and client services as a partner with Seattle marketing firm Stanton & Everybody. At Stanton, he was responsible for gaining and developing business relationships with top-tier clients.
"Broadcast leaders, brand managers and agencies are increasingly looking for innovative ways to grow revenue while increasing listenership, viewership, engagement and loyalty," said McCormick. "Integrating mobile into campaigns is a surefire way to achieve these desired results – and quickly. HipCricket is a leader in the industry, having implemented more than 17,000 mobile campaigns, and I am excited to be part of a company that is helping clients generate results today."
"HipCricket has developed a reputation for accelerating revenue and creating loyalty for brand leaders, agencies and broadcast entities," said Eric Harber, HipCricket president and COO. "With extensive experience and proven success in broadcast as well as with brands, Dennis' expertise and proven track record in terms of sales and revenue growth is an invaluable asset."
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Joint Solution Empowers Broadcasters to More Effectively Acquire and Retain Listeners and Ultimately Increase Ratings and Revenues
By bringing together industry-leading services, HipCricket and Enticent will provide broadcast stations with a single point-registration process and the ability for their audiences to earn loyalty points from Enticent’s StickyFish platform when they interact with mobile services provided by HipCricket, which has delivered more than 17,000 successful mobile marketing campaigns for major brands and broadcast stations.
“Since day one, a key component of HipCricket’s mission has been delivering mobile marketing solutions to broadcasters that help them to better connect with their listeners while realizing valuable new revenue streams,” said Ivan Braiker, CEO of HipCricket. “Through this partnership with Enticent, we strengthen our offering with the addition of a proven loyalty element that is already delivering value to hundreds of broadcast companies. We look forward to working with the Enticent team to deliver a seamless and integrated solution with a single point of consumer registration.
“The digital transformation of radio and television is in full swing. Eventually, every station wishing to increase audience loyalty and compete for digital advertising dollars will embrace both mobile and loyalty marketing. As pioneers and leaders in the loyalty space, we could not be more thrilled to strike this relationship with HipCricket, the clear leader in Mobile Marketing” said Chris Bell, President/CEO of Enticent.
The result of the partnership is a fully integrated mobile marketing and customer loyalty solution that lets broadcasters generate a database of listeners who have “opted-in” to receive communications from the station. Leveraging this list, stations can then deliver services, such as weather updates, traffic reports, trivia contests and more, directly to each listener’s mobile phone. Through the solution, the more actions a listener takes (i.e. the more traffic updates they receive and contests they enter), the more points they earn which in the end results in a stronger, more committed listener-base while creating a high value advertising platform for advertisers.
“In today’s climate, competition for audience loyalty and digital advertising dollars – both from other stations as well as interactive channels – has never been more intense,” said Bill Alfano, Director of FM Marketing, WAAF-FM in Boston. “With PPM coming, we are excited and optimistic to see the impact that mobile marketing will have. Working with HipCricket and Enticent, we will now have the capabilities to not only connect and interact with our listeners in a very powerful and intimate fashion, but also to transform each individual into a station devotee. This will ultimately allow WAAF to further establish itself as a leading station in the Boston market.”
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About Enticent
Enticent is the leading provider of turn-key database, email, and loyalty marketing programs to media companies. Deployed by over 300 leading media brands, Enticent products are used to increase ratings and web traffic while driving audience database growth and generating direct response for advertisers. Enticent clients include media properties owned by Clear Channel, CBS Radio, Entercom, Comcast, Belo, Citadel, Tribune, and many others.
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Ninety-six Percent of Consumers Remembered a Mobile Marketing Promotion’s Call-to-Action; More Than a Third Say they are More Likely to Buy a Brand’s
Kirkland, Wash.– October 21, 2008 – Each day, the American consumer is exposed to thousands of advertisements,but how many of those do they actually recall? The 2008 Mobile Response Survey, sponsored by HipCricket,found that mobile/SMS marketing recall rates were extremely high compared to other forms of media.
Of the respondents that received mobile marketing messages within the past year, more than half recalled at least one brand. Further, 96 percent remembered the promotion’s call-to-action and more than a third reported that the promotion made them more likely to buy the brand’s product/service. Attesting to the viral nature of mobile marketing, 37 percent told a friend about the message and 6 percent forwarded the promotion to a friend.
GR8 Deals: Mobile Couponing of Interest to US Consumers The survey also found that 58 percent of consumers are interested in receiving mobile coupons and nearly 40 percent would be willing to receive location-based, time-related offers and coupons (e.g. pizza coupon during the commute home from work). Forty-seven percent of those surveyed said if they received a mobile coupon it would be ‘likely’ or ‘very likely’ that they’d redeem it, with 70 percent of those respondents expressing interest in redeeming mobile coupons both online and in-store.
Consumers said they would also use their mobile phone to:
Locate a store or restaurant – 39%
Enter a contest – 28%
Download a ringtone or wallpaper – 27%
Visit a mobile website – 20%
Sign up to receive future offers & promotions – 14%
View nutritional facts while at a restaurant – 13%
Mobile Advertising: Not Yet a Standalone Media Buy More than half of respondents never access the mobile Web and only five percent would use their phone to click on a mobile ad. “One of the reasons that we see such high response rates to our mobile marketing campaigns is because we’re taking advantage of the ubiquity of SMS, which is on more than 96 percent of devices and used regularly by more than 136 million Americans,” said Steve Siegel, VP, Brand Solutions for HipCricket. “Mobile advertising is a great complement to many of our multi-faceted mobile marketing campaigns and we anticipate growing interest in advertising on the mobile Web as consumers continue to adopt Web-enabled devices with superior online experiences, such as the iPhone.”
Market segments that consumers are most interested in receiving messages from on their mobile phone include:
Food and beverage – 51%
Entertainment/media – 40%
Retail – 24%
Apparel – 23%
Mobile carriers – 21%
About the 2008 Mobile Response Survey The 2008 Mobile Response Survey is a national survey designed to provide insight into consumer attitudes towards mobile marketing and their mobile behavior. The survey was conducted in August 2008 via email and is based on 517 respondents. The survey is sponsored by Kirkland, Wash.-based HipCricket. A Research Brief providing detailed information on the findings is available at www.hipcricket.com/survey
Goodby, Silverstein & Partners Teamed With Leading Mobile Marketing Company to Extend California Milk Processor Board Campaign to Mobile Devices
The brainchild of advertising agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, ‘White Gold and the Calcium TwinsSM’ is a rock band that stars in TV, out of home print and online ads touting the health benefits of drinking milk. The ads, coupled with the band’s interactive website, WhiteGoldisWhiteGold.com, show music lovers, especially teens, how cool and beneficial drinking milk can be.
HipCricket designed the campaign’s mobile WAP/website, which invited milk drinkers to visit White Gold’s online site right from their mobile phones. The website contained fun interactive content, like full track downloads from the band. Mobile keywords that reinforced the brand were promoted on posters throughout California shopping malls and outdoor advertisements encouraged consumers to download free White Gold ringtones simply by texting in keywords to a common short code.
“The White Gold campaign is all about reaching teens where they already are, such as social networking communities like MySpace, Facebook and YouTube. It was only natural to make White Gold accessible on their most personal device,” said CMPB Executive Director Steve James. “Now as teens reach for their mobile phones, they’ll think about reaching for a glass of milk too.”
“With text messaging being the preferred method of communication for a majority of young adults, it made a lot of sense to extend this campaign with mobile,” said Steve Siegel, HipCricket’s VP of Brand Solutions. “This is a great example of an integrated ad campaign that combines the instant gratification of mobile and targeted traditional media. We’re thrilled to have partnered with Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and the California Milk Processor Board on this fun and innovative campaign.”
About the CMPB The California Milk Processor Board was established in 1993 to make milk more competitive and increase milk consumption in California. Awareness of GOT MILK? is over 90% nationally and it is considered one of the most important and successful campaigns in history. GOT MILK? is a federally registered trademark that has been licensed by the national dairy boards since 1995. The CMPB's Spanish-language campaign began in 1994 using the tagline "Familia, Amor y Leche" (Family, Love and Milk). The TOMA LECHE (Drink Milk) campaign replaced it in 2006, following a growing trend in Hispanic food advertising that uses wit and humor to reach audiences. GOT MILK? gifts and recipes can be viewed at www.gotmilk.com and www.tomaleche.com. The CMPB is funded by all California milk processors and administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
About Goodby, Silverstein & PartnersGoodby, Silverstein & Partners is a full-service advertising agency, founded in 1983, with the simple aim of producing the world's best advertising (as recognized by its industry peers in terms of the distinctiveness of its work and by its effectiveness in the marketplace). Located in San Francisco, GS&P handles over two billion dollars in billings for clients including Hewlett-Packard, Comcast, Sprint, Hyundai, Adobe, Anheuser-Busch, Haagen-Dazs, Elizabeth Arden, Frito-Lay, and the California Fluid Milk Processors Advisory Board ("got milk?").
Certainly GS&P would be on almost anyone’s list of the top creative agencies in the country, most often at or near the top. They have won every major advertising award, most of them many times over. GS&P has won eighteen Gold Effie™ awards from the American Marketing Association. They have had more finalists in the Kelly Awards for magazine advertising than any agency in the country. They have won Emmys, Grand Prix at Cannes, and numerous Agency of the Year awards from the Clios, Graphis, One Club, M&Ms, and Campaign magazine. 2006 and 2007 were unprecedented ones for awards, winning Adweek Agency of the Year two years in a row, Creativity Agency of the Year in 06, Advertising Age Digital Agency of the Year in 06 and Agency of the Year in 07, and Advertising Age Campaign of the Year for our work on Hewlett-Packard in 06.
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Kevin McCarthy to Lead Broadcast Sales Team for Pioneering Mobile Marketing Company
HipCricket a pioneering mobile marketing company, has appointed 30-year broadcast veteran Kevin McCarthy to lead the company’s broadcast sales efforts. McCarthy has worked for ABC, Clear Channel, Entercom and Jacor, among others, as a national sales manager, general sales manager, general manager and market manager.
Recently named the early leader in the U.S. in mobile marketing by global wireless analyst firm Frost & Sullivan, HipCricket has hundreds of broadcast station clients with an overall reach of more than 20 million listeners and viewers. The company works with Clear Channel Radio, Premiere Radio Networks, Fox Sports Radio, and NBC, among many other broadcast leaders.
McCarthy’s career in television and radio has taken him to Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle, Minneapolis and San Diego. His experiences range from the notable launches of startup stations KQQL and WBOB in Minneapolis, to leading KOGO in San Diego from the ratings depths to market leader and Marconi Award winner. McCarthy, who will be HipCricket’s senior director of broadcast sales, has experience in virtually every music format as well as news/talk and sports. He has mentored some of the nation’s most successful managers, programmers and talent.
“Kevin has been one of broadcasting’s stars for many years,” said HipCricket CEO Ivan Braiker, who spent more than three decades in radio. “He shares our vision of working with broadcasting’s trailblazers to reinvent radio and provide new revenue and customer loyalty solutions for both radio and television stations. We’re thrilled to add Kevin to our unparalleled team.”
“I am delighted to be involved with the very bright, very passionate team at HipCricket,” McCarthy said. “Being keenly aware of the challenges facing today’s radio and television broadcasters, it is a pleasure to be able to offer relief with something that is elegant in its simplicity and delivers the ever elusive win, win, win for stations, their advertisers and their audience.”
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About HipCricket
HipCricket, Inc. drives new revenue and customer loyalty for broadcast stations and consumer brands through strategic, creative and measurable mobile marketing interactivity. Recognized as a pioneer by CTIA, the preeminent wireless association, the mobile marketing software and solutions company has delivered more than 24,000 successful campaigns for customers including Clear Channel Radio, Premiere Radio Networks, Sandusky Broadcasting, NBC, Coca Cola, Staples, Hershey’s and Jameson. With its unique technology and experienced, customer-focused team, HipCricket produces interactive campaigns through SMS, Mobile Web/WAP, and mobile advertising and now connects brands with audiences they desire to reach via broadcast stations that are part of the first comprehensive Hispanic Mobile Marketing Network. The company is based in Kirkland, Wash. with additional operations in New York. More information can be found at HipCricket .
Leading Mobile Marketing Company Adds Executive With Significant Experience Assisting Major Brands to Reach Hispanics
HipCricket’s Hispanic reach extends to 14 of the top 15 Hispanic markets and to more than nine million listeners and viewers.
Jones’ appointment is the latest development in HipCricket’s efforts with the burgeoning Hispanic market—one expected to have $1.2B in buying power by 2012—as the company has recently announced deals with leading broadcast companies including Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS).
Jones comes to HipCricket with extensive experience in the Hispanic marketplace as the former co-founder and CEO at CDK Media, a full-service multi-media company serving the U.S. Hispanic community. While at CDK Media, Jones oversaw the creation and execution of marketing, advertising, PR and sponsorship programs for national clients including Volvo Cars of North America, Southwest Airlines, Colgate Palmolive, L’Oreal, American Express, Nissan, All State, General Motors, ExxonMobil, and Wal*Mart, among others.
“For years, David Jones has created meaningful brand opportunities for companies seeking to interact with Hispanics in the U.S.,” said Eric Harber, President and Chief Operating Officer of HipCricket. “The Hispanic-American market has embraced mobile technology like no other demographic. HipCricket’s Hispanic Mobile Marketing Network gives brand marketers direct and measurable reach to a large, opted-in, highly engaged population of mobile-equipped Hispanic consumers. We’re fortunate to be able to add David’s knowledge, talent and relationships to our team.”
“With its impressive history with broadcasters and brands, and the Hispanic-American market’s predisposition to mobile, HipCricket is coming at this at absolutely the right time,” said Jones.
Besides his experience in the dynamic U.S. Hispanic marketplace, David also has a far-reaching background in the technology and sales industries. Prior to entering media, David was deeply entrenched in the IT industry in the U.S. and in Europe. He served as the U.S. Director of Sales for the web hosting giant Navisite, a CMGI company, living and working in San Francisco. Before Navisite, David was the European Sales Director for the U.S. CAD/CAM software company Parametric Technology Corporation, overseeing sales in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg.
Jones holds a degree in business administration from the University of Texas.
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About HipCricket
HipCricket, Inc. drives new revenue and customer loyalty for broadcast stations and consumer brands through strategic, creative and measurable mobile marketing interactivity. Recognized as a pioneer by CTIA, the preeminent wireless association, the mobile marketing software and solutions company has delivered more than 17,000 successful campaigns for customers including Clear Channel Radio, Premiere Radio Networks, Sandusky Broadcasting, NBC, Coca Cola, Staples, Hershey’s and Jameson. With its unique technology and experienced, customer-focused team, HipCricket produces interactive campaigns through SMS, Mobile Web/WAP, and mobile advertising and now connects brands with audiences they desire to reach via broadcast stations that are part of the first comprehensive Hispanic Mobile Marketing Network. The company is based in Kirkland, Wash. with additional operations in New York.
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Leading Analyst Firm Lauds HipCricket for its Experience and Dedication to Innovation
Leading Analyst Firm Lauds HipCricket for its Experience and Dedication to Innovation
HipCricket, a pioneering mobile marketing company, “has taken an early lead in the U.S. mobile marketing space,” global analyst firm Frost & Sullivan said today in naming HipCricket the winner of the 2008 Market Penetration Leadership Award.
“HipCricket is a clear market leader within its target segment,” said Vikrant Gandhi, senior analyst, mobile and wireless, Frost & Sullivan. “The company successfully leverages its technical expertise and experience to develop and deliver highly-customized, turnkey mobile marketing campaigns. Continually innovating and differentiating its offerings, HipCricket has also shown a tremendous ability to identify lucrative market segments—such as Hispanic-Americans—and then deliver solutions tailored specifically to helping advertisers reach these targets.”
HipCricket, whose customers include major consumer brands as well as broadcasters, has implemented more than 17,000 successful, turnkey mobile marketing campaigns to date. In April, the company launched the first comprehensive Hispanic Mobile Marketing Network. Comprised of a family of Hispanic media properties, the network can be leveraged by brand marketers to deliver highly targeted and interactive mobile marketing programs directly to opted-in users. HipCricket’s Hispanic reach extends to 14 of the top 15 Hispanic markets and to more than nine million listeners and viewers.
According to Frost & Sullivan, “… HipCricket’s success can be attributed to a mix of smart leadership, effective sales strategy and technical expertise. HipCricket’s management has extensive experience in the radio and television markets, which helps the company truly understand the strategic imperatives of its key customers and design effective solutions to help them maximize the mobile marketing potential.”
Further, “The Company has one of the fastest turnarounds in the industry – HipCricket’s team turns creative briefs into executable programs in 48 hours or less by leveraging the extensive in-house database of information about thousands of mobile marketing campaigns managed previously.”
“We are thrilled that Frost & Sullivan is honoring us for our success – it speaks volumes to the smarts, creativity and overall efforts of HipCricket’s team members,” said Ivan Braiker, CEO, HipCricket. “We are passionate about making traditional media interactive, and specifically, ensuring new and valuable revenue sources for broadcasters and brands and providing advertisers with a more effective and measurable way to market their products and services.”
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About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's TEAM Research, Growth Consulting and Growth Team Membership empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan’s Growth Partnerships, visit http://www.awards.frost.com/.
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About HipCricket
HipCricket, Inc. drives new revenue and customer loyalty for broadcast stations and consumer brands through strategic, creative and measurable mobile marketing interactivity. Recognized as a pioneer by CTIA, the preeminent wireless association, the mobile marketing software and solutions company has delivered more than 17,000 successful campaigns for customers including Clear Channel Radio, Premiere Radio Networks, Sandusky Broadcasting, NBC, Coca Cola, Staples, Hershey’s and Jameson. With its unique technology and experienced, customer-focused team, HipCricket produces interactive campaigns through SMS, Mobile Web/WAP, and mobile advertising and now connects brands with audiences they desire to reach via broadcast stations that are part of the first comprehensive Hispanic Mobile Marketing Network. The company is based in Kirkland, Wash. with additional operations in New York. More information can be found at http://www.hipcricket.com/.
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