Webinar 4.27.11 (revised)

Engaging Youth Through Mobile: The Next
Direction for SMS Marketing to Students
April 27, 2011

Agenda
• Introduction to Webinar + Research
- by Andrew Belth

• Why Mobile to the Youth Market?
- by Jeffrey Sass

• Mobile Planning, Strategies and Case Studies
- by Andrew Marino

• Questions and Answers

2 © Alloy Media + Marketing, Confidential and Proprietary. All Rights Reserved.

Over three-fourths of college students own a laptop, cell phone, TV,
headphones, MP3 player or digital camera.

Which of these items do you currently have?

Source: 2010 College Explorer


Cell phones Connect College Students
9-in-10 college students have a cell phone
Top cell phone activities include:
99% Talk to family
97% Talk to friends
96% Texting friends
93% Texting family
91% Taken photos
80% Sent photos
65% Used calendar
63% Played games
63% Recorded videos
61% Accessed the internet
57% Sent or read e-mail
56% Updated “status”
55% Updated social networking site
54% Texted while driving
51% Listened to MP3s
43% Downloaded ringtones
Source: 2011 TRU Study


Agenda
- by Andrew Belth

- by Jeffrey Sass

- by Andrew Marino



Why Mobile?
MY Phone…
Not a computer… an accessory!
Especially among younger demos
• 45% of 18-24 year olds own a smartphone (Edison Research)
• 50% of 25-34 year olds (Edison Research)


Mobile: Center of Our Universe
Impactful
• Less Clutter
• In your face
• Immediate, purpose driven
Ubiquitous
• Puts you in the pocket of your customers


Mobile: Center of Our Universe (continued)
Interactive
• Actions & calls to action
• Rich media - animation, audio & video
• Click to call
• Social Integration
• Capture data
• Opt-in for more
• Distribute content
• Distribute offers/coupons


Mobile: Center of Our Universe (continued)
Personal
Location Aware Text “GEICO” to 69937
• Highly targetable
• RELEVANT
Integrates with other media
• Print
• Radio
• TV
• Out of home
• Social


Why Mobile to the Youth Market?
It is where they are, nearly 24/7, for:
• Information: alerts, news feeds
• Communication: texting
• Entertainment: music, video, apps, games
• Sharing: images, video, location check-ins
• Social: over 40% of social network activity is from mobile
- 80% of 18-24 year olds have social network profiles
• Commerce: shopping, offers, pricing


Agenda
- by Andrew Belth

- by Jeffrey Sass

- by Andrew Marino



SMS/Text Messaging Overview
Common Terms
Keyword: A customized word that customers use to
respond to a direct marketing initiative. Example:
Text “Keyword” to 121212 to receive a special offer!
MMS (Multimedia Message Service): Allows the
user (marketer) to send files, pictures, videos, etc.
(SMS, by contrast, does not permit this)
Opt-In: Like email, an opt-in is a confirmation that a
customer wants to receive a company’s SMS
messages. Opt-ins are as simple as the user texting
directly to the short code or signing up for SMS online.
Opt-Out: Like an email unsubscribe link, it allows
recipients to stop receiving SMS messages from a
sender. An unsubscribe option is vital to such
programs.
Pull Campaign: A short code or keyword call-to-
action, often used in conjunction with other marketing
material.
Push Campaign: Text messages that are sent out or
“pushed” to recipients to generate response.

History and Stats on SMS
Text messages are typically read within 15 minute of receipt and responded to
within 60 minutes of it being opened.
31.9% of all mobile subscribers used a Web browser on a mobile device from
March 2010 to May 2010, according to comScore.
30% downloaded a mobile app during that same time, as compared with 6.7% the
year before.
SMS was invented in 1985—over 25 years ago. It was aimed at a business
audience. The first SMS “push” was on December 3, 1992.
SMS developers were surprised at its popularity, especially with a young audience
—because it was a medium their parents didn’t understand.


SAMPLE: RECRUITMENT
Push Campaign

objective
Need cash for
To increase recruitment for one of the college? We’ll pay
US Military Forces. you up to $20G just
for signing up. Go
to[ link ] for the 411.
Challenge (optout, reply: out)
How do we incorporate SMS to increase response?

Review the campaign and propose
supplementing the email creative with a
simple text message.

target audience
802,000 individuals
Age 17 – 24
48% female / 49% male / balance undeclared


SAMPLE: RECRUITMENT
Push Campaign

Approach
•Target only those mobile users with matching email addresses.
•Choose the right call-to-action.
•Base it on past experience—e.g., what is the offer/incentive that provides greatest
performance?

Deployed the email at least three times, in conjunction with SMS deployment for best
response.


SAMPLE: ENROLLMENT DRIVE
Push Campaign

objective
To generate attendance at a university
open house to drive enrollment.

Challenge
Target the audience using a post card and an
as yet undetermined additional
marketing channel.

Review the campaign to proposed
supplementing with SMS “push”
message, QR code and follow-up
email with the post card. Also University of Namehere:
Open house May 20. It’s
happening with you!
consider a pull SMS message, with Register:
http://tinyurl.com/3kkpjz9
customized keyword and shared short (optout, reply: out)

code to reduce costs.


SAMPLE: ENROLLMENT DRIVE
Push Campaign

challenge (continued)
•If cost an issue, consider eliminating email for testing purposes, leaving a post card
and QR code with matching SMS push.
•The SMS pull can be included as an add-on to increase call-to-action options and
increase response
•Include email in future campaign / roll-out after testing bears out.


STRATEGY AND PLANNING
tips and considerations for sms

160 characters is limiting, but use abbreviations only when
necessary. If using abbreviations, use forms that will be
familiar to your audience.
Like humor, informality can go awry. Avoid informal
language, slang or snarky comments.
Be on the look out for double entendres.
Begin with your company name for brand awareness.
It also differentiates you from spam.
Email doesn’t like words such as “Free” in subject lines,
but that’s a great word for SMS. So are Coupon,
Contest, Sweepstakes, Sale, Special Offer, etc.
Put your offer upfront. 160 characters is not a lot of
room to be playful.
If using a link, consider using a tiny URL to save space.


tips and considerations for sms (continued)

Include opt-out language.
Consider SMS push as a supplemental channel rather than a stand-alone, as
multiple touch points increase response
Remember, with smartphones like BlackBerry and iPhone, email is a mobile
channel and your audience might be better-suited to respond via email rather than
SMS.
Consider alternate channels in your mix: TV, radio, print ad, print mail, email, and
social media. All of these vehicles can support an SMS short code as a “pull”
response mechanism, which is not only inexpensive but expected by today’s
markets.
Consider optimizing your landing page for mobile visits before your SMS “push”,
so if users click on a link, it renders properly on their mobile device.


tips and considerations for sms (continued)

Determine your goals prior to your marketing initiative to determine which
channels are the best fit.
Determine how you define success for your campaign: Is it a spike in web traffic?
Is it conversion? Is it a simple awareness program that doesn’t require any action
on the recipient’s part?
Remember to test creative copy, response codes, landing pages, etc. to fully
understand your campaigns’ results.


Agenda
- by Andrew Belth

- by Andrew Marino

- by Jeffrey Sass



Questions & Answers
Andrew Belth
Senior Vice President of Direct Marketing, Alloy Media + Marketing
212.329.8484
abelth@alloymarketing.com

Andrew Marino
Senior Account Executive, BannerDirect
914.478.8822
amarino@bannerdirect.com

Jeffrey Sass
Vice President of Business Development, Myxer
954.360.0360
jeffery.sass@myxer.com


Webinar 4.27.11 (revised)

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