Ez Texting SMS Marketing News

Another day, another SMS marketing success story. Of note, this one involves one of the decade's best personal branders:

HairTech International is using mobile marketing to promote the launch of Paris Hilton's huge new line of hair and beauty products.

The campaign, which kicked off in late November, already has budding socialites and fans opting-in to receive product information and giveaways via mobile from Ms. Hilton. Velti is powering the campaign.

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The mobile program is focused around a certified, Velti-powered short code (text keyword PARIS to short code 72747) that enables fans to log on to a mobile Web site to learn about Ms. Hilton's new line, sign up for giveaways and get text alerts about upcoming promotions.

As a call to action the short code has a powerful media schedule behind it including social-media initiatives - with tweets to Ms. Hilton's 1 million Twitter followers and communications to her 140,000 Facebook friends.

Mobile Couponing has been growing by leaps and bounds this year. And now it is invading the place where more people use coupons than anywhere else--the supermarket.

Read more @ Mobile Marketer.

MediaPost's Marketing Daily predicts a big jump in mobile shopping:

Read the whole article here.

There's nothing like a 2008 year-end review of mobile to start off the New Year! Our friends at Mobile Marketer have the full report:

Many people would agree that 2008 marks a change in the way information is consumed. The mobile phone is at the forefront of that change, as it has evolved as the most personal device.

With companies like Sears, Target, Coca-Cola, Pepsi Dolce & Gabbana and even Santa Claus adding mobile to their marketing mix, the channel has finally started to gain wider acceptance.  Let’s take a look at some of the most notable campaigns of 2008.

This article from Internet Retailer gives a great overview of mobile commerce and purchasing via SMS:

Read more at the link above.

Kraft Foods, the world’s No. 2 food company, has launched a new iPhone and iPod touch application that offers consumers access to food and meal-planning ideas.

Called the iFood Assistant, the app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store for installation on any iPhone or iPod touch. The app targets consumers on the go looking for recipes. “Our goal is to help make consumers’ lives easier by helping them find the perfect food idea for any occasion, create quick shopping lists and find the nearest grocery store – all just a finger-tap away,” said Ed Kaczmarek, director of innovation for new services at Kraft.

Read more here.

Stores like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. are using more text-message alerts to spread the news about sales. Online retailers like Buy.com Inc. are sending out daily messages on Twitter, a blogging site that uses short messages, to advertise the latest holiday specials. The Gap Inc., Target Corp., Sears Holdings Corp. and Amazon.com Inc. are pushing new mobile programs this year, too.

Retailers hope these efforts make it easier for customers to shop online, with their cellphones or even at brick-and-mortar stores. And while the prices touted digitally are basically the same as those offered in the store, retailers say customers can get news of sales earlier than with other methods, such as commercials or circulars.

Wal-Mart is sending out more-frequent text-message alerts to its shoppers who signed up for the service, says Melissa O'Brien a spokeswoman for the company. Last year, Wal-Mart sent out three alerts to shoppers' cellphones the entire holiday season. This year, the company is sending out weekly alerts that customers can tailor by category.

Read more here.

Our friends at Mobile Marketer have the scoop:

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, is taking its cost-savings message to another interactive channel with the launch of its Walmart Holiday Mobile Alerts program.

The mobile effort, introduced without fanfare, targets shoppers with the promise to deliver them early news of bargains in-store or online at Walmart. It is also an opportune attempt by Walmart to build a database of mobile consumers for marketing offers and deals.

“It’s your opportunity (to save money) calling,” says the callout on the Walmart Holiday Mobile Alerts page on http://www.walmart.com. “Now there’s a new tool for saving money – your mobile phone,” the copy reads. “Sign up for Walmart Holiday Mobile Alerts and you can be among the first to hear about special savings.”

Read more.