Amongst the sea of communication channels hitting the consumer constantly, the actual message usually gets lost. Many a times, the possibility of the right message reaching the right target is also dwindled, not ruling out the fact that this has a direct impact on the costs shelled out for such activities.
Unlike the mass media, SMS enables micro targeting, which ensures that there is no spillover of the communication.
The use of this medium also allows the consumer to react to the communication on the spot, which helps measure the effectiveness of the campaign. Then there is always the option to explore the possibility of this medium being used to propagate word-of-mouth. Every single target that the communication is being sent to carries the potential to be the originator of a new chain of targets. It just depends on how interesting and action-provoking the message designed is for the chain to remain continual.
SMS has graduated from a mere add-on service into a communication channel alongside voice calls in India.
Media players too have picked up the pulse and are using this medium for many of its unique advantages. HBO promoted ‘The Mummy Returns’ contest via SMS which allowed consumers to respond using the Internet and SMS. The response to the warm-up contests was overwhelming with over 5000 responses received in the first week itself!
BBC World, in its marketing of the ongoing quiz show `University Challenge’, used SMS along with radio and the Internet (yahoo.com) as a medium for entries, and received more than 15,000 entries on SMS alone.
Radio Mirchi broke new grounds in FM Radio interactive programming by auctioning a date with Kareena Kapoor. Listeners had to SMS their bid to 8888. The auction could be played by anyone with an access to a mobile phone. The bidding for the lunch date began with Rs 5,000 and on the first day of the two-day auction, there were already more than 1,800 responses and the bid has crossed Rs 85,600 in Mumbai alone. The proceeds of the auction were donated to Nav Nirman Foundation, a home for the poor, addicts and the mentally challenged.
