Archive for the 'News and Notes' Category

Notes from the 2009 Mobile Marketing Forum in Los Angeles

Published
by
Michelle Stone
on December 1, 2009
in Industry News and News and Notes
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MMF - Los Angeles 2009

The Mobile Marketing Association’s (MMA) Mobile Marketing Forum (MMF) — Los Angeles brought together agencies, brands, carriers, and other members of the global mobile marketing ecosystem. Jeremy Martin, 3Cinteractive’s Vice President of Business Development, was able to see how brands are beginning to leverage mobile in a very sophisticated way.

What was evident during the MMF is that mobile is being valued as more than just a point advertising / marketing solution. The case studies presented by some of the largest brands in the world shows that mobile has become an integral component to an enterprise or brand’s marketing, sales, service, and customer relationship management (CRM) programs. There were working examples of multi-platform strategies employed with solutions spanning messaging, mobile web, and applications commonly deployed, with each platform type being used to drive traffic across the other.

At the MMF, 3Cinteractive sponsored the Targeting, Creative and Measurement discussion, which was chaired by Jeremy. The panel spoke about the long-term aspects of mobile marketing and the related on-going customer engagement. The view held by the panelists — among them Maria Mandel, Senior Partner, Executive Director - Digital Innovation, Ogilvy; Richard Ting, Vice President, Executive Creative Director, Mobile & Emerging Platforms, R/GA; and John Hadl, CEO, Brand In Hand — is that mobile marketing and mobile technology is extremely valuable when fully integrated across a brand’s and an enterprise’s marketing, sales, service, and CRM programs. The long-term on-going customer communication aspects are shown to be the most effective when defined during the discovery / development phase of mobile marketing. Mobile is becoming a core component of effective CRM communication channels and it’s clear that brands / enterprises and technology providers are working very closely together to integrate mobile marketing solutions.

Two of the main highlights of the show were comments from AT&T® Interactive and Microsoft®. Matt Crowley, COO of AT&T Interactive, stated that across AT&T’s interactive advertising, mobile click through rates (CTR) are two to three times higher and call through is more than three times higher than the online equivalents. Charles Johnson, General Manager of Mobile Advertising at Microsoft, shared they are focusing campaign success measurement on the actual brand revenue results generated, not just click / call through or impressions.

Reminder: Carrier Provisioning Schedule, Holiday 2009

Published
by
Michelle Stone
on November 23, 2009
in Carrier Compliance and News and Notes
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This is a reminder of the carrier provisioning schedules for this holiday season. Be sure to submit your programs by the dates listed below in order to start the process in 2009.

AT&T

The last date for AT&T to accept programs this year was Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 12:00 PM EST (noon). Please keep in mind that programs submitted after this date will not begin the provisioning process until January 3, 2010.

Sprint-Nextel

All campaigns must be submitted to Sprint by 12:00 PM EST (noon) on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 (this is for the provisioning cycle occurring on Thursday, December 10, 2009).

For 2010, the first provisioning cycle will begin on Thursday, January 21, 2010 and campaigns must be submitted to Sprint by 12:00 PM EST (noon) on Wednesday, January 13, 2010.

Verizon Wireless

For 2009, Verizon Wireless has established provisioning “freezes” on programs (note that these freezes will take place 48 hours prior to the dates listed below):

  • Thursday, November 26, 2009 (freeze starts Tuesday, November 24, 2009)
  • Friday, December 25, 2009 (freeze starts Wednesday, December 23, 2009)
  • Thursday, December 31, 2009 (freeze starts Tuesday, December 29, 2009)

Virgin Mobile

Please note that there will be no provisioning for Virgin Mobile USA from Sunday, November 22, 2009 (meaning we are already into the first Virgin Mobile freeze) and ending Sunday, November 29, 2009 and then from Sunday, December 20, 2009 to Sunday, January 3, 2010. Normal operations for Virgin Mobile USA are scheduled to resume on Monday, January 4, 2010.

For any questions, please contact 3Cinteractive via telephone at 561.443.5505 or via email at support@3cinteractive.com.

Common Short Code Administration Sale: Buy Three, Get One Free

Published
by
Michelle Stone
on November 23, 2009
in News and Notes
. 1 Comment

Common Short Code Administration - CSCA

The CSCA is currently running a buy-three-get-one free (better than a BOGO) promotion: any short code purchased from now to Thursday, December 31, 2009 will receive one month free. So, you pay for three months and get the fourth for free.

For more information on this promotion, contact 3Cinteractive via telephone at 561.443.5505 or via email at support@3cinteractive.com.

Mobile Marketing: Compliance News and Notes

Published
by
Michelle Stone
on October 22, 2009
in Carrier Compliance and News and Notes
. 0 Comments

SMS - Mobile Messaging Compliance

October has been a busy month with regard to mobile compliance. While some of these changes were announced earlier this year most went into effect this month. One of the biggest changes came from the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and its new guidelines. The MMA revamped the guidelines (please note: you’ll need Adobe Reader in order to view the document) to help ensure a positive user experience for mobile users. Additionally, the version 4.0 guidelines are the first to consolidate the individual mobile marketing guidelines and codes of conduct — known as “carrier playbooks” — of the four largest U.S. wireless service providers: Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ), AT&T (NYSE:T), Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S), and T-Mobile USA (NYSE:DT).

In addition to incorporating carrier standards, the updated guidelines include revisions and additions to key areas such as:

  • Standardizing the messaging language to a universal “Message and Data Rates May Apply” phrase (with Msg&Data Rates May Apply, Msg&data rates may apply, and Msg&data rates may aply [sic] as acceptable variants);
  • Allowing for more flexibility with PIN location in message-terminated (MT) messages; and
  • Modifying the STOP requirement in Opt-in MT messages.

Also of note was a change at one of the major carriers, Verizon Wireless. Verizon updated its best practices and instituted a new Repeat Offender Policy that became effective Thursday, October 1, 2009. Verizon has also updated its Advertising Disclosure Requirements (these updates are effective Sunday, November 1, 2009) for all new program submissions, on-boarding / certification, and monthly monitoring efforts.

Joining the MMA and the carriers is the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). The DMA updated its Guidelines for Ethical Business Practices to incorporate mobile marketing, stressing the need for prior consent to marketing communication that is business-to-consumer (B2C) or business-to-business (B2B), the use of appropriate suppression files such as the Federal Do-Not-Call Registry, and for members to abide by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

3Cinteractive Ranked 3rd Fastest Growing Technology Company in South Florida

Published
by
Michelle Stone
on July 31, 2009
in Inside 3Ci and News and Notes
. 0 Comments

Despite the difficult economic recession that started in late 2007, 3Cinteractive continued its growth track through 2008 and has been ranked third on the South Florida Business Journal’s (SFBJ) Fastest Growing Tech Companies list. The third place ranking followed up a first place ranking a year ago.

“Ranking so high on this list for the second straight year is a testament to our team’s focus and determination, “said 3Ci President Mike FitzGibbon. “Our technology platform provides businesses with a more efficient, less expensive way to reach their consumers. Our business tends to thrive in these types of economic conditions.”

The SFBJ list is compiled every year using both public documents and surveys completed by private companies.

SFBJ Fastest Growing Tech Companies

3Ci’s Mike FitzGibbon Honored at SFBJ’s “40 Under 40″

Published
by
Michelle Stone
on June 19, 2009
in Events, Inside 3Ci and News and Notes
. 0 Comments

Mike FitzGibbon, Co-Founder and President of 3Cinteractive, was recently honored by the South Florida Business Journal (SFBJ) as one of their 40 Under 40.

Mike FitzGibbon, 3Cinteractive
Mike FitzGibbon, pictured center

The Business Journal has long believed that young professionals are among the community’s most vital assets and that it’s important to recognize and acknowledge those who are making South Florida a better place to live and do business.

The group of 40 Under 40 honorees were recognized at a cocktail reception held Thursday, June 18th Design Center of the Americas. In addition, the honorees will be profiled in the the special section of the Business Journal on June 19.

Congratulations to Mike and thanks to the SFBJ for the honor!

3Ci’s Jeremy Martin at the Mobile Marketer “Pre-MMF Party” in New York

Published
by
Michelle Stone
on June 5, 2009
in News and Notes
. 1 Comment

3Cinteractive was at the Mobile Marketing Forum (MMF) in New York, ostensibly the flagship event of the Mobile Marketing Association’s (MMA’s) on-going series. The recent numbers from prove how valuable an event the MMF is: mobile is projected to have total revenues of over $12 billion by 2013.

In addition to panel discussions on the role of mobile in the Presidential campaign, how mobile is critical to social media (but is the same true in reverse?), as well as questioning what is the advertising agency ROI (a panel moderated by our own Jeremy Martin, Vice President of Business Development), there was also fun to be had. Mobile Marketer kindly held an attendee party at their offices, and guess who showed up on camera?

Jeremy Martin     Jeremy Martin
Jeremy Martin, pictured at left                         And Jeremy Martin, again pictured at left