I didn’t start this blog to do this but sometimes things get me so mad and mobile phone marketing has done just that and I need to get this off my chest.
Well to be fair it’s not exactly mobile phone marketing itself but the actions of some marketers who frankly I think should know better.
The latest bandwagon has just rolled into town and we are all expected to ride out on the wave of euphoria that is marketing using people’s mobile phones.
Get the headlines:
5 billion people use mobile phones
There’s a 97% open rate
Sounds good until you really think about it: -
How targeted is the message?
Why are people opening the messages?
Answer 1 - it cannot possibly be targeted
Answer 2 – because people think messages on their phones are from people they want to hear from!
And there’s the bigger problem and what I would call this method of marketing:
How to piss off 97% (that’s not 100% because there’ll always be some people brain dead enough not to mind such a blatant intrusion into their life) of mobile phone users.
SIDENOTE – sorry about the language but I really am mad at this!
"Doing anything special? No you sell away"
So who will make out of this?
The guys telling you how to make money from mobile phone marketing that’s who!
Let me state this loud and clear here and now: -
If anyone, and I mean anyone, ever sends me a marketing message on my mobile phone I’ll throw every possible resource at you to get you closed down. That means Data Protection issues, that means spam rules, that means cold calling rules, that means some obscure rule laid down by some government department. I’ll find something and there WILL be something to find rest assured. It’s bad enough getting cold calls on the landline. Don’t start on my mobile as well!
Let me say it very loud –
I do not want to receive marketing messages on my mobile when I’m:
With my kids;
When I’m at a football match;
When I’m driving my car;
When I’m at a restaurant;
In the middle of the night (I live in a different part of the world to some people!);
When I’m working;
When I’m not;
At anytime, night or day, Spring Summer, Autumn or Winter
In fact I don’t ever want to hear from you
Now I’m actually a student of marketing. I love the innovation and the tactics and I’m happy to receive emails pitching me for products when I’ve agreed to receive them. I’m even happy with the emails I get on my mobile (those I’ve subscribed to) but don’t start texting and / or calling me. Perhaps you guys should go back to door to door selling?
A mobile phone is for keeping in contact with people you want to keep in contact with. End of story.
So not only has the whole idea of mobile phone marketing – the so called Gold Rush, seriously hacked me off it has also caused me to unsubscribe from several email lists already today alone. How many more will get the chop by the end of the week?
Come on guys, have your say, am I right or wrong on this?
By the way, ever had the mobile in your pocket or bag when taking a visit to the bathroom? Be great to get a sales pitch then wouldn’t it!
