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“I would like to see advertisements being sent through text messaging, similar to ones you see on the Internet or on television,” one MYIQ panelist said. “That would reach consumers in a more direct way.”

That’s a direct invitation to youth marketers to access a teen where it really counts and in a way that really matters.

Many panelists explained that by getting texts from their favorite brands, it would strengthen their loyalty.

“They’re giving the impression that they care,” one MYIQ teen TXTed. “I like that.”
Other panelists expressed the entertainment value that text advertising could potentially offer.

“You could be at home and you just get this text message and you’re like, oh wow, I should really go there or buy that. I think it just makes it a little more fun,” an MYIQ panelist said.

To keep the cell phone safe from SPAM, legislation has been passed to prohibit unauthorized text advertising to non opted-in consumers. There are a number of ways to have consumers opt-in to a campaign, such as text in to win sweepstakes, take part in polls, vote for television shows, participate in promotions, and sign up for daily tips and information alerts.

According to MYIQ panelists, however, there are not enough interesting mobile marketing campaigns out there for them—at least not currently.

The Coca-Cola Company boasts of being the first company to launch a cross-carrier SMS campaign in the US.

From September through December of last year, consumers could enter the cap codes found on 20-oz. bottles of Coke via text. After registering at the Coke Music Real interactive site, members used these points to furnish their own virtual world where they could chat with other members and make their own mixes of music.

We asked our MYIQ panelists about the campaign and received some very limited responses. While quite a number were familiar with the website, very few of the panelists had heard of the promotion and of the few that had, no one had participated. While the idea was promising, there wasn’t enough marketing support to promote the program.

Another intriguing text campaign was that of the hit show American Idol. Encouraging America to determine the destiny of the contestants, viewers were asked to vote for the favorite Idol by text. They could also text their favorite contestants as well as the judges, such as Paula Abdul or the host heartthrob Ryan Seacrest.

According to AT&T Wireless, the number of TXT votes to American Idol increased 80% from 2002 to 2003, demonstrating the pull of the media. Last year the number was 7.5 million texts sent during the season, and for this year it jumped up to 13.5 million.

So what do MYIQ panelists want from marketers? MYIQ members suggested ads with information on incoming trends, promotions, and exclusive information on new products they would want to buy. They want to receive brand information that puts them “in the know” and is tailored to their needs.

“I would want useful age-related information,” one panelist TXTed. “I don't want ads for Viagra or something that has nothing to do with my age group.”

Teens also mentioned services not yet available that could be sponsored by various brands. With their dependency on the World Wide Web, many teens wish they could take that with them on their phones.

“I would like to be able to check movie show times, make restaurant reservations, and check store hours through text,” an MYIQ panelist TXTed. “Basically it would be helpful for text to act as something like a portable information database.”

The panel also suggested specific brands they would sign up to get text ads from, and the list was overwhelming (see box). Among their responses were phone companies, clothing lines, retailers, broadcasters, radio stations, health and beauty products, snack and beverage companies—the list goes on and on.

Many brands and broadcasters are taking the lead in text marketing—Murphy’s, McDonald’s, Kellogg’s, NBC, Fox Sports, Survivor, Super Bowl, The 5th Wheel, Fuse, MTV, Nike, Levi’s, The Princeton SAT Prep, and Nintendo.

According to MYIQ panelists, though, there is room for a lot more.

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