If you’re going to hit me through my cell phone you better be good
I’m always looking at the next great thing that will allow us to communicate with style, entertainment and information, so when I can send a product image to a phone and click to access the product, now that’s cool.
The cell phone is becoming the link between print and interactivity as this week Hearst Magazines announced their text messaging technology tied to their print advertisers. Type in the advertiser’s text code and zoom right to the site.
We are going through such a rebirth of creativity with all of the new technology. Basically there are no rules. And if we are really clever, a lot of people will find out about it. We will get our 15 minutes of fame through YouTube. No rules, but one big one: we must be relevant to their lives.
If we keep it very short and especially sweet we will be able to entertain and inform, moving our message closer to the point of purchase and intimately close to the consumer. But it is critical that we persistently ask ourselves how significant is the intrusion as we continue to fill in those few blanks left in a consumer’s life. The least accepting place for us to reach out and touch someone is through the cell phone. Yet the cell phone is quickly becoming the most agile and accessible device we own.
There is no question that the cell phone is going to be our main link to the rest of the world going forward. iPhone has given us a peek into that. And the Japanese have been capitalizing on this for a couple of years now. It’s not going to go away.
Just keep it a convenience, keep it fresh, make sure it works and make them smile.
Joanie Abraham
I would die without my cell phone, but the one thing I hate is all those stupid text e-mail messages I get from marketers. It’s just as annoying as having someone leaving voice mail sales messages on your phone. So while I’m excited about all the new technologies associated with our mobiles, I only like them when I’m in control and calling the shots. It’s like that old saying: “Don’t call us. We’ll call you.”