Company Press

practical ecommerce: mobileStorm CEO On Text-Marketing To Cell Phone Users

mobilestorm — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:27:11 +0000

Ninety per cent of cell phone users in the U.S. can receive text messages. Marketing to these cell phone users via text messages could be an opportunity for ecommerce merchants. mobileStorm is a text-message-marketing company and its CEO, Jared Reitzen, visited with Practical eCommerce’s Kerry Murdock on how text-message (also known as short message service, or “SMS”) marketing works.

mobileStorm hires David Pedowitz as Director of Engineering and Principal Architect

mobilestorm — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:00:32 +0000

Los Angeles, CA—mobileStorm Inc., a leading provider of email and mobile marketing, has appointed David Pedowitz as its new Director of Engineering and Principal Architect.

Mr. Pedowitz will be in charge of developing the next generation of mobileStorm’s multi-channel messaging platform, called mobileStorm 5.0, and will oversee the company’s day-to-day application development efforts.

“We are pleased to have talent like David join our team and are confident that under his leadership mobileStorm 5.0 will be unlike anything the market has ever seen,” said Jared Reitzin, chief executive officer of mobileStorm. “Our goal is to change the understanding of what a SaaS marketing platform can be. David has the enterprise background we need to create a truly incredible service.”

Mr. Pedowitz has more than 10 years of experience in web application development and enterprise software architecture. Most recently, he was at Fox Interactive Media, where he was the driving force behind the re-architecture and re-engineering of the MySpace MyAds platform, one of FIM’s largest initiatives. Prior to his position as Senior Software Engineer at FIM, he held notable engineering positions at both Citysearch and Warner Bros. Online.

About mobileStorm

For nearly a decade mobileStorm has pioneered the concept of digital marketing. Having successfully delivered more than 2 billion messages on behalf of thousands of premier customers such as American Idol, K2, Qantas Airways, MGM Grand, Palms Casino, Carl’s Jr., Squaw Valley Ski Resort, and Horoscope.com, mobileStorm is at the forefront of the digital marketing revolution. The company provides a turnkey, hosted email, and mobile messaging platform backed by world-class support and expert digital marketing services. mobileStorm has created the most complete digital marketing solution available, enabling clients to reach their customers via email marketing, SMS messaging, voice messaging, RSS marketing, video broadcast, or fax broadcast from a single provider.

mobileStorm’s Third Quarter Sees Uptick In Clients, Products

mobilestorm — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:00:24 +0000

Los Angeles, CA— mobileStorm, the digital marketing platform company, ended a strong third quarter driven by new product introductions and the addition of more than 115 new clients.

The company has been exclusively focused on the marketing message space since its inception in 1999, with particular expertise in text-messaging, or SMS, and email.

Two upgrades were introduced to better serve clients who want to take their digital marketing strategy to greater levels:

• Digital and Mobile Coupons: mobileStorm 4.0 Coupon Management is a premium product that helps clients create coupons for digital distribution via SMS, email, and RSS.
• Text-To-Screen: mobileStorm Text-To-Screen engages customers at events by compelling an audience to participate in a text-message poll or quiz, then posting results in real time.

mobileStorm welcomes the opportunity to work with marketing professionals who are on a long list of clients from a variety of industries. New clients include Hawaiian Tropic, the advertising agency VML, Czech Airlines, Skybar, BrightRoll, CTS Audio, K2 Sports, L’Auberge du Lac, Tri-Valley Internet, and Inner Harbor Realty.

Ashley Furniture HomeStore of Charlotte, North Carolina and upstate South Carolina enjoyed a particularly quick turnaround, launching a Secret Sale promotion within a month of opening its mobileStorm account. The Secret Sale produced an astounding ROI of approximately $122 (with SMS) and $76 (with email) for each dollar spent on the promotion.

“Now more than ever, it’s critical to have high-ROI promotions that are trackable,” said mobileStorm CEO and founder Jared Reitzin. “SMS, and especially mobile coupons, have taken off. SMS, commonly called text messaging, is not just advertising: It is selling. SMS as a vehicle to acquire and convert customers has come into its own. Moreover, our clients are getting even more amazing results by using a combination of different kinds of messages. Businesses are trying to find out who understands how to deliver targeted, multiple message types. There is only one company with this experience: mobileStorm.”

About mobileStorm

For nearly a decade mobileStorm has pioneered the concept of digital marketing. Having successfully delivered more than two billion messages on behalf of thousands of premier customers such as American Idol, Qantas Airways, MGM Grand, Palms Casino, Carl’s Jr., Squaw Valley Ski Resort and Horoscope.com, mobileStorm is at the forefront of the digital marketing revolution. The company provides a turnkey, hosted email and digital messaging platform backed by world-class support and expert digital marketing services. mobileStorm has created the most complete digital marketing solution available, enabling you to reach your customers via email marketing, SMS/text messaging, voice messaging, video broadcast, RSS marketing, or fax broadcast from a single provider.

For more information, contact:

sales@mobilestorm.com
866-492-7886
323-785-6333

mobileStorm Offers Webinar on Mobile Coupons: Drive Revenue In A Downturn

mobilestorm — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:02:13 +0000

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) – mobileStorm Inc. (www.mobilestorm.com), a leading provider of digital marketing solutions and services, will present a free webinar on how mobile coupons can boost B2C sales during a difficult retail season.

“If you could design a perfect marketing promotion it would have these characteristics: Immediate reach; 100% (or close) attention from the recipient; being trackable directly to a specific action by that specific target; customized to the target’s wants and needs; and an extremely high ROI with low startup and ongoing costs,” said Jared Reitzin, founder of mobileStorm. “Guess what? Mobile coupons do this and more.”

The webinar, “Making Money with Mobile Coupons,” is scheduled for 11 a.m. November 11, 2008 (Pacific time) and will be led by Mr. Reitzin. To register, please go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/846137529. The discussion will focus on how the integration of mobile coupons into marketing campaigns can maximize revenue for small- to medium-sized businesses. Attendees will also receive specifics on how to launch a mobile coupon campaign, expected start-up costs, and success stories of companies using mobile coupons today.

Topics to be addressed include:

• Consumer response to coupon offers sent to mobile phones.
• Using mobile couponing to increase sales and support consumer loyalty programs.
• Best practices for SMS mobile coupon campaigns.
• Choosing the right SMS coupon technology.

Mobile coupons are an ideal way to encourage spending during an economic crunch. mobileStorm Coupon Management is a complete, do-it-yourself digital coupon creation and distribution system for digital marketing campaigns.

Marketing professionals interested in attending the Webinar can sign up by the following methods:

• Email: sales@mobilestorm.com
• Online registration: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/846137529
• Phone: 866-492-7886, ext. 1

About mobileStorm

For nearly a decade mobileStorm has pioneered the concept of digital marketing. Having successfully delivered more than 2 billion messages on behalf of thousands of premier customers such as American Idol, Qantas Airways, MGM Grand, Palms Casino, Carl’s Jr., Squaw Valley Ski Resort, and Horoscope.com, mobileStorm is at the forefront of the digital marketing revolution. The company provides a turnkey, hosted email, and digital messaging platform backed by world-class support and expert digital marketing services. mobileStorm has created the most complete digital marketing solution available, enabling clients to reach their customers via email marketing, sms messaging, voice messaging, RSS marketing, video broadcast, or fax broadcast from a single provider.

MARIETTA BOARD OF EDUCATION: Students allowed to text cops Goal is to strengthen safety both in, out of school

mobilestorm — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:00:47 +0000

By Alexis Stevens

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Students aren’t usually allowed to use their cellphones at school. But under the “Text a Cop” plan, Marietta High School students won’t face disciplinary action for their efforts to keep their school safe.

The Marietta school board voted 6-0 Tuesday night to allow students to send text messages to two police officers on campus.

“It’s just the way our students communicate these days,” said Marietta High principal Leigh Colburn, who said parents are excited about the progressive program. “Marietta wants to be out front of school safety.”

The idea is that students will be encouraged to report items of concern, whether it be rumored plans of other students, or something more personal, such as abuse.

Marietta Lt. Cliff Kelker said if something serious is happening on campus, text messages will provide quick response.

“We can get help faster than any other way we have out there,” said Kelker, who oversees school resource officers.

Marietta High’s 1,900 students are served by two officers, Andrew Fondas and Jeff Reed, as well as a black Lab named Blue.

Rather than a full phone number, students will be provided a six-digit number that they can message 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A company calledmobileStorm of California will monitor the texts and alert officers when needed, Kelker said.

Cellphone numbers are not easily tracked, helping preserve students’ anonymity when reporting issues.

“If it works once, it’s worth it,” said board member Tom Smith.

The Next Frontier: FTEU

mobilestorm — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:30:21 +0000

The Next Frontier: FTEU
By Monica Alleven
WirelessWeek - September 01, 2008

Granted, it’s another acronym. But some industry leaders believe
FTEU could dramatically change the industry.

Supporters and people interested in Sen. Barack Obama can sign up to receive text messages with periodic updates about the candidate, but as the campaign advises, “standard service charges may apply.” What if Obama and other candidates could send text messages without it costing the recipients?

That’s what some mobile marketers are pursuing. In industry speak, it’s called Free To End User, or FTEU. In summary, it means the end-user would receive text messages, but if a third party pays to send a message, the recipient won’t be charged on a per-message basis or have it count against them in a text bucket plan.

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has established guidelines on FTEU, and industry sources characterize it as being in the trial stages of implementation.

Some issues yet to be resolved include how much operators will charge marketers to send messages and what types of messages operators will approve. For example, if a collection agency starts frequently pinging people, that might not play well with the subscribers, even if they aren’t paying for the messages.

Another big issue is making sure mobile operators’ billing systems can handle FTEU. The process requires that mobile operators detect when a message should not be billed to the end-user and when it should be paid for by the sender. It’s a business that aggregator mBlox knows well. It was created in Europe around the process of message termination. In Europe, where the model for voice calls was always based on calling-party pays, a similar model was adopted for text messaging, so the sending party pays. That makes it easy to use an FTEU approach.

In the United States, where calling-party pays is not the norm, mBlox is in a testing phase with at least one major unnamed operator. “What we’re trying to do is create a whole new industry model that says people want information, (but) they may not want to pay for it,” said Steve Livingston, chief marketing officer at mBlox. “I think it’s going to significantly change our industry. It’s one of those things where everybody wins.”

The expectation is marketers would pay maybe on the order of 10 cents or less per message, but if it’s used to replace reminders that historically are sent by mail, they would save on the price of a stamp. Use cases could include doctor or dental offices, as well as the financial/banking and airline industries that might want to drive down their own costs.

Mobile marketing firm mobileStorm is working with a company in the health care industry that would like to use FTEU, according to Jared Reitzin, CEO, founder and chairman. The theory is patients could opt in for appointment reminders, and while sending text messages would be an expense for the healthcare provider, it’s still much lower than the money it loses when someone misses an appointment.

“It’s going to be a game changer,” said Michael Becker, executive vice president of business development at mobile marketing firm iLoop Mobile. For one thing, not everyone is signed up for an unlimited text messaging plan, so such a system would open it up to the masses. And there are implications for politicians. Undecided voters, in particular, might be good targets because they wouldn’t have to pay for learning more about candidates.

Others are not so sure it will make a major impact. If FTEU were adopted a couple years ago, it might have had a bigger impact, but now so many people are signing up for unlimited text messaging plans, it doesn’t matter as much, said Rich Begert, president and CEO of aggregator SinglePoint. Still, his company is talking with all its carrier partners about it.

Who knows? Perhaps political candidates in the future will use FTEU to send free text messages to supporters asking for their donations.

DMNews:E-mail marketing is on the move

mobilestorm — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 23:49:25 +0000

DMNews:E-mail marketing is on the move

Marketing e-mail through mobile devices can be a challenge for marketers, who may not yet be comfortable developing messages for the third screen. Four experts offer their tips.

Mike Thompson
Chief deliverability officer, ClickSquared

Challenging your audience to find what they want on a screen that is no more than an inch high is a surefire way to render apathy rather than foster return readership. If possible, get your users to opt in to mobile device e-mails, so you can more easily identify and segment to build custom content.

Once you understand consumer preferences, design the content specifically for its intended use. Make it simple to engage. People will navigate away from an e-mail in seconds if it doesn’t load. Mobile e-mails should be brief and require little scrolling. The call to action should be as close to the top as is possible.

Use a single-column setup. Most mobile e-mail readers, including those installed on Symbian devices, Palms and BlackBerrys, can’t display multiple side-by-side columns. They will haphazardly reorganize the page back into a single-column screen.

Think about how you link. Hyperlinking text will not always render and remain clickable. Ensure that your links will be clickable by the broadest range of readers possible.

THE TAKEAWAY
Create an opt-in list to help you segment your target audience

Eydie Cubarrubia
Marketing communications manager, MobileStorm

E-mail is reaching consumers no matter the time of day or where they are. However, technological limitations, different phone models and screen size all mean that marketers need to carefully craft the messages they plan to send.

E-mail sent to BlackBerrys are a critical way for marketers to reach early technology adopters, who tend to have disposable income. Marketers should limit header sizes, put as much text as possible on the opening page and place links and images at the end of a message so as not to distract readers. Because BlackBerrys have minimal JavaScript capabilities, marketers should not use scripts within the HTML page.

Apple’s iPhone appeals to a broader demographic. The iPhone’s ability to offer a full-screen Internet experience closer to the personal computer means that design issues aren’t as important.

No matter what device, mobile e-mail allows for richer messages. Coupons, newsletters, and other content with an immediacy factor are some of the mobile e-mail opportunities awaiting marketers — and their engaged customers.

THE TAKEAWAY
Calibrate your message to display well on a wide range of mobile devices

Greg Cangialosi
CEO, Blue Sky Factory

Mobile e-mail offers little in the way of standardization, making it difficult to design creative that works across platforms. Further, marketers are unable to determine whether users are checking e-mail on a computer or on a mobile device. Some devices will only display text-based e-mails, while improperly rendering any HTML.

One common solution is using a multipart multipurpose Internet mail extension (MIME), which includes both an HTML and a text-only version in the same message and displays the version that the user’s e-mail client is set to display. Another tactic is to link to a mobile friendly version of your e-mail at the top of the creative, allowing mobile recipients to easily view a text- or browser-based version of the message.

Marketers must concentrate on focused, succinct content messaging. The proliferation of mobile devices and the increased demand for mobile e-mail requires a strategic response by e-mail marketers.

THE TAKEAWAY
Implement a multipart MIME to hedge against different devices’ e-mail clients

Len Shneyder
Director of partner relations & individual communications, Pivotal Veracity

The vanguard of smartphone users have upgraded their devices annually, opting for better features and more powerful gadgetry. However, the e-mail clients on the most popular devices haven’t evolved as dramatically.

For years, Blackberry users have been reading HTML e-mails without the images, formatting and stylistic elements marketers intended them to see. Make sure that your carefully crafted message is multidimensional and there is as much meaning in your copy and text as your images.

Since mid 2007, both Enterprise Service and Blackberry IS display the HTML part of a multipart message, but with all HTML tags removed.

This is a key distinction, as you must ensure that what remains in your HTML e-mail after formatting and tags are removed will retain a coherent meaning. Blackberry recognizes URLs even when they are hyperlinked, and will display both the hyperlinked text (but not as clickable text) as well as the full URL, which will be clickable. Symbian, the most popular OS outside of North America, behaves similarly.

THE TAKEAWAY
Simplify your mobile e-mail messaging, eschewing HTML in favor of quality copy

From the September 01, 2008 Issue of DMNews

Ashley Furniture HomeStores Generates More Than $138K In Four Days by Using mobileStorm

mobilestorm — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:00:57 +0000

Furniture Chain Taps into the Power of Digital Marketing with the mobileStorm 4.0 Platform

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Ashley Furniture HomeStores of Charlotte, N.C. and upstate South Carolina today announced that it had generated $138,460 from a recent four-day “Secret Sale” advertised solely through SMS and email campaigns. The promotion was the latest in a string of campaigns by the independently-owned eight-store chain, which exclusively sells the Ashley Furniture brand.

“Using email and SMS as digital marketing channels has really impressed us out of the gate and shown us a clear path to offset declining response rates and poor ROI in some of our other forms of advertising,” said Charlie Malouf, co-owner and COO of Ashley Furniture HomeStores of Charlotte, N.C. and upstate South Carolina. “The success of the Secret Sales proves just how effective digital marketing can be and we plan to continue to expand such programs in the future.”

To quickly build its database, Ashley Furniture HomeStores ran contests such as a free gas giveaway and a $500 weekly shopping spree. Both encouraged users to opt into their email and SMS database for future offers. The furniture retailer then promoted a four-day Secret Sale, which ran July 10-14, 2008. Officials at the chain used contact information collected via prior marketing campaigns, sending digital coupons via SMS and email to customers who wanted to receive special offer messages.

Ashley Furniture HomeStores sent 34,743 messages in all—6,000 texts and 28,743 emails—on the morning of the first day of the sale. The chain generated revenue of $138,460 in four days.

Jared Reitzin, CEO of mobileStorm, Inc., stressed that digital marketing campaigns that include a solid tie across different message types—SMS, email and RSS—perform even more strongly than single-medium campaigns. “We see great marketers achieve returns like this simply by understanding what their audience wants to receive—and using the correct message type. While traditional advertising is declining, promotions which include contests and coupons are rapidly increasing. The key is offering incentives in exchange for subscriber data and preferences, then
applying messaging to demographics and individual preferences. Digital marketing offers full end-to-end tracking so ROI can be easily gauged.”

Indeed, for every dollar spent, the furniture chain generated approximately $122 with mobileStorm SMS and about $76 with mobileStorm Email.

“With two simple SMS campaigns, we’ve generated over $100,000 in new business. Our efforts with mobileStorm’s permission-based digital messaging platform will increase and continue over time,” Mr. Malouf said. “We’ll not only use email and text messaging as a means to drive business, but in the future, we’ll also use these forms of new media as a way to effectively communicate directly with our customers.”

MGM Grand Enhances Guest Experience with Direct Messaging

mobilestorm — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:22:51 +0000

7/29/2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Jessica Gildar
July 29, 2008 MGM MIRAGE Public Relations
(702) 650-7535
jgildar@mgmmirage.com

MGM GRAND ENHANCES GUEST EXPERIENCE
WITH DIRECT MESSAGING

Mobile Concierge Service Now Available

LAS VEGAS – MGM Grand continues to raise the bar for exceptional guest service with its new Mobile Concierge program. Guests of the AAA Four Diamond hotel now can receive exclusive discounts directly to their personal mobile devices, including offers for MGM Grand’s award-winning restaurants, pampering spa and salon and spectacular shows, KÀ and Crazy Horse Paris.
This new communication service takes a proactive, state-of-the-art approach to accommodating guests’ needs. Once a hotel reservation is booked, the guest receives a pre-arrival email with the option to sign up for offers sent directly to their cell phones, iPhones or PDAs via Short Message Service communication, commonly known as text messaging. The pre-arrival email allows guests to specify whether they would like information only on specific amenities or on all offers available during their stay. Alternatively, guests may conveniently register for the customized service at the front desk upon arrival.
Redeeming the offer is as simple as presenting the text message to an MGM Grand concierge or participating venue – from Cristophe Salon to the electric nightlife at Tabú Ultra Lounge and Studio 54.
“With one touch of a button, our Mobile Concierge program conveniently connects our guests to special discounts, offering personalized attention and the chance to indulge in MGM Grand’s ‘Maximum Vegas’ experience,” said Tim Kelly, vice president of Hotel Operations for MGM Grand.

Offered in conjunction with digital marketing service provider, mobileStorm, the MGM Grand Mobile Concierge program currently is available to mobile service providers within the United States only. Standard text messaging rates apply. To book a reservation at MGM Grand and participate in this new service, call (800) 929-1111 or visit www.mgmgrand.com.

mobileStorm Releases the Next Generation of Flagship Product

mobilestorm — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:00:35 +0000

mobileStorm 4.0 provides companies with an unprecedented 6 different communication channels

LOS ANGELES, June 17, 2008 - mobileStorm Inc., (www.mobilestorm.com) a leading provider of digital marketing solutions and services, today announced the launch of the latest version of its core platform, mobileStorm 4.0. The new release makes mobileStorm 4.0 the only on-demand application that offers businesses six different ways to communicate with their subscribers. The company also released a coupon management system, which can be integrated with various message types supported by the platform.

mobileStorm products and services give small to medium sized businesses two distinct options to help drive their digital marketing objectives. Those looking for a self-service platform can use mobileStorm 4.0 right away and begin sending digital marketing campaigns in a matter of minutes. mobileStorm can also address companies who need a more comprehensive digital marketing solution, including services such as delivery consulting, graphic design and custom integration.

“It’s no longer enough to just have one or even two types of communication channels with your customers. If you evaluate what makes up your database, chances are it’s a blend of many different kinds of people,” said Jared Reitzin, chief executive officer of mobileStorm. “With mobileStorm 4.0, our clients can reach their customers in more ways than have ever been possible, and track the results of their success. We want those in the SMB space to play with the big boys and with mobileStorm, they can.”

The mobileStorm 4.0 includes the following key new features:

mobileStorm 4.0 adds two new message types the platform:

Video Broadcasting

mobileStorm Video Broadcasting enables companies to simultaneously distribute online video content to major sites such as YouTube, MySpace and Daily Motion amongst others. Clients can then view a centralized report to see how many viewers their online videos have attracted per site.

RSS Marketing

mobileStorm RSS allow businesses to syndicate online content to subscribers in a true 100% opt-in process. Customers can create RSS forms to capture new subscribers as well as design RSS feeds via a WYSIWYG editor to ensure that their readers receive the content correctly.

mobileStorm RSS also integrates with mobileStorm Email to send both message types simultaneously from the same campaign. Subscribers can then opt to receive the messages either via an RSS reader or as an email.
mobileStorm Coupon Management

mobileStorm Coupon Management provides companies with a complete, do-it-yourself digital coupon creation and distribution system to leverage their digital marketing campaigns. Companies can use the application as their own Point of Sale (POS) system or integrate in an existing POS framework.

mobileStorm Coupon Management can create various types of discount, such as flat dollar-amount, percentage or total items purchased. Clients can also develop tiered discounts, giving customers more offers for higher purchase amounts or total products, such as 25% off for $100.00 and 30% off for $200.00, etc. Existing customer IDs/SKUs can also be integrated into the discount structure to offer VIP customers higher discounts or special offers.

Once coupons are created and integrated, clients can then send them to subscribers using mobileStorm any digital messaging channel. Total usage restrictions are also possible, both in terms of total coupons distributed as well as redemption limitations per customer.

All of the above products and services can be found at www.mobilestorm.com, which is the new central hub for all information about mobileStorm and its solutions/services.

About mobileStorm
For nearly a decade mobileStorm has pioneered the concept of digital marketing. Having successfully delivered 2 billion+ messages on behalf of thousands of premier customers such as American Idol, Qantas Airways, MGM Grand, Carl’s Jr., Squaw Valley Ski Resort and Horoscope.com, mobileStorm is at the forefront of the digital marketing evolution. The company provides a turnkey, hosted email and digital messaging platform backed by world-class support and expert digital marketing services. mobileStorm has created the most complete digital marketing solution available, enabling clients to reach customers via email, text (mobile) messaging, voice messaging, RSS, video broadcast and fax broadcast from a single provider.

Press contact:
Melissa Hyland
mhyland@globalresultspr.com
949-608-0276 (office)

Valerie Christopherson
valeriec@globalresultspr.com
949-608-0276 (office)
949-306-6476 (mobile)