Optism™

This week, we look at how as mainstream companies like Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Kmart and SC Johnson are moving into permission-based mobile marketing. But first, we start off with some good news from Pew Research Center.

In her article “SMS usage skyrocketing: Pew Internet study,” Mobile Marketer’s Gabrielle Kalika takes a look at Pew’s research into text messaging usage in the U.S. The research shows that “73 percent of adults with mobile devices use SMS on their phone at least occasionally” with “the median user sending or receiving 10 texts daily.” Not surprisingly, text messaging “power users” are in the 18 to 24 age group – a group that sends on average 109.5 text messages in a single day, or more than 3200 messages a month!

The report found that “active SMS users are much more likely to prefer texting to calling.” Given this strong preference for text-based communications, it “makes sense for brands to contact consumers in the way they prefer to contact each other – through text messaging.” While many brands are using SMS marketing — the article cites Target, Walgreens, Steve Madden and Macy’s – there’s clearly room for growth. Read the rest of this entry »

Optism is all about helping mobile operators, marketing agencies and advertisers work together to create a dynamic and successful environment for permission-based mobile marketing campaigns. One of our core objectives is to bridge the gap between operators and advertisers. With the addition of Jeremy Makin to the Optism team at Alcatel-Lucent, we’ve enhanced our ability to do just that.

Jeremy joins the team as Head of Media Sales and Strategy. In his new role, Jeremy will forge alliances between service providers, Alcatel-Lucent, international media agencies and advertising communities, creating an efficient and valuable ecosystem.

Jeremy has worked in the marketing and media industry for 20 years. He worked in media sales management in the newspaper and magazine industries, before discovering the wonders of digital in 1999 and joining The Economist to launch its online business. After eight and a half years with The Economist, Jeremy left in 2007 for Vodafone, to work on the commercial launch and subsequent ramp-up of Vodafone’s Mobile Marketing Division as Head of International Sales and Business Development. Prior to joining Alcatel-Lucent’s Optism™ team, Jeremy also ran a mobile marketing consultancy, Catch 33. Read the rest of this entry »