A London nightclub news website – provide daily what’s on tonight SMS Textback Service

A London nightclub news website wanted to provide their members with ability to find out what bars and nightclubs were open on any given day, without having to browse website as well as convince bars and nightclubs to advertise on website

Using reverse billing and textback, website provided its users with ability to find out this information. Users would text a particular keyword in their mobile handset and then send this message to a defined short code (i.e. 83999). A set amount was then immediately deducted from users phone either pay-as-you-go or from their monthly contract. The user would then receive an instant SMS message with all of particular nightclubs that were open that evening.

By using this type of advertising website was able to increase its sales for advertisers on its site by 40% in first quarter alone.

2cast4 – SMS artist textback service for casting/booking application

2cast4, an application service software provider for agents in media and advertising industries working in film, television and photography, wanted to provide casting agents a fast and efficient way to communicate with their artists in order to find out if they were available for castings.

By using a combination of Web and SMS technology, 2cast4 leads industry in casting solutions. Casting agents enter all of casting job details into a database and then query database for artist matches based on set criteria. Then those short-listed can be sent an instant SMS message. The casting agent only enters message once, but it is personalised and sent to all of relevant artists. Upon receipt of SMS text message, artist simply replies to text with either yes or no. The message is then routed back to database and updates records immediately. This solution provided casting agents with time/cost-saving efficiency while ensuring accurate records.

A digital media company – Multimedia via SMS and WAP

A London-based digital media company wanted to provide their users with ability to choose from several different media and by sending a text message to a given short code (i.e. 83999), an automatic WAP service message was sent back to user for them to download file (i.e. MID, MP3, 3GP).

Using a web interface, digital media company was able to upload their media files straight to a web server, while also storing file information in a database. All SMS requests, WAP service messages and downloads were tracked by database, as were user information like mobile number, mobile network, mobile handset, WAP IP address, file requested, file downloaded, and date. Through use of this tracking system digital media company was able to compile important user marketing information.

Conclusion

Mobile marketing is a new addition to media mix, with great opportunities for direct interaction with customers and cost-effective data collection. Leading brands have adopted this medium and number of companies actively using mobile marketing in their marketing strategies is growing rapidly.

Selecting a supplier that understands medium as well your requirements is key to success - we hope that this overview will help you to make most out of this exciting media channel. For further information and case studies from your industry, please see www.unilabplus.com, www.i-multimarket.co.uk or contact Stefanos Cunning at Unilabplus Ltd London office.

The problem with these companies is not that CRM automation fails to meet expectations. There are several reasons why these systems don’t always generate desired results. And most times, it has nothing to do with software. The biggest mistake that a manager can make is think that once software is installed, all problems will be solved. To be successful, a CRM initiative must be a company-wide strategic culture change and process design. It entails getting all your employees (not only customer service) to change way they perform their every day tasks so that appropriate information is collected and used in a productive way. The software is just a tool that keeps things organized so that a successful CRM is easier to accomplish. As any change in a corporate culture, this project requires complete support from senior management.

One of most common problems is that data collected isn’t used. Great sums of money are invested in collecting all different kinds of information on clients, yet many times this information is never analyzed, never used to understand customer or provide all benefits that CRM can deliver.

For better results, a company investing in CRM must first evaluate their current situation. They should determine what problems need to be solved, and what type of data are needed. Since implementation is often a complicated process (especially in large companies), it is vital to get input from all departments. It is also a good idea to include your customer in process to get a better idea of what changes will be embraced. Often when a CRM initiative is left up to IT department, it is harder for other areas of company to accept any changes in processes (which are usually substantial). To be successful, initiative must take place throughout entire company. Employees must be trained to function with new technology and processes.

When considering a vendor and/or product, it’s imperative that any software, system or processes implemented are flexible. They can then adapt, along with a company, to changing times and trends. This is especially useful in growing businesses, where needs might change as client bases grow and business expands.

No matter what precautions you may take when planning and implementing a CRM initiative, only thing that can assure its success for company are your people. After all, whole concept of CRM is based on relationships. And those can’t be completely automated. There is no technological substitute for a friendly voice or face that understands a customer’s troubles and is willing to go above and beyond to provide best service. CRM can only help a company manage these relationships to provide a more personalized service to loyal customers.