User-friendly spam

ANYONE WHO`S EVER been woken up by a spam SMS at 3 am or found unwanted subscription service charges on their phone bill will appreciate the need for ethical mobile marketing standards that protect consumers from a mobile marketing blitz. On the other hand, many people want to use their cellphones to interact with certain marketers.

Chris Rolfe, CEO of mobile solutions company Mobilitrix, says mobile marketing is growing, but with it comes an increasing need to focus on ethics and privacy in the mobile marketing business.

"Our service allows businesses to communicate with people who have a phone in their pocket. This type of direct marketing allows them to reach the people they want to reach - even people who don`t have e-mail or any other means of getting the info. But it is vital that the privacy of the mobile users is secure, and we ensure that partly by providing a pull service rather than a push service - users have to dial a number in order to engage."

EXPLOITATION ABOUNDS

Rolfe notes: "there are many trusted brands in the emerging mobile business market that have the privacy and safety of the consumer at heart, have a mature approach to data management and adhere to privacy rules. However, there are a number of providers that are looking to make a quick buck from selling consumer data, violating personal privacy laws and generally creating challenges for the mobile industry."

Exploitation of consumers is becoming more topical and relevant, he points out, as mobile marketing initiatives expand in 2009. "We are seeing a real need for ethical behaviour from mobile solutions providers, and greater concern for the mobile consumer`s needs. This is encouraging, but privacy issues need to be further considered by brand and media owners."

Rolfe believes that consumers are often not aware who they can contact and what action can be taken in respect of mobile spam. "Any mobile messaging action that is in violation of the Waspa Code of Conduct, can be reported directly to Waspa who will then investigate and follow up with all parties," he says. "Mobile users are becoming increasingly aware of their rights. Even powerful, market-leading networks have successfully and swiftly been taken to task for campaigns that overstep boundaries of privacy, user consent or norms of acceptable content."

Mobilitrix notes ethical service providers like itself have a progressive privacy policy, based on the South African Protection of Personal Information Act bill as well as the privacy guidelines of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The company also aligns itself with the Waspa`s comprehensive Code of Conduct and the recently launched MMA South Africa.

BRIDGING THE GAP

The mobile segment is one of the fastest growing in South Africa, with penetration far exceeding that of the internet. Rolfe points out that a service like Mobilitrix`s makes business sense for this reason.

The basis of Mobilitrix`s offering is a shortcode service, most commonly used for competitions and subscription services. "Shortcodes provide a cost-effective and confidential interactive channel perfect for two-way communication, circulating multimedia like video, audio clips and wallpapers, acquisition, CRM, cross- selling and retention," Rolfe says.

For example, Mobilicall is a simple please-call-me service that intelligently connects people. A user simply sends in a text sms and the business is notified via e-mail of the user`s request to be contacted. This allows companies to set up an SMS service enabling users to request a call back depending on area, or providing required information using a simple pre-determined menu. Mobilisurvey, on the other hand, allows for preset questions and preset answers to be presented to the mobile user in an easy-to-use menu format. "This can be used for cost-effective CRM, data gathering or increasing awareness and education," Rolfe says.