• by Dan Hodges , Op-Ed Contributor, November 3, 2008

The Obama campaign has provided the advertising industry with the template brands should use in planning the integration of mobile into marketing mix.

In fact, text message reminders sent to young people on or before the day of the 2008 primary elections increased the likelihood that they would vote by 4.6%. Recent studies from Princeton University and the University of Michigan in collaboration with Working Assets provide insights with specific ROI measures.

Consider the four primary questions Brand Obama needs to answer to be successful in his communication goals for the Presidency:

Where do you market the Obama message "change" to a diverse audience of people ages 18 to 80?

What do you communicate to them?

When do you communicate to them?

How do you get a group (GenY), with historically low turn out, to take action?

Here are some answers to these questions:

Where: Obama uses the short code 62262 on materials to provide mobile activation. You can sign up for free wall paper or ring tones and get updates and messages from the Obama and Biden campaign.

What: Obama was able to reach 2.9 million voters with the news of his VP selection. This helped Obama collect millions of mobile phone numbers for potential use during later parts of the campaign.

When: Obama is able to reach voters via text messages directly to counter any claims from his opponent in near real time.

How: As mentioned above, text message reminders are effective in getting out the vote and are cost effective on a CPM basis (see below).

 

Medium	Cost To Get Out The Vote
Text Message Reminder	$1.56
Phone call	$20
Direct Mail	$67
Source: University of Michigan, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why should you, as a marketer of a future presidential candidate or brand, care? In 2015, people ages 18 to 31 will comprise more than one-third of all voters. Gen Ys carry and rely on cell phones, and last-minute text messages are probably the most effective reminder -- better than a piece of mail, a call to a land line, and definitely, a knock on the door.

Marketers embracing mobile marketing with relevant and respectful messages will establish profitable and effective relationships with consumers. Text message reminders and alerts are an effective and efficient way to build respectful relationships with consumers.