Press & Media
Whale Song Via Text Message
2009-10-02 — The Shedd Aquarium used text message technology vendor Mobile Commons to enable the program. The benefits of the program transcended greater awareness, the Shedd reports. Mobile Commons integrated its text message system with the Shedd’s customer relationship management system, bringing in more e-mail addresses for its e-mail marketing and customer acquisition efforts. (pdf)
A Small Business Guide to Text-Message Marketing
2009-09-24 — That’s why a lot of small businesses start with an off-the-shelf platform offered by companies like Mobile Commons… Of course, to capture people’s cell numbers, you need some way to get their attention. “I tell businesses to think about the resources they already have at their disposal,” said Jed Alpert, the founder of Mobile Commons. “If you’re a restaurant, you have tabletops. If you have a highly trafficked Web site, or are running billboards or radio spots, those are all good places to let people know about your texting campaign.”(pdf)
Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium Finds Texting Beat Out Web in Direct-TV Spot
2009-09-21 — SMS may lack sizzle, but it can deliver the goods if provoking your audience to action is the goal, as Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium recently discovered from its summer test campaigns. Given the relatively low outlay, marketers may want to consider SMS trials in their out-of-home and broadcast campaigns if for nothing else than to capture users for their mobile-marketing database. Mr. Alpert said over the hundreds of mobile campaigns his agency has managed, an average 85% of those who opt into a campaign will respond to more requests for information, such as age and ZIP code
SMS + TV = Teachable Moment
2009-09-21 — This all goes to show that mobile phones are becoming more of a “second screen” than the PC. The likelihood that we will interact with or around TV content via our cell phone seems greater than the likelihood we will resort to the nearby laptop. In a recent experiment by the mobile marketing firm Mobile Commons, an on-air campaign for Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium was pushing viewers to get more information. “They had a problem that a lot of brands have,” says Anthony Risicato, CEO, Mobile Commons. “They had something new to promote and didn’t’ just want an awareness campaign. They wanted to sell tickets.” (pdf)
Shedd Lures Contestants with Text Message
2009-09-21 — The SMS call to action generated 325% more entries than the web-based call-to-action, making up 52% of the total entries, though it ran in only 25% of the ads. “SMS reveals a greater sense of urgency,” said Jed Alpert, founder of Mobile Commons, the technology company that managed the campaign’s SMS piece. “It’s more actionable and convenient, and people have a more direct connection with their phones.” (pdf)
Shedd Aquarium’s Cell Phone Connection
2009-09-21 — In a TV ad campaign aired this summer on the four major broadcast networks, one of Chicago’s leading tourist attractions tried an unusual experiment. The commercials, which offered free tickets to the premiere of a new aquatic show, were identical in all but one respect. Some asked viewers to enter the contest by clicking on a Web site, while others asked them to text. The so-called SMS plea worked better, resulting in a three-to-one contest entry rate over the URL. (pdf)
9/11 Memorial & Museum Runs Mobile Giving Initiative with NASCAR
2009-09-10 — The Mobile Commons platform allows the 9/11 Memorial & Museum to run a truly integrated campaign with SMS, the Web, mobile giving, email, television and print all playing a part. (pdf)
National September 11 Memorial to run Mobile Effort at NASCAR Race
2009-09-10 — The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is partnering with mobile marketing services firm Mobile Commons for an initiative observing 9/11. The goal of the “Text to Remember” program is to raise money for and awareness of the September 11 Memorial, which will be built on the site of the World Trade Center. (pdf)
NASCAR Race Car Honors 9/11 Terror Victims
2009-08-31 — In association with the Sept. 11 NASCAR race, the foundation that will operate the memorial, and museum is launching the “text to remember” program. The program is designed to help raise funds and awareness for the memorial, which has a planned opening date of 2011. (pdf)
Mobile Commons’ New CEO Talks Mobile Strategy
2009-08-20 — “Our goal is to make running a mobile campaign as simple as running a Web campaign, getting data in and out of systems and focusing on integration with the existing CRM tools our client have in place… Mobile marketing has to be just as easy as launching a campaign on the Web” said Mr. Risicato. (pdf)
Mobile Commons Appoints Anthony Risicato as CEO
2009-08-18 — “Mobile Commons, Inc., a pioneer of easy-to-use technology for mobile marketing campaigns, today announced the appointment of Anthony M. Risicato as its Chief Executive Officer. In addition, the company announced that it is expanding its partnerships with agencies on mobile marketing campaigns, leveraging its robust technology platform.” (pdf)
The Best Fish to Buy? Ask Your Cell Phone
2009-01-16 — New mobile services provide instant access to the healthiest, greenest catch (pdf)
Best Food News of ‘08: Don’t Forget Your Cellphone
2008-11-16 — Technology is making it easier to eat your favorite fish eco-consciously. If you text to 30644 with the message FISH and the name of the fish you are considering having (pdf)
Mobile Will Play A Bigger Role In Politics
2008-10-16 — Experts are predicting that in future elections, the use of mobile technology will become the standard and play an even larger role. Going forward, candidates will be able to use text messages to collect campaign contributions, by either people texting in their contributions, like you can do today with non-profits, or by users clicking to call from a text message, according to Jed Alpert, CEO of Mobile Commons (pdf)
Making Politics Pay Off
2008-04-20 — Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards used Mobile Commons to send constituents text messages about his upcoming appearances and updates on fundraising. The software firm, just 18 months old, saw sales double last year. (pdf)
Text-to-Vote Takes to Campaign Trail
2008-03-31 — Mobile marketing tactics are expanding beyond candidates and voter turnout into social causes… Candidates and campaigns should keep messages simple and include a call to action… “The key of a mobile marketing campaign is a call-to-action,” Alpert said. “It’s a much more meaningful kind of interaction than just being bombarded with messages” (pdf)
Convio Targets Nonprofits with Mobile Service
2008-03-18 — Convio Inc. has made Mobile Commons’ suite of products available to Convio’s nonprofit clients, creating mobile applications that let members get instant information through their mobile phones. (pdf)
Shopping for Fish
2008-02-12 — You can text Blue Ocean’s Fishphone at 30644 with the message FISH and the name of the fish in question. Immediately you’ll get a text back with an assessment and, when appropriate, a more environmentally sound alternative. (pdf)
don’t 4get ur pills: Text Messaging for Health
2007-11-20 — The new text-messaging service [by Mobile Commons] is part of an emerging wave of technology that allows consumers to get instant health information through their cellphones. Text messaging is fast, cheap and private. Unlike voice mail, it is easier to recall and easier to respond to. And unlike email, it doesn’t require a BlackBerry or other email device when people are on the go.
The 6th Annual Fast 50
2007-03-01 — One of the most vexing problems for political organizers has been the prohibitive cost of contacting the faithful. It costs at least $3 a person to reach loyalists by phone to get them to act quickly about a hot issue. “We’re getting people involved at one-tenth to one-fiftieth the cost,” Jed Alpert says.
Between Polar Opposites Is This Equator: Text Me
2006-07-02 — Sending text messages to cellphones is catching on this year as a method for reaching supporters. “It’s a very good way to increase the number of people you’re in ongoing contact with,” said Jed Alpert, the company’s chief executive. “You can enroll at different points of contact, at live events, in print media or on the Web. We get response rates that are 10, 20 even 30 times what response rates are to e-mail because open rates are so high with text messaging.” (pdf)
Wind on Capitol Hill: The Britney Option
2005-08-01 — Advocacy groups on both sides of the political fence are again cranking up their phone-bank operations and e-mail campaigns, as they get ready for a showdown. One organization, People for the American Way, is trying something new: an initiative to coordinate thousands of simultaneous calls to the Senate by alerting its members via cell-phone text messaging, a medium more generally associated with preteen flirting or casting votes for American Idol than with progressive activism. (pdf)
