MOBILE COMMONS’ MOBILE MESSAGING PLATFORM PROVIDES ADDITIONAL LINE OF DEFENSE THIS FLU SEASON

Text FLU and your address to 30644 to find the closest H1N1 vaccine in California

Mobile Commons, Inc., a pioneer of easy-to-use technology for mobile messaging, today announced its partnership with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to power a unique, California-based flu vaccination awareness program. Through Mobile Commons’ mobile messaging platform allows users to text in their zip code and receive vital flu related information including alerts when the vaccination is available, the nearest vaccination location and critical messaging regarding treatment and other information. The ubiquity of mobile phones, combined with the high projected demand for vaccinations, makes this an ideal solution to help Californians from all communities obtain vaccinations and receive necessary information on a timely basis.

“We strongly expect this program to result in high levels of participation, given the ease-of-use,” said Edgar Ednacot, Ed D. M.P.H. Health Education Supervisor at the CDPH. “Mobile Commons’ technology provides an extremely efficient system for Californians to learn where to get vaccinated and stay informed during the flu season.”

Californians will learn of the campaign through a variety of media, including out door advertising, broadcast public service announcement, social media and PR. Users will text in the word “FLU” and their zip code to the short code 30644. Once a zip code is received by Mobile Commons’ technology platform, users will receive a text message with the nearest vaccination center or other valuable information about the flu in that area or throughout the state. Additionally, all of the functionality is automatically made available on a Facebook application, Twitter and web widgets which will allow for the program to be easily shared.

“We are thrilled and honored to have been entrusted by the CDPH to help them provide Californians with an easy, cost-effective way to receive such vital information about the flu and vaccinations this year,” said Jed Alpert, Founder of Mobile Commons. “California is truly on the cutting edge of integrating communication technologies to make sure people receive the information they need in a way that is most useful to them.”

For more information about the flu vaccination campaign or Mobile Common’s technology, please visit http://www.MobileCommons.com or http://www.cdph.ca.gov.

A recent article from ClickZ asks, “Will 2010 Be the Real Year of Mobile?”

Yes, we all agree that the Year of Mobile is… ahem… somewhat overdue. The article goes on to list the factors that the author believes makes mobile difficult for marketers. Surprisingly, the article misses the boat on how effective mobile really is as a tool for the savvy marketer.

Marketing is a discipline, not a medium. “Mobile Marketing” is, in fact, a bit of a misnomer as it leads people to think of mobile in a silo – the least effective place for any marketing tactic to reside.

More importantly, the messaging side of mobile (SMS) has the scale, reach and standardization to allow marketers to effectively ply their marvelous trade. If we think of marketing as a dialogue or conversation between a brand and consumer, where a fair value exchange takes place, mobile messaging clearly delivers.

Brands and their agencies use mobile messaging for exactly that purpose: as a mechanism for connecting and deeply engaging with their consumers. It is extraordinarily effective, has huge reach, relatively low cost, easy to measure and immediate in impact.  There is no more trusted device than your cell phone.

BTW, mobile display advertising is *not* marketing (sorry Google/Admob!), it is simply one tactic in the constellation of efforts required to successfully market a product.

The Mobile Conversation reminds me a bit of the PPC Search versus Online Display debate years back. Everyone was initially ambivalent about Search because it wasn’t “engaging”. Hm.

In my experience with marketers, *results* are engaging. *ROI* is engaging. SMS provides both results and ROI. Engaging, indeed.

Wikipedia is one of the best known websites on the Internet, but did you know it’s actually run by a non-profit called the Wikimedia Foundation? Thanks to the generous support of donors over the years, Wikipedia has been able to keep their invaluable service running for us all to use. Wikipedia also runs a fantastic mobile version of their web site, optimized for small phone screens and mini web browsers.

Mobile Commons is thrilled to announce that we’re working with Wikimedia Foundation to power their new text-to-give mobile fundraising campaign. By simply texting the word WIKI to 25383, Wikipedia users can immediately give $10 to the foundation. U.S. visitors to the mobile version of Wikipedia will see a small call-to-action asking them to support Wikipedia just by sending a text.

How Does it Work?
Through a special partnership with the mobile carriers and the Mobile Giving Foundation, Mobile Commons is able to collect charitable donations via text message without the carriers taking a percentage of the transaction. Typically, when users pay for a ringtone or wallpaper with their mobile phone, the carriers take a fee, which isn’t ideal for non-profits trying to raise money.

The end-user experience is incredibly simple. First, users send a text message to a special 5-digit short code that has been approved by the carriers for charitable donations. They then receive a text message back asking to confirm their donation. At the end of the month, a $5 or $10 charge shows up on their phone bill and the organization gets the donation.

The big news in the media today is that Lou Dobbs has quit CNN.

Mobile Commons would like to congratulate Presente.org and the BastaDobbs.com campaign. Supporters can text the word BASTA to 30644 to join the BastaDobbs.com campaign.

From BastaDobbs.com – BastaDobbs.com Announces Victory: Lou Dobbs to Leave CNN

NEW YORK – Responding to the news Wednesday that Lou Dobbs will leave his post as a longtime anchor on CNN, the leaders of BastaDobbs.com – a national Latino-led coalition that had been advocating for his ouster – released the following statement:

“Our contention all along was that Lou Dobbs – who has a long record of spreading lies and conspiracy theories about immigrants and Latinos – does not belong on the ‘Most Trusted Name in News,’” said Roberto Lovato, co-founder of Presente.org, a national online advocacy organization coordinating the BastaDobbs.com campaign in conjunction with more than 40 local and regional Latino organizations from across the country. “We are thrilled that Dobbs no longer has this legitimate platform from which to incite fear and hate.”

The BastaDobbs.com campaign launched in mid-September, and included online petitions, a viral YouTube video, text-message campaign, radio PSAs and a series of events in 18 cities – organized in conjunction with the CNN special Latino in America. The message to CNN was that courting Latino viewers while keeping Dobbs on the network would not with them favor with the fastest-growing demographic in the country. Since then, more than 100,000 people have joined the effort. The events and the campaign garnered significant press coverage in both Spanish-language and mainstream media.

Lovato said the BastaDobbs.com victory marks a key turning point for the Latino community, as it moved from marching in the streets in 2006 to mounting a successful, high-tech campaign against one of the biggest and strongest media voices against common-sense immigration reform.

“The community is newly empowered and energized, and we are ready to fight for a respectful and civil media discourse when it comes to immigration coverage on mainstream news,” Lovato said. “This is only the beginning of a much longer-term effort.”