Integrating mobile marketing and PR
By Kerryn Le Cordeur
Mobile marketing may not be an entirely new concept, but it is certainly one that has been embraced recently, which makes sense considering the 37-million mobile users in South Africa alone, compared to just 6.5-million unique web users, and especially with the recent upsurge of interest in smart phones. It has also been a much debated topic in the sense that public relations agencies are uncertain of where mobile marketing should fit into their clients’ campaigns and the benefits of including a mobile component in a campaign. The concept of incorporating mobile marketing into the PR mix has, however, transitioned from the underdog to making significant waves in the industry.
Valerie Christopherson, MD of Global Results Communications, notes that companies that embrace
mobile marketing are generally those that are growing today, despite the economic climate and the tightening of marketing and PR budgets. While one of the cornerstones of a strong agency remains its relationships with the media, it must now also extend into the world of social media and mobile marketing, so that target markets can be reached through interactive web and mobile channels. Christopherson feels that mobile marketing is a vital component of PR 2.0, opening a window of opportunity for PR practitioners to generate awareness on a targeted, yet large, scale, while bringing about real-time reporting enhanced with reader engagement. It provides for a more viral; social; and more personal means to capture awareness within a very specific audience. “Mobile marketing connects businesses and customers during the right time at the right place with the right message,” says myMobworld’s Alexander Gregori
Alexander Gregori. It also offers a more intimate level of connection, with a more immediate consumer reaction, which allows you to implement well-targeted campaigns, connecting with the consumer whenever and wherever they are, because of the personal,
‘always on’ nature of mobile handsets.
UK PR company,
Mulberry Marketing Communications, was one of the
first PR consultancies to launch a
mobile site in 2007, in order to expand on and further demonstrate its new media offerings. Mulberry CEO, Chris Klopper, commented that: “New media is becoming increasingly important in the current climate in the UK and abroad. Even the internet itself is expanding into new areas with the revolution of Web 2.0, and people are going online more often and from more places, so it is essential that the PR industry adapts to these changes.”
However, it is important to consider that mobile does not replace more traditional PR activities, but rather augments and strengthens these. Also, agencies need to understand the mechanics of various mobile technologies; how they are best deployed; and how they bridge the online and offline world for consumers.
So, the question is, how do companies better understand the mobile world, and how do they leverage it? SMS messaging has become a method of interactive PR and marketing, as evidenced through the continued popularity of campaigns centred on reaching a direct demographic or audience. Mobile marketing can also be incorporated into PR programmes on a basic level by sending invitations to press conferences on a mobile platform; distributing news through a mobi site or by sending SMSes based on consumers’ predetermined preferences, as Newsclip’s ViaMobile offers; or hosting ‘mobilenars’ with the use of mobile video/streaming. Value can also be offered through product or service enhancements; reminders; contests; requested information; entertainment; or discounts, all provided through the mobile platform. It is about building and nurturing relationships through the use of appropriate tools.
Of course, the elements should be based on a journalist’s opt-in permission to avoid any intrusive behaviour, which could be counterproductive to the PR campaign. Gregori warns that the invasion of privacy and sending out irrelevant messages is irresponsible when it comes to mobile marketing, which is meant, rather, to build quality leads and promote meaningful engagement. The opt-in function also means that consumers receiving your messages want to do so, meaning that your campaign will be
more effective.
The very nature of public relations is that it should reach target audiences through the medium in which they communicate in order to disseminate a message about a brand that the consumer can relate to and wants to interact with. Making use of mobile marketing seems like an effective way to do this, what with the popularity of the medium worldwide, and the opportunity it presents to engage with identifiable target markets. What is your opinion of using this medium as part of PR campaigns? Leave your comments on our
blog.
View allMaking that career dream a reality
By Desi Tzoneva
The global recession hit the world hard, leaving many with ‘secure’ jobs unemployed. Credit bureaus opened hotlines and counselling centres boosted up resources to meet the demands from the newly retrenched but one aspect that was given little attention during the crisis is what happens to those who were already unemployed or very poor?
Tania Bownes from DreamWorker said that despite recessions, the poorest groups are those who suffer the longest. During economic crises, more people are laid off, with serious effects on many in the middle-income band, as well as the poorest. “Sadly, the retrenchment effect cascades – people who had domestics five days a week cut this down... or decided to do garden work themselves. In a work situation, those reduced are often the tea ladies and drivers, so the pool of semi-skilled people who are unemployed increases. Many of them are working to support extended families, so the effects can be disastrous for some.”
DreamWorker is a non-profit organisation (NPO) which is attempting to help government halve unemployment in the Western Cape by 2014 as part of its social development programme. In 2006, it was initially tasked to take over and project-manage a fledgling employment facilitation programme in Hout Bay. Having used this as a pilot study for two years, it was asked by government to provide the service to the Cape Town metropole region. Having seen the benefits of helping lesser- and semi-skilled people find work, “we were inspired and ready to take the programme wider,” Bownes added.
To address the consequences of unemployment, DreamWorker believes that it is vital to get as many people working as possible. Although skill-training is necessary in many areas, without food and money, “people cannot begin to consider taking time to be trained, let alone pay for the taxi fare to get to their training.”
Being able to “earn while they learn,” is vital, Bownes said. The NPO begins to help the unemployed by offering worker-readiness tips. A leaflet, titled ‘Important Information for Employees’, encourages workers to let their employers know when they are going to be late; to communicate with their employers and not simply stay away; and they are urged to do every job to the best of their ability so that when they leave, they get a good reference. Workers are given a leaflet which shows them how to prepare a good CV, and why it is important to do so. They are also encouraged to “practice telling their story with clarity” by not confusing the dates of previous employment and knowing exactly when they worked; for whom; and to explain clearly why they left. They are taught: “how to be sharp; confident; and well prepared for their interview,” Bownes stated.
Apart from finding work for people, DreamWorker has launched the Link of Love programme. The NPO sells vouchers at R100 each to anyone wanting to make a difference. This R100 buys a day of work for an unemployed person. DreamWorker has also linked up with an NGO in Gugulethu and identifies needs in the community, such as people with AIDS who need homecare; old people who need their houses cleaned; and township vegetable gardens that need tending. Unemployed people are sent out into the community to go and work, and to make a contribution to other people in dire need. “It is a win-win, giving the unemployed a chance to feel worthy and useful again.”
Bownes said that the community is informed about employment initiatives through placing posters in libraries and police stations, as well as handing out leaflets on taxis. However, word of mouth has been the strongest form of communication. Because the DreamWorker office is based in Athlone, it is accessible to most, and is near the station and taxi rank. “We see people in the mornings from 09:00 until 12:30, and spend the afternoons doing the necessary admin of following up on reference checks; data capture; and employer communication.”
Workers, she said, “are hugely grateful that we provide the service to them free of charge. They are also grateful that while we cannot guarantee them work, we are at least willing to try. Usually recruitment agencies look at the middle-to-top end of the employee spectrum, but we take time to talk to the lower end of the spectrum.”
Although projects are relatively short-term, “we simply do the best we can.” Bownes added that while it is difficult to ensure long-term sustainability, it is nevertheless vital to teach people to grasp opportunities; to work well; get good references; and the next bridge is crossed, “with that person feeling more empowered to do so.” Although education is always important, equally important are passion; track record; and attitude. “We encourage people to get to know their qualities; to know what drives them; and to believe in themselves and their worth.”
Support from government has been wide-ranging, she said, citing government’s funding for Athlone, which was later extended to Hermanus and Somerset West. With its main funder - the Department of Social Development - DreamWorker has been funded until March 2011. Other sponsors have become involved by designing the DreamWorker brochure; donating towards print costs; donating furniture; or, in the case of Starke Ayres Nursery, allowing some of the DreamWorker gardeners to attend its training programme at no cost.
Apart from government, anyone can become involved in supporting this initiative by buying a voucher for R100 via the DreamWorker
website. “We would also encourage people to think twice about retrenching people, and rather try to keep people working.” DreamWorker is also looking at acquiring sponsorship from corporate organisations as well as government, in order to branch out, or reach those in very poor areas through a mobile unit.
When asked about expansion plans, Bownes said that new efforts to obtain funding are under way to launch DreamWorker in Gauteng. She also said she hopes corporates make use of the NPO’s services during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, for temporary staff.
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