How it works?

Virtual Impact specialises in designing digital content and then sending it to a mass of numbers simultaneously. We provide a complete solution to avoid any unnecessary additional costs and time spent between various providers. Do not be put off by the technical aspects of mobile marketing. We know our industry thoroughly and can guide you in the best approach of providing mobile marketing to current or potential clients Mobile marketing works in various ways, but in terms of sending a message, there are two distinct options.

Bluetooth

A Bluetooth device can scan a radius for compatible devices, which are not limited to mobile phones, but certainly make up the majority. Once a connection is established, the device will try to send a picture, video or other file. The mobile user will need to accept the message, and then it is downloaded to the phone. The majority of phones will be compatible with the file types sent. The Bluetooth box will recognise that the message has been sent and record this in its database. That device will no longer receive the message, unless the campaign is started from new, so as not to frustrate potential customers.

Message Gateway

Whether sending an SMS or WAP push, the interface that we will provide you in order to carry out your mobile marketing campaign will send a message to a 'gateway'. This hardware device will systematically begin sending messages to the mass of numbers provided. The device will try a number of times if necessary to connect to that phone. If it is successful, it will stop from delivering the same message twice. If the message is unsuccessful then the gateway will record this information to enable database cleansing, an eradication of numbers that are no longer in use or are barred. This saves money on future campaigns and allows you to try to contact these clients by a different means.

With WAP push, the process continues. Once the message is sent to a mobile device, the phone recognises the link in the SMS and will ask the user if they would like to connect to the internet in order to view the content. At this stage, various phones act in differing ways, but all with generally the same outcome. If the content is a video, some mobile devices will play the file within the browser, effectively opening automatically. Others will download the file first, and then play it within its own media player. The file type for videos is 3GP and is the most globally accepted file type available.

The facts

Uncertainty has led to a limited investment in mobile marketing up util recently, but with the right technology now in place, with over three quarters of the population being able to view web content and receive content driven marketing, it has become more powerful than any other medium for creative advertising.

• There are over 2.2 billion mobile handsets worldwide with Ofcom reporting that in September 2005 there were over 65 million mobile phone subscriptions in the UK.
• Of those in Western Europe and America, 76% have access to the web through their mobile phone.
• The UK leads the way in web usage with 54% accessing the web from their mobile phones, 13% more than in the US where mobile marketing is in fact more common.
• For the first time in 2005, the number of people connected to the web via their mobile phone exceeded the number of those connected via a computer.