My purpose in writing this post is to keep some up to date on what is going on with Projective Marketing and the Tagg Team. Currently, we’re working with a myriad of signage firms in both digital and static signage to establish a marketable network of signage screens. Signage companies always want more ad revenue and we want a way to increase the use of Tagg and the AcroTagg software.
For us, it was a question of what comes first, the chicken or the egg? Do we work on a distribution channel from which to advertise on or do we gain advertisers, know we have revenue to build such a channel and then move forward with establishing a foothold in the signage space? These are somewhat difficult questions, but I think through a process of organic and economic natural selection, things have gone into their current direction.
I think we realized, in time, a network is absolutely necessary before advertisers would have a reason to believe and wish to advertise with us. On the other hand, deploying a scalable network which makes advertising worthwhile is a giant of a task and must be done with resources for which we do not currently have, especially if we wanted to do it on a grand scale. This is where current networks come into play. With the contacts Deploid has made over the last several months, the Tagg Team has brought together an unbeatable strategy for not only advertising, but Tagg distribution as well.
Enter TeleTagg.
TeleTagg offers a network of digital signage screens where advertising is available to advertising companies on both small and large scales throughout the country. In addition, signage companies themselves benefit from economies of scale in advertising. TeleTagg offers a “piggyback” style of network from which to gain ad revenues from on a shared basis.
Projective Marketing is taking a position that will put them in place down the road for several months or even a year. The actually Tagg Service, including Tagg games and interactive SMS integrated with the signage, is still somewhat in the works. The biggest benefit however, will be when the works are completed and Projective Marketing is really ready to release Tagg. For once this occurs, there’ll be nothing there to stop them from fully integrating it across the thousands of screens available on their network.
Google does it again. According to a recent report given by retail media company in the Netherlands, Google has recently applied for a patent which simply states, “Allocating advertising space in a network of displays.” This gives one up for suspicion. Whether or not this means a full-blown rollout remains to be seen, but from the Flickr picture which has been circulating which I attached above, it would seem Google is jumping into the out-of-home arena.
The future of the digital signage looks bright, but with a monster like Google coming in it will be interesting to see what happens to the hundreds of signage companies that now dot the map. “Google Kiosk” as bloggers are now calling it used as a public electronic ad board that can be used and placed both inside as well as outside.
For more pictures and information on Google Kiosk, click here.
In the world of SMS marketing there are a couple of important factors: sms short codes and keywords attached to those short codes. How hard is it to procure a short code? Well, it’s not that hard. It just takes some money and some time. Short code procurement takes about 4 to 6 weeks to procure and will cost you your first 3 months billing up front. Well, what’s the monthly cost of an SMS short code? That depends. Do you want a randomly generated code or a vanity number? If you have a randomly generated short code assigned to you, it will cost you $500/month. However, it’s $1000/month if you wish to make it a vanity number like CHURCH or PIZZA or some other crazy thing. So, the first three months up-front is going to cost between $1,500 and $3,000 clams.
Now what about the keywords associated with the short code you purchased. Oh, that easy compared to the short code itself. Or, is it? Well, it may not cost as much in the long-run to have a keyword selector tool, but initially it may be somewhat of an investment. Why? Well, because you’ve got to hire a programmer to create a keyword selector tool. Once this mechanism is in place, the keywords are easily attained.However, unless you do what Twitter does and place an @ prior to each keyword, then you’ll run out of keywords quickly if you’re distributing to a mass audience. So, one way to combat this is to do what Mobivity has done and just sell keywords for $20/month. They also charge a per message amount as well. Talk about making that $500/month back from their short code costs.
So, I was personally curious if anyone was in the industry just out there selling Keywords attached to their personal Short Code. So, I went to a domain name purchaser and did some searches to see what domains were available. I couldn’t believe what I found! ShortCodeKeywords.com as well as ShortCodeKeyword.com were both available. I snatched them up quickly. Someday, someone, perhaps a Mobivity clone, is going to take all their resources and just sell Keywords associated with their Short Code. It’s only a matter of time. We plan on doing it as well. It just remains to be seen whose gonna jump first. It will be lucrative when they do.
I read a very intriguing article this morning which I’ve posted below because of it’s relevance in our sphere. It talks about some of the things Twitter is doing to progress their product line. They are swiftly moving into avatars, which is what TaggAmigo is all about. The article is very enlightening. I think it’s worth a discussion the length of a book.
Today Techcrunch reported that Twitter will be releasing extensions to their API that will allow applications to receive private messages from users. Currently the API allows you to post messages, get a list of your friends and to query the public messages from you and your friends (ie. your default Twitter view). While the ability to query received private messages may seem trivial, this feature has massive implications for how Twitter can be used by developers and service providers.
With the API as it is today you can build a service that can take queries from your friends and responds accordingly. There are already a number of such services, but the problem is that these messages are all sent over the public channels that you and your friends can all see. With private messages, only the recipient can see the message. Currently to send a private message the format is d USERNAME message, for example: d cubrilovic hey!. With the current API, you can’t access these private messages, but with the upcoming addition of this functionality it will be possible to build services that use private messages for queries and responses.
With this new functionality we can expect to soon see a number of services similar to those you can find at other SMS services such as Mozes. Services like weather (d weather 94027), news (d news headlines), search (d google nik) and much more.
The advantage that Twitter has is that it is a generic communications platform with social networking components. It can be accessed with SMS, Instant Messaging, the website itself and a plethora of applications that have already been built to read/write to Twitter. For potential service providers, Twitter has a rapidly growing base of users who originally signed up as a way to communicate with ‘real’ friends. These users have already registered their email addresses (for email in/out), mobile phones (for SMS in/out) and IM handles (for read/write via IM).
There is also talk that the format for private messaging will change from using d USERNAME message to just @USERNAME message. With that change, Twitter users will be able to address any service using any number of methods. I had a number of ideas on how we can build a Twitter service that will allow users to query their Omnidrive data store, so I registered the Omnidrive user at Twitter (this is my personal Twitter). This lead me to realize that because of the way the API is being implemented, Twitter usernames have become effective keywords for services. So the above examples require the usernames ‘weather’, ‘news’ and ’search’ to be registered to the service provider. The ‘keywords’ that will be used for these services reside within the same namespace as the usernames of ordinary users.
Twitter is already has signs that it will become a blazing success, and the availability of services will play a part in the growth. That means that generic keyword usernames at Twitter will at some point in the very near future become very valuable. The other SMS services sell or auction the popular keywords, and at Twitter they are available for anybody to register on a first-come, first-serve basis. While Twitter may be experiencing solid growth, many keywords/usernames that will potentially become very popular have not yet been registered - and because of how easy it is to signup they are easy to acquire.
I strongly believe that Twitter have missed a great commercial opportunity by giving away keywords. They had an opportunity to reserve generic words and trademarks for use in commercial services, and they could have sold or auctioned these keywords which would have also provided a solid revenue model. But now it seems too late, as a number of services are already being built (I registered a number of file-related usernames for Omnidrive) and forward-thinking users have ’squatted’ on other potentially valuable keywords. I believe that within weeks or months we will see an after-market for the trading of Twitter usernames - as information and data providers rush to be the first to tap the base of Twitter users with their own services.
It seems that Twitter have every right to delete an account, but such a move is certain to cause controversy. With the growing popularity of Twitter, this raises a lot of questions (similar questions that are faced by domain name registrars) such as what to do in the case of trademark infringement and squatting etc. Twitter has already been suffering some scalability issues with a slow service, I wonder how it will fair now with what I can only expect will be a rush of hits on the signup page.
Text to Screen or Tagg, as Projective Marketing calls it, is an interactive and viral way for consumers to text messages to screens on public display. Text to Screen also allows for interactive games to be played on public display. Because there is an incentive or reason for consumers to text and keep on texting their SMS messages to public display, it gives Projective Marketing a great advantage. For each text the acroTagg software receives from consumers, the message sender is given a TaggBack text ad tailored completely to their demographic.
Chrysi Philalithes-Vice President Global Marketing and Communications for MIVA-in her article Use Pay-Per-Text to Boost Mobile ROI is revealing the PPT idea as well as some general outline of mobile marketing issues.
“The mobile phone phenomenon offers great promise yet we have barely begun the scratch the surface, which is probably due in part to the personal nature of these devices. To date, many mobile campaigns have lacked sophistication, been too intrusive and youth-oriented and, as a result, have ultimately missed their target.
“Pay-Per-Text represents only a beginning of the mobile revolution. Today, sophisticated advertising on mobile devices is in its infancy in the United States, but with the need for advertisers to stand out more than ever by capturing prospective customers at every touch point while also maximizing returns, it is only a matter of time before this next-generation concept hits American soil.”
The great part about mobile advertisig over the next several years is that the demographic will shift. While now those that utilize texting are generally younger, in ten years they will not be so young. This means great things for advertisers–especially those utilizing pay-per-text.
How does Pay-Per-Text work?
Well, how does this help advertisers? Interesting you should ask. Because we know where the individual is standing that just sent a text to screen, we know where they are and we can also pinpoint other demographics like age and gender. With all these demographics, we can tell an advertiser who, where, when, and what. This gives advertisers immense power. Much like Google’s Pay-Per-Click advertising model, Tagg’s Pay-Per-Text model gives even a small company with a small budget the ability to target very specifically. We tell the advertisers where, when, who, and what. They tell us how much they are willing to spend and what they want to tell their audience. Pay-Per-Text: Simple and powerful use of Text-to-Screen technology.
Now occupying venues once dominated by billboards, posters, and signs, digital signage is making a footprint as the ad distribution module for the coming generation. Signage providers are able to upload and distribute multiple forms of content at specified times to targeted audiences for entertainment, education, and advertisement purposes.
Interactive Signage
Participative marketing makes a more memorable, long-lasting impact on customers. The acroTagg software, integrated with a digital signage interface, offers this type of interactive, hard-hitting ad campaign deployment.
Now, that makes sense
A digital signage company hosting a large network or a mom-and-pop business can benefit from acroTagg digital signage integration in several ways:
- Profit sharing from the Pay-Per-Txt model via TaggShare.
- Specific coupons are sent back to mobile devices, based on keywords, give customers incentives to buy now. And, since 70% of purchase decisions are made within the store1, customer spending increases.
- Small businesses can choose signage venues where acroTagg is installed, create TaggWord ads, bid and pick keywords, and manage an ad campaign on any size budget.
By integrating the acroTagg software into their digital signs, digital signage providers, digital signage hosts, and SMS advertisers join forces to create an integrated, interactive and viral approach to reaching their specific demographics.
Tagg, the interactive and viral SMS marketing platform for the text generation, utilizes keyword search and targeted demographics to hone even the smallest campaign. As marketing has become increasingly more difficult, advertisers continue to struggle to reach markets, and reach them well. Projective Marketing has developed the acroTagg software to alleviate the pain and give power to advertiser. The following explains the various methods of deployment and distribution and how the benefit both consumers and marketers.
Much like cult icon Kip of the famed Napoleon Dynamite film, “I love technology…always and forever.” I also love how it makes life easier, more interesting, and more fun. Of late, I’ve been working feverishly on a project I believe will revolutionize two distinct and separate industries: digital signage and SMS text marketing. The revolution will not come fast enough in my mind. The integration of SMS text and Bluetooth marketing along with digital signage may well become the most synergistic and symbiotic relationship in the future of participative advertising—literally a match made in heaven.
Digital Signage Traditional signage has not been dynamic. Digital Signage has not been affordable, until recently. With the decrease in prices of plasma, LCD, and projection displays the digital signage industry has literally exploded. In fact, Isuppli/Stanford Resources reported that the worldwide retail signage market which was $501 million in 2003 will have a growth of 29 percent CAGR to $2.35 billion in 2009.
As an industry in the growth stage, digital signage firms will be scrambling over the next couple of years to gain digital “real estate.” Keith Kelsen, CEO of digital signage firm, MediaTile put the state of the industry quite succinctly,
Real Estate is where the displays are placed. Whether in airports and public spaces, at the retail shelf, in a hotel lobby, outdoors, or in a veterinarian clinic, real estate is the key. Right now, there is a race to capture as much real estate as possible. Once the screens are installed, that venue is tied up and the likelihood of changing technology, hardware and the operator is minimal. To secure real estate you need a strategy, a business model and some capital. There are many different models to make this work; from no charge to the holder of the real estate, to share in the profits, to share in the time on screen. The rules are going to change according to the type of network you are putting in. The fastest way to get there is to do the pilots with real advertisers.
Shortly, the real estate will be tied-up, players will be squeezed out, and the growth will subside, but for now there is literally a knock-down-drag-out battle for market share.
The Digital Signage Problem Currently, the signage industry has some issues. I’ll name just a few:
- Fragmentation: the industry itself has little congruency. This is true of many industries which are growing. It’s a race where only the fit survive through the fray. Casualties may occur, some buyouts, but in the end fewer firms will stand than do today.
- Uniformity: software and hardware. This comes from the barrage of companies with the multitude of platforms. Again, this problem is present mostly due to the initial fragmented market.
- Reinvention: many companies do not utilize operating systems already established and are utilizing vast amounts of resources reinventing wheels that could be utilized through existing applications. Again, this is partly due to the fragmentation.
- ROI Calculation: This is perhaps the most difficult, but important aspect of any advertising campaign. Internet campaigns through organic search as well as PPC have the ability of giving very precise ROI numbers, an aspect of internet marketing which advertisers absolutely love. Not only do they love it, but now they demand it, which is why some companies have searched for unique ways to calculate digital signage ROI. This still remains difficult, however. Impressions don’t talk, cash does. And, until the signage industry is able to put more precise numbers on effectiveness, they will be handicapped by incumbent advertising mediums.
So, there are some issues. Wherever there’s a problem, there’s usually a solution. Wherever there’s a need for a solution there’s an opportunity. I’ll discuss the solution in depth further.
SMS Text Advertising Before we talk about solving some of the headaches of the digital signage industry, let’s talk a bit about text message marketing. First off, I would like to just comment on the opportunity of marketing via text messaging. I mean, they’re right in people pockets, purses, and cars. We are an always-connected society. I know I often wonder, “how did I get along without this thing?”
Advertising via text messaging has been on the minds of countless advertisers, and many SMS companies have jumped at the opportunity over the last couple of years, including the giant Google. Dot mobi domain names are now even an option for the marketer looking to break into the on-the-go consumer. SMS advertising: powerful? Yes. Prominent? No, at least not yet. The market itself is in a growth stage. Procuring of short codes for text message companies is on the rise. In addition, it too is still growing. Text message marketing grossed over $80 billion in 2006 and well surpassed $100 billion in 2007. I dare anyone to argue with me about the great opportunity of text message marketing. Seriously, it’s powerful. Now let’s look at the two-edged sword…
The SMS Text Advertising Problem Text message marketing may be powerful, but because it’s so personal it can also be a great hindrance if used incorrectly or frivolously. For instance, advertising to persons via text without the prior expectation of the individual can be annoying. There’s also the possibility of spamming to mobile devices—a thought that personally makes me annoyed just thinking about it. I hate spam emails. In addition, opt-in texting services can easily become lackluster as persons glean information from other sources.
So, the question is how do we make people want ads?
How do we make people want to gain and receive SMS text messages?
In short, can we make SMS text advertising viral?
Can we make it interactively viral?
The Marriage Integration Let’s get down to the nitty gritty. Let’s make digital signage interactive. Let’s make digital signage viral. Let’s do it via SMS text messaging. This is what Projective Marketing did. They said, let’s give people the ability to play games, send texts directly to signage screens, and interact with signage via their mobile device. It’s perfect, every text sent by a consumer will prompt a response advertising text or TaggBack ad sent to the consumer’s mobile device. It’s a tit-for-tat strategy. No spamming, no SMS text opt-in required. People text because they want to, they are advertised to because they expect it. It’s that simple.
Much like Pay-Per-Click (PPC), the Projective Marketing Pay-Per-Text (PPT) campaigns give advertisers the ability to
- Choose specific demographics (including locale, age, and gender)
- Pick message keywords from messages Tagged to screens
- Pick an advertising budget on a daily, weekly, and/or monthly basis
It’s a match made in heaven. Not only do we solve the text message marketing dilemma but the digital signage ROI calculation conundrum (say that ten times fast) is also solved.
How? Well TaggBack ads are measurable, whether through traffic to a website with a coupon code attached or by foot traffic to a retail establishment. Let me give a specific example.
Bertha, a 17 year old female in Maple Valley, WA, is at the mall with her bosom friends. She sees a digital screen with the invitation, “text messages ONTO this screen: 89789 keyword ‘screen57’ then your message.”
- Bertha then types “screen57 Britney I love the shoes you just bought, they’re hot!”
- The message goes through the AcroTagg moderator and keyword selector tool and is subsequently displayed on the screen.
- A TaggBack text ad is sent to Bertha’s phone after searching her message and finding the word “shoe.” The message reads “$5 off any purchase over $50 at Footlocker: Women. Good today only.”
- Bertha walks into Footlocker and redeems her coupon.
- Retailers track the number of coupons, measure the amount of purchases made in connection with them and easily determine a precise ROI.
This scenario could be played out similarly with interactive games tied to the screen in a myriad of situations. It would seem the problems of both industries are solved. Karma and synergy has been attained. Text message marketers are not being annoying, and digital signage can calculate their ROI.
It would seem the problem is solved. Viral and interactive SMS Text marketing integrated with digital signage, a must. Projective Marketing :: Interactive SMS Solutions.
Tagg, the interactive and viral SMS marketing platform for the text generation, utilizes keyword search and targeted demographics to hone even the smallest campaign. As marketing has become increasingly more difficult, advertisers continue to struggle to reach markets, and reach them well. Projective Marketing has developed the acroTagg software to alleviate the pain and give power to advertiser. The following explains the various methods of deployment and distribution and how the benefit both consumers and marketers.
Unlike almost all other SMS text marketing service providers, we at Projective Marketing do not send texts to consumers unless we first receive one. “Well, why would your customers want to text you?” you may ask. Simple, we give incentives to text. Taggers could be texting to a screen in a public venue, over the internet, or through TaggAmigo. So, although the acroTagg software has the capability of utilizing a subscription or alert SMS marketing platform, we do not unless our advertising clients request it. Instead, Tagg uses a tit-for-tat strategy with TaggBack ads.
For instance, typical SMS marketing services will have an opt-in, opt-out subscription service. In this case, consumers opt-in to receive alerts with “teaser” ads attached. In such a platform, the consumer must text back to the teaser ad with a keyword to receive a coupon or discount.
Not with Tagg! Instead, Tagg’s very nature gives consumers the incentive to text, and text repeatedly. And, since we send one TaggBack ad for every text we receive, your ads keep arriving on the consumers pocket billboard. Tagg completely bypasses the teaser ad and gives an immediate, targeted impression.
With the inundation of SMS Text Message Marketing some questions are worth contemplating.
First, can I run a pay-per-text campaign without having to build enormous opt-in mobile mailing lists?
Or, how can I make pay-per-text more specific and measurable?
How can I make sure consumers get my message directly, the first time and don’t have to send return texts to get coupons?
Finally, can I avoid the opt-in mobile marketing structure all together and just run a pay-per-text campaign?
Projective Marketing holds the answer to these questions.
