Consumer Acceptance

First things first. iDRIVE Mobile Media doesn't have 1 client sending text messages to people who haven't opted-in specifically to receive those messages... we did but she dropped out of the race.

Nobody likes unsolicited marketing messages of any sort. However, if the consumer is interested, and previously 'agreed' to further communications, they welcome, or at least, don't mind receiving it.

For example: regular DVD renters are very receptive to discount vouchers on their next DVD rental.

The following graph is from a survey of 5,000 people who have been exposed to 150 campaigns in a 12 month period. The data shows messages from opt-in sources are among the most highly acceptable forms of advertisement to consumers.



Once customers are comfortable receiving messages, research has shown that they would opt for more, with recipients electing to receive an average of 12 messages a month. However, the receptiveness to frequency is highly correlated to the relevance. Messages must be well targeted.



Overall, the research highlights that acceptance of SMS marketing increases when companies understand the best practices of delivering a highly targeted, well thought out campaign. A key factor of the message success is the brand strength of the media owner, and the trust consumers have in them to manage communications.

The lesson to take away from this is to respect the consumer, have clear opt-out procedures, careful management of quality and volume of sms messages, and ensure no duplicate messages are delivered.