Mobile Shortcodes Boosts Advertising Recall

Research commissioned by the UK based, 2ergo, in conjunction with O2, has highlighted that companies are missing a trick when it comes to converting advertising into sales, with nearly one in two consumers failing to respond to advertising because they don?t remember key details.

However, the good news for business is that the mobile phone holds the key to solving this dilemma. Over 50% of respondents said they would like to access further information by sending a text to a shortcode and receiving a link to a mobile internet site where they can source additional information.

The research revealed that 44% of mobile users between the ages of 18 and 60 fail to respond to advertising campaigns because they simply forget the brand name and contact details when the moment their interest was captured by the advertisement had passed - with many people wasting time later, trying to find the company, and eventually giving up.

Other key findings highlighted that more than one in three mobile users have sent a text message to a five digit shortcode, primarily in response to TV and radio advertisements, and competitions. When asked if they would find it useful using text as a response mechanism to an offline advertisement, to then be forwarded to a mobile internet site for more details, more than 51% of consumers said they would be quite keen or extremely keen to use it.

Of the consumers who were keen to use the services, three quarters (74%) said they would use their phones to request a brochure, 70% to check product availability, two thirds to help locate their nearest store and over half to book tickets or request further information from the advertising brand.

Paul Terry, Marketing Director at 2ergo, comments; "The mobile channel provides a significant opportunity for advertisers and brand owners to more effectively capture the moment of when consumers are most interested in their advertisements."

"This study reinforces our own experiences of helping brands capture the valuable responses generated by offline advertising that would otherwise have been missed."

The future of mobile services looks positive as seven out of ten people aged less than 30 (71%), are keen to maximise the use of their mobile phone to access a company?s details or promotions. Similarly, more than half of under 50s and a third of over 50s are keen to utilise such services.

Paul Terry concludes; "This is a really exciting time for the industry. It is clear from the research that calling and texting from mobile phones is now part of everyday life, but the real opportunity however lies in taking that familiarity and extending it into other services that bring convenience and value to both the consumer and brands."

The study was undertaken by Consumer Analysis."

Posted to the site on 1st August 2007