Although still in its infancy, the mobile phone has already established a set of unwritten rules of engagement etiquette. Unlike emails, mobile phones are routinely regarded as a private means of communication reserved exclusively for family, friends and colleagues. As the DMA’s Mobile Marketing white paper shows (insert link), consumers regard crossing this threshold and contacting them via unsolicited SMSs as being a near unforgivable violation of privacy. Brands guilty of such transgressions face dire consequences at the hands of the aggrieved consumer.

On the other hand, more than half of consumers polled stated that they would welcome SMS marketing messages from trusted brands with sales promotions and offers that are of genuine benefit. Understanding the attitudes of consumers towards SMS marketing will be the key to creating a successful mobile marketing campaign.

Many people are happy to receive the right kind of marketing information: after all, everyone likes to be valued as a customer and we all like a bargain. However, responsible marketers must also be aware that there are some very fine lines when it comes to permission for mobile marketing.  Brands may find that their reputation is quickly damaged if mobile marketing messages are too frequent, sent at the wrong time of day, irrelevant or unclear to the user. It is important to bear in mind that there is a significant and vociferous minority of people who do not want any information on their mobile. Both the opt-in and opt-out processes must be sufficiently clear to ensure that campaigns are only sent to those who really do want to receive the information.

Most people are happy to accept mobile marketing on their phones where they have opted-in. However, we have seen through this study and as practitioners, that there is a narrow band of permission for mobile marketing. The line between a useful offer and spam is quite a fine one. Brands and agencies need to be careful not to step over that line. It would seem that users want to be explicitly told that they are opting-in to mobile marketing. They want offers, not just general brand promotions, and they need to know who the message is from. Given the confusion about the complaints channel, it seems that recipients need a simple SMS-based method of opting-out.

It is there vital that brands provide clarity so that mobile users feel in control, and have the ability to accept or refuse marketing campaigns. All these things are quite achievable for brands and marketers. It is essential to keep in mind that the mobile is a very personal medium, and getting mobile marketing wrong will be taken personally by consumers.