ROBERT STADIUM/SMG ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH AGENT511 TO SEND CONCERTS RELATED TEXTS

TEXTS THAT ROCK! ....SMG Evansville is sending them to YOU! Go to http://www.smgevansville.com and register your cell phone to receive texts about concert announcements, sales, discounts, backstage passes and more!

TACO BELL UNVEILS MOBILE STRATEGY DURING IAB KEYNOTE

NEW YORK - Fast-food chains have realized that mobile has to be an integral part of their marketing mix, and Taco Bell’s increasing investment in mobile is a case-in-point.

While the quick-service restaurant giant still invests heavily in traditional media—especially television advertising—mobile is becoming an bigger and bigger element of Taco Bell’s marketing strategy, with the roll out of a mobile site, mobile apps and mobile advertising campaigns.

“Mobile has become increasingly important for us to target our out-and-about customers, whether it’s late night or on the way to work,” Ms. Wolfson said. “Mobile complements our core TV advertising, helping us stay connected to consumers from the couch to the car on their way to the store.

WESTERN KENTUCKY BLOOD CENTER ENHANCES WITH MOBILE TECHNOLOGY!!!

With the help of Agent511, Western Kentucky Blood Center has set up a great service to let donors know when their blood type is in need. For instance, if one ' s blood type is B+ then they could volunteer to sign up for the B+ list and also the county in which they live. When there is a blood shortage (i.e., disaster situations, states of emergency, etc) , a text message will be sent to his/her phone to notify the donor and direct them to the nearest drive (Example: "Friends, The Blood Center has a shortage of B+ Blood. We will be open until midnight tonight at 717 Main Street. Thank you for saving a life. Pls. Forward."

Using text messaging, blood Centers have an immediate and instant way to continue to engage their community and save lives. Having texts sent directly to the donor's phone allows individuals to receive information anytime, anywhere. Help your community and your loved ones by taking action and donating!

To sign up for Western KY Regional Blood Center alerts, visit: www.wkrbc.org
*standard text message rates apply

AGENT 511 ATTENDS EVANSVILLE OTTERS GAME WITH EVANSVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE!

Along with the Evansville Chamber of Commerce, Agent 511 enjoyed a Thursday night watching the Evansville Otters baseball team beat Florence. In game one there was a walk off homerun in the bottom of the 9^th and game two was a blowout with Evansville winning 10-4. This great event helped bring the Agent 511 family closer to the Evansville community and clients.

ABA CHAMPIONS, KENTUCKY BISONS, GO MOBILE!!! Share

The ABA National Basketball Champs, Owensboro's own Kentucky Bisons offer a great mobile service to help you follow their success. Courtesy of Agent 511, you can sign up to get Bison final scores, Bison updates, as well as interact through mobile contests during the game. The contest brings enhanced entertainment and excitement to the games. For example, during the game a question will be asked and the first person to text in the correct answer has an opportunity to win prizes such as cash, merchandise, tickets, etc. Also, all who participate generally receive a coupon to a local venue. You no longer have to wait until you get home to check your e-mails or their website to keep up with the extraordinary team. You get a text message sent directly to your cell phone immediately after game with final scores.

Sign up by going to: http://www.kentuckybisons.com/_includes/511.htm
*Standard Text message rates apply

YMCA GOES MOBILE!

Owensboro YMCA has joined the mobile world. This great service, courtesy of Agent 511, offers YMCA membership deals, inspirational tips, event updates/reminders, and or schedule changes via text. This advanced technology implies instant contact unlike any other. Recently, the Owensboro YMCA had a power outage and was able to notify members signed up immediately through text. People are always on the go so with text you can hit a moving target.

Sign up by going to http://www.owensboroymca.org/mission.html
*standard text messaging rates apply

REPORT CRIME WITH THE NEWEST TECHNOLOGY!

Along with Text Blast, courtesy of Agent 511 and OPD, a mobile package has been created to enhance the safety of your community. You can now text in crime tips as well as calling. This is great for a break in when you do not want anyone to hear your voice. Also, when a fight breaks out at a bar, school, or park and you don’t want anyone to know who reported to the cops. This service brings extra privacy to the reporter, creating a safer environment for you and your children.

*To report a crime simply text “OPD and your message” to 511-511.

STAY ALERT WTIH OPD TEXT!!

Owensboro Police Department is now providing citizens REAL-TIME INFORMATION in the community-With this service, safety in the community will soar! This great service offers citizens immediate information on Missing Person/Amber Alerts, Crime Tips, Real-Time Traffic Alerts, and OPD Press Releases via text, right to your phone! You'll be kept in the loop with all safety issues and police alerts as soon as anything happens.

This advanced technology implies instant contact unlike any other. People are always on the go so with text you can hit a moving target and know instantly the second anything happens!

So keep you and your family safe, and don’t be left out to dry...sign up and protect yourself!

Sign up at http://www.owensboro.org/police/
*standard text messaging rates apply

Mobile Marketing Advantages

With its interactive, measurable, and direct features, mobile marketing represents an enormous opportunity and is fast becoming the marketing channel of choice for organizations of all types.

Mobile marketing is highly interactive and personalized and has a powerful and immediate impact. By integrating mobile technology into existing communication campaigns, businesses enable their customers to take advantage of special offers, cash in mobile coupons, obtain additional, relevant information and receive alerts about events.

Mobile marketing enables advertisers to send out custom-made and personalized multimedia campaigns to lists of targeted audiences—enabling customers to respond directly. A few of the attractive features of mobile SMS marketing include:

• Anytime, anywhere communication that is direct and immediate
  
  
• Can be targeted to particular audience groups based on age, profession or gender
  
  
• Cost effective
  
  
• Huge potential for viral marketing as customers tend to forward messages in groups
  
  
• Can be easily integrated in cross-media including TV, print and radio

Agent 511 Pool Party!

Come out to the classiest pool/luau party in the area hosted by Agent 511, Finlandia, Southern Comfort, and El Jimador.

*The pool/ hot tub party will start at 7, and the dance floor will start at 9! Music will be provided by DJ ANK G and DJ Kreyon!!
*Tickets: $10 in advance and $15 at the door
*V.I.P tables: $150 plus gratuity. Includes 5 seats.
*Directions: 5 miles east of the Owensboro By-pass on Hwy 54, just past Resurrection Cemetery. Turn right on Ed Foster Road then turn left on Wellness Drive; first building on left.

*For more info and to reserve you tickets/V.I.P tables call 270 926 3761

CHEVRON GIVEAWAY!

PLAY THE CHEVRON GIVEAWAY!
40,000 Prizes including...Cars! Lodging! GPS! Free Gas! Gift Cards!
Free Game card at Chevron!
Play Every Day!
Visit this site to apply.... www.owensboro511.com/ct.ph

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American Airlines launches mobile boarding passes

American Airlines is now extending its mobile boarding pass option to a total of six airports nationwide, with the expectation to include more airports in the near future.

American Airlines customers departing from any one of these six airports can now choose to receive electronic boarding passes on their mobile devices or PDA’s. Customers can elect to use mobile boarding passes on any domestic flight from these airports, including connecting flights through any other participating airport.

“Our customers are mobile by definition,” said Stacey Frantz, spokeswoman at American Airlines, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX. “We know they’re on the go, tech-savvy and are early adopters. We are looking for meaningful ways to make travel on American even more convenient for them.

“Plus, our ultimate goal is to ensure our customers have access to us when they want to through whatever channel is most convenient for them,” she said. “Today, our customers are aggressively adopting mobile applications – from Mobile Boarding to AA.com Mobile.”

Skyy Vodka goes mobile for marketing strategies

Skyy Vodka launches first mobile campaign

June 2, 2009

$4 off Skyy drinks

in its first taste of the channel, Skyy Vodka is using mobile to get vodka enthusiasts to interact with the brand.

The company is running advertisements within the myOrder mobile application, offering consumers the opportunity to order a drink that is made with Skyy Vodka. The myOrder application lets users order drinks and food from their iPhones while at in-network social entertainment venues.

“Today, the consumer spends most of their time waiting at their table or in a line to place an order, instead of partaking in the social entertainment that the venue offers,” said Leo Rocco, founder/CEO of myOrder, San Francisco, CA.

By using the application to identify cocktail drinkers, Skyy will use myOrder to deliver messages directly to the mobile phones of vodka enthusiasts.

The ads in the myOrder application pop up when a consumer is about to order a drink. Therefore someone who was planning to order a cosmopolitan, may change there mind and go for a Skyy Vodka drink instead when the ad pops up.

My current order @ Ruby Skye

By clicking on the ad, the consumer is placing an order for a Skyy cocktail.

The ads are timed to run during happy hour and the Skyy cocktails are offered at a discounted price of $4.

What’s beneficial about these ads is they are placed front and center, right in front of the consumer. The fact that a consumer can simply click to order the cocktail adds ease of use.

myOrder

The application also intends to create a channel for entertainment venues to increase revenue and speed up order placements. MyOrder was founded by Mr. Rocco, and developed by alumni of NASA, Cisco, eBay and IBM.

“Our strategy was to create a worldwide network of social entertainment venues that provides the myOrder service to allow consumers to order and pay for food and beverage while on the premises with their mobile phone,” Mr. Rocco said. “MyOrder is a platform that finally allows for venues to be able to communicate to consumers by the masses on-premise and stay connected with them off-premise,” he said.

The application debuts this week in San Francisco’s premier nightclubs, hotels and restaurants.

“With myOrder, consumers can get their order in the queue faster—via their mobile phone—and receive their order faster, offering an improved customer experience,” Mr. Rocco said.

MyOrder is currently available on the Apple iTunes App Store, with BlackBerry and SMS apps slated for release later this year.

This information will also be accessible by venue owners, and be used to study guest preferences and to track customer order histories and the venues they patronize.

“Venue owners can process more orders, because all orders come into the myOrder Communication Terminal,” Mr. Rocco said.

“The terminal organizes the orders and combines like orders, so the venue can fullfil or make the ‘like’ orders at one time,” he said. “For example, a venue receives 15 vodka drink orders.

"With myOrder in place, the bartender can line up 15 glasses and make all the drinks at once—in comparison to making them one at a time for each customer, thus expediting drink delivery time."

The application will also serve as a sales and marketing platform for liquor brands.

Inspiration for myOrder stemmed from Mr. Rocco’s personal frustration at being ignored in clubs and bars and not getting efficient service.

“MyOrder allows venue owners to be able to intelligently focus their customer-service efforts,” Mr. Rocco said.

“Currently, venue owners have limited visibility in who their VIP customers are, and were unable to be able to see the spending habits of first-time customers.” he said.

“When consumers use myOrder, the venue has the ability to see who the big spenders are via the myOrder star rating, and be pro-active on a VIP service to that customer also learn more about returning consumers' drink preferences.”

MyOrder will use GPS to track a consumer’s coordinates and then provide them with a menu, which they can use to place their order.

In most cases, a venue can become set up with myOrder in as little as two days.

“The mobile phone has transformed and will continue to transform the way people collaborate and interact with one another every day,” Mr. Rocco said.

“By leveraging the mobile phone to allow consumers to make purchases on the goods that they want, consumers can immediately take advantage of the rich information available on the Web to make smarter decisions on purchasing the product they desire,” he said.

Relay for Life raises $103,000...thanks to all who supported!!

Last weekend's Relay for Life raised $103,000 for the local American Cancer Society chapter, drawing a robust crowd of about 2,500 people for the opening ceremonies.Last year's event raised $114,000, but with a few more fundraisers yet to be held, this year's total could surpass the 2008 figure."The event was very well attended," said Kirstin Horsley of the ACS here. "We had one of our largest crowds and a record number of teams with 63. We're very pleased."The event, at College View Middle School, started at 7 p.m. Friday and was scheduled to run 12 hours but got cut short at 3 a.m. Saturday when a storm drowned out the festivities."It was a perfect night, until 3 in the morning," Horsley said. "Everybody was having so much fun with activities and sales. Kids had fun with face paintings."All the cancer survivors were introduced and told how long they've survived. One women even asked for a husband."The money raised will go to education, advocacy, research and service.Two local college students received $1,000 scholarships -- Haleigh Brewer, who attends the University of Kentucky, and Meghan Lambrich of Owensboro Community and Technical College. Both are pediatric cancer survivors.Upcoming events include a cornhole tournament at Johnny B's II, 4820 Frederica St., at 2 p.m. Saturday. Registration is at 1:30 p.m.A poker run motorcycle event is planned for late June or July, but a specific date hasn't been set yet, Horsley said.And a car show is set for June 13 at OCTC. Registration is from 8 a.m. to noon. The event includes door prizes, a silent auction and a model car contest for kids.Rich Suwanski, 691-7315, rsuwanski@messenger-inquirer.com

New Agent511 VIP Event

WKRBC Utilizes Text to Notify Donors of Shortages and More

The Western Kentucky Regional Blood Center has begun using SMS to target donors by type during shortages. Now, through Agent511, during shortages of specific blood types, WKRBC can send text messages requesting donors. For example, if there were a shortage of type AB- blood, WKRBC can sen a message to just donors with type AB- blood requesting their help. WKRBC will also be utilizing text messages to notify donors of upcoming local blood drives and events. To sign up for notifications and updates from the Western Kentucky Regional Blood Center visit http://www.wkrbc.org/.

Chevron/Texaco Partner w/ Agent511 to Rollout Mobile Strategy

Chevron and Texaco are now sponsoring the Owensboro TextBlast services offered by Agent511. New Chevron / Texaco customers who sign up for a Chevron / Texaco credit card will receive up to $0.30 on every gallon of gasoline purchases at any Chevron or Texaco gas station. Chevron/ Texaco credit card holders will also receive a 9% discount on any purchases made inside Chevron or Texaco convenience stores. For more information regarding cardholder advantages and money-saving opportunities visit http://www.owensboro511.com/ct.php

Monopoly at McDonald’s Game wins Best Mobile Campaign

Last year marked the addition of the first-ever mobile component to the Monopoly at McDonald’s campaign, which has been named the Best Mobile Campaign in the 2009 ad:tech Awards.

McDonald’s marketing agency The Marketing Store and mobile marketing partner Telescope were the joint recipients of the award, which recognizes the mobile campaign that best illustrates areas of branding and direct response.

“Each year we look for new and innovative ways to reach and entertain our customers with the Monopoly at McDonald’s promotion,” said Douglas Freeland, director of U.S. marketing at McDonald’s, in a statement. "Mobile game play enables customers to join the fun anytime and anywhere."

McDonald’s created a massive on-pack short code program that enabled consumers to enter the Monopoly at McDonald’s game anytime, anywhere. The game garnered the largest online game response in the history of the promotion, with almost 2 million game codes being entered by mobile users. With a pre-promotion launch on Sept. 23 and full launch on Oct. 7, the game reached millions of consumers nationally via the on-pack promotion.

The new mobile mechanic played a significant role in the pre-promotion, with nearly 15 percent of all codes entered via mobile, proving the value of immediate gratification and entertainment to the McDonald’s customer base. Players could text in their code or enter it online to collect properties. Those who collected an entire property set could win cash and prizes up to $100,000.

This was the first time in the industry that a collect-and-win game could be played across online and mobile simultaneously. McDonald’s has used the mobile channel before. In October, the fast-food giant launched an integrated Web-to-mobile campaign to promote its McRib sandwich. The campaign ran on Myxer's new Bullseye targeted advertising service. The service let McDonald's target Myxer's audience by criteria such as geography, gender, age, music genre and mobile preferences.

“The successful integration of brand creative and tailored technology is what makes this campaign unique,” said Jason George, CEO of Telescope. “The overall strategy was to drive signups and registration and drive people back in-store.”

Join Agent 511 and the Rest of the Owensboro Community for Police Awareness Day- Sat. May 2nd

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009 the Owensboro Police Department will be hosting Police Awareness Day at their Owensboro Police Department Headquarters. Take a tour of the OPD headquarters and check out the cruisers and equipment, while meeting OPD officers. The fun filled event will also provide many children's activities as well as free child I.D. kits.

Aside from these events Agent 511 will be in attendance to teach you how to TXT in a Crime Tip and help you sign up for important OPD TXT Blasts!

The event will run from 10 am til 2 pm. Free burgers, hot dogs, drinks and more will be on hand at the event so stop by and support OPD for Police Awareness Day!

Making short codes the call to action in ads

Steve Leonard is general manager for off-deck at Motricity
By Steve Leonard

CNN’s Rick Sanchez stands before you on television, encouraging you to text-in your feedback during his interactive news program. Feeling inspired to contribute, you send your two cents to short code 44546: “Mickelson’s got this one in the bag.” The cable network then thanks you for your contribution and offers to deliver you breaking mobile news alerts from its fellow Time Warner Inc.-owned sibling magazine, Entertainment Weekly.

Seldom attuned to the latest in pop culture, you opt-in. After the third SMS update on the Lindsay Lohan/Samantha Ronson scandal, Entertainment Weekly prompts you to visit its mobile Web site and subscribe to the publication. Realizing the text alerts just aren’t enough, you deem it a worthy purchase and your relationship with these media powerhouses continues to grow.

Where am I going with this? Mobile marketing is evolving. According to Nielsen, 71 percent of current users are using data services to connect to the Internet. Among non-users, 49 percent anticipate using mobile Internet services in the future. The growth of the mobile Web brings the opportunity to enhance text message marketing with a level of fulfillment that previously did not exist.

Earlier this year, Motricity predicted that the short code would become the go-to call to action for advertisers. Remember when every commercial or print advertisement started to include a URL for more information? Mobile marketing is ready to claim that spotlight with short codes. Fulfillment is the key driver for the growth of SMS codes being the call-to-action in advertising.

A targeted SMS message sets the stage, but by presenting the chance to continue the engagement through the mobile Internet, the opportunity to provide fulfillment is there.
If the SMS message also includes a discount code or segmented microsite that appeals to the preferences of that mobile phone user, the consumer/marketer relationship is deeper and more rewarding than other static efforts.

Mobile marketing is not siloed like other types of marketing, which require a billboard, television, computer, phone call, physical visit to a store or a combination of these to complete the cycle. Mobile marketing doesn’t just create an interaction that begins and ends – the response is measured and the brand can drive consumers to engage elsewhere or more often.
Furthermore, those engagements are personal and take place on a device that’s usually run by one person.

Put yourself in the consumer’s shoes: If I see a Web site URL in a magazine and I go to that site and browse it one time, that’s great. But it’s not measurable. Will the advertiser or company ever know that I browsed that Web site based on me seeing it in that magazine ad? But if I respond to a text message – you know where it’s coming from.

We are still hardwired to view every single text message that comes through to us. Once I, as the consumer, have given that company or brand permission to interact with me, there is an ongoing, measurable relationship. A Web site can’t reach right back out to you. An SMS can.

The first step for marketers is to embrace the short code as their call-to-action in all advertising materials. From there, embrace the growth of the channel and give your audiences new opportunities to discover all you have to offer in a dynamic new channel.