Local Public Information Officer, Marion Cosgrove, was the winner of a four pack of tickets to the Clint Black concert that was held at the RiverPark Center on Saturday, December 13th. The contest winner was chosen at random from a list of contestants who subscribed to the RiverPark Center's text blast list. Members who sign up for Textblasts from the RiverPark Center have access to special ticket pricing and discounts, contests sponsored by the RiverPark, and important RiverPark announcements. Your number will never be shared with any third parties. To subscribe or unsubscribe for updates from the Owensboro RiverPark Center visit http://www.riverparkcenter.org/riverpark_signup/riverpark-textblast-signup.htm or visit http://www.owb511.com/ for more information.Thursday, December 18, 2008
Marion Cosgrove Wins Clint Black Tickets, Courtesy of Agent511 and the RiverPark Center!
Local Public Information Officer, Marion Cosgrove, was the winner of a four pack of tickets to the Clint Black concert that was held at the RiverPark Center on Saturday, December 13th. The contest winner was chosen at random from a list of contestants who subscribed to the RiverPark Center's text blast list. Members who sign up for Textblasts from the RiverPark Center have access to special ticket pricing and discounts, contests sponsored by the RiverPark, and important RiverPark announcements. Your number will never be shared with any third parties. To subscribe or unsubscribe for updates from the Owensboro RiverPark Center visit http://www.riverparkcenter.org/riverpark_signup/riverpark-textblast-signup.htm or visit http://www.owb511.com/ for more information.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Agent511 Interview on KXAN - Austin, TX
COO Ankur Gopal of Agent511 was interviewed by Political Correspondent Jenny Hoff of KXAN-NBC on a recent business trip to Austin, TX
Constituents texted, Asked for Opinions Politicians have another way to get in touch
Created On: Tuesday, 09 Dec 2008, 2:57 PM CST
Jenny Hoff
AUSTIN (KXAN) - A new text messaging service puts politicians in touch with constituents. Agent 511 , a text message serviced designed by Ankur Gopal, is the newest way local politicians can reach their constituents with the touch of a button. "95 percent of text messages are open and read," said Gopal. "Only 15 percent of e-mails are opened after they go through spam or people's personal filters."
Armed with this information, Gopal decided to give politicians a way to reach their constituents in a more personal and direct way. If a lawmaker orders his service, they will have an area on their Web site where people can sign up to receive texts. Then, when the lawmaker has a big decision to make, he or she can send out a quick message and get instant feedback. "A representative can text them about a bill on Iraq funding he/she has to vote on," said Gopal. "And, if 9,000 of people write back, he'll really have his finger on the pulse of his constituency."
Avid text messager Rosanna Barrios said she thinks this is the direction politics is heading. "We saw it in Barack Obama's campaign," said Barrios."Text messaging really works. People feel like their voices are somehow being heard when they respond."
Constituents texted, Asked for Opinions Politicians have another way to get in touch
Created On: Tuesday, 09 Dec 2008, 2:57 PM CST
Jenny Hoff
AUSTIN (KXAN) - A new text messaging service puts politicians in touch with constituents. Agent 511 , a text message serviced designed by Ankur Gopal, is the newest way local politicians can reach their constituents with the touch of a button. "95 percent of text messages are open and read," said Gopal. "Only 15 percent of e-mails are opened after they go through spam or people's personal filters."
Armed with this information, Gopal decided to give politicians a way to reach their constituents in a more personal and direct way. If a lawmaker orders his service, they will have an area on their Web site where people can sign up to receive texts. Then, when the lawmaker has a big decision to make, he or she can send out a quick message and get instant feedback. "A representative can text them about a bill on Iraq funding he/she has to vote on," said Gopal. "And, if 9,000 of people write back, he'll really have his finger on the pulse of his constituency."
Avid text messager Rosanna Barrios said she thinks this is the direction politics is heading. "We saw it in Barack Obama's campaign," said Barrios."Text messaging really works. People feel like their voices are somehow being heard when they respond."
Monday, November 24, 2008
Flying Fingers: Text-messaging overtakes monthly phone calls
By: Nic Covey, Director of Insights, Nielsen Telecom Practice Group
-->CI SUMMARY: More than three-quarters (77%) of wireless subscriber lines in the U.S. subscribe to or purchase text-message capability. Surpassing the number of monthly phone calls made in a month, text-messaging has become a new mainstream vehicle to market everything: TV shows, cars, soda, deodorant and dozens of other goods and services. An understanding of the “texters” and how they use short-code marketing is critically important to ensure ongoing growth and effectiveness.
Text-messaging is embedded in the American communications lifestyle. For that matter, texting has been an important part of the mobile experience internationally as well. Nielsen’s most recent estimates for text-message use in 11 countries show that, while 53% of American mobile subscribers send text messages each month, texting is even more ubiquitous in countries such as Italy and China.
Given the immense popularity of texting in the U.S. and abroad, it’s not surprising that marketers have been ramping up their use of the medium to engage their customers.
Cracking the code In the U.S., short codes are administered by the Common Short Code Administration (CSCA), a service of CTIA – the Wireless Association, a trade group for the wireless industry. Short codes come in the form of either vanity codes, or random digit codes. While vanity codes are more expensive to lease, they are increasingly discouraged due to the expanding prevalence of cellular smartphones with QWERTY keypads (the most common keyboard layout on English-language computer), which can make it difficult for users to identify the vanity’s number to dial.
Marketers have used short-code marketing in a tight, but creative range of ways: from simple information messaging, to rewards programming, to couponing and even direct SMS purchasing. Tracking the audiences of short codes through the world’s largest telecommunications bill panel, Nielsen tracks all billing activity, including text-messages sent and received, applications and games downloaded, and other aspects of a subscriber’s billed mobile use for AT&T and Verizon Wireless.
Coca-Cola has engaged in some of the most prominent short-code marketing in the past year. As of Q2 2008, about one million AT&T and Verizon Wireless customers were actively text-messaging with Coca-Cola as part of their “My Coke Rewards” program.
Through “My Coke Rewards”, Coca-Cola customers collect unique codes found on various Coca-Cola products and enter them into an account they’ve registered at mycokerewards.com. Points are collected and redeemed for rewards. The mobile component of the program allows consumers to enter the codes over their mobile phone, on the go. According to Nielsen, Coca-Cola’s mobile users typically send about nine messages a month to Coca-Cola.
-->CI SUMMARY: More than three-quarters (77%) of wireless subscriber lines in the U.S. subscribe to or purchase text-message capability. Surpassing the number of monthly phone calls made in a month, text-messaging has become a new mainstream vehicle to market everything: TV shows, cars, soda, deodorant and dozens of other goods and services. An understanding of the “texters” and how they use short-code marketing is critically important to ensure ongoing growth and effectiveness.
Was it history in the making when Barack Obama’s presidential campaign attempted to announce Joe Biden as the vice presidential candidate over SMS (short message service) text-message in August? If it was, the cutting-edge “attempt,” was scooped by the mass media and it ended up as a breaking news story before the campaign scrambled to send the text-message to supporters at around three o’clock in the morning.
Nielsen estimates that the Biden text was received by 2.9 million mobile phone users in the U.S. over the course of that weekend. Whether or not the text-message was able to beat cable news to the punch, Nielsen still reports that it was one of the biggest and broadest mobile marketing events to date.
New mainstream medium The Biden announcement over texting is a highly-visible example of something called short-code marketing—marketing messages that are sent over text-message through a Common Short Code (CSC), or short code. A short code is essentially an abbreviated phone number used for text- (SMS) and multimedia- (MMS) messaging.
Nielsen estimates that the Biden text was received by 2.9 million mobile phone users in the U.S. over the course of that weekend. Whether or not the text-message was able to beat cable news to the punch, Nielsen still reports that it was one of the biggest and broadest mobile marketing events to date.
New mainstream medium The Biden announcement over texting is a highly-visible example of something called short-code marketing—marketing messages that are sent over text-message through a Common Short Code (CSC), or short code. A short code is essentially an abbreviated phone number used for text- (SMS) and multimedia- (MMS) messaging.
Today, short codes are being used to market everything from TV shows and cars to soda, deodorant and dozens of other goods and services. In the past two years, the medium has become a mainstream marketing vehicle—so much so that Obama’s use of the medium yielded not just buzz, but also a large and engaged audience for the Biden announcement.
Flying fingers In the U.S. today, about 200 million of the 259 million wireless subscriber lines subscribe to or purchase text-message capability. Of these, 138 million (or 53% of all mobile subscribers) use text-messaging on a regular basis. In fact, text-messaging has become so pervasive that U.S. mobile subscribers now send and receive more text-messages in a month than they do phone calls.
Flying fingers In the U.S. today, about 200 million of the 259 million wireless subscriber lines subscribe to or purchase text-message capability. Of these, 138 million (or 53% of all mobile subscribers) use text-messaging on a regular basis. In fact, text-messaging has become so pervasive that U.S. mobile subscribers now send and receive more text-messages in a month than they do phone calls.
Nielsen recently reported that as of Q2 2008, mobile subscribers sent or received an average of 357 text-messages per month, compared with 204 phone calls. And while the average number of text-messages sent or received has increased 351% (from 79 text-messages sent or received last year), good old fashioned phone calls have not become less popular—that average has stayed fairly consistent over the past two years (from 216, on average, in Q2 2006). Not surprisingly, teenagers average the greatest number of text-messages sent or received, at 1,742 messages per month in Q2 2008.
Text-messaging is embedded in the American communications lifestyle. For that matter, texting has been an important part of the mobile experience internationally as well. Nielsen’s most recent estimates for text-message use in 11 countries show that, while 53% of American mobile subscribers send text messages each month, texting is even more ubiquitous in countries such as Italy and China. Given the immense popularity of texting in the U.S. and abroad, it’s not surprising that marketers have been ramping up their use of the medium to engage their customers.Cracking the code In the U.S., short codes are administered by the Common Short Code Administration (CSCA), a service of CTIA – the Wireless Association, a trade group for the wireless industry. Short codes come in the form of either vanity codes, or random digit codes. While vanity codes are more expensive to lease, they are increasingly discouraged due to the expanding prevalence of cellular smartphones with QWERTY keypads (the most common keyboard layout on English-language computer), which can make it difficult for users to identify the vanity’s number to dial.
Marketers have used short-code marketing in a tight, but creative range of ways: from simple information messaging, to rewards programming, to couponing and even direct SMS purchasing. Tracking the audiences of short codes through the world’s largest telecommunications bill panel, Nielsen tracks all billing activity, including text-messages sent and received, applications and games downloaded, and other aspects of a subscriber’s billed mobile use for AT&T and Verizon Wireless.
Coca-Cola has engaged in some of the most prominent short-code marketing in the past year. As of Q2 2008, about one million AT&T and Verizon Wireless customers were actively text-messaging with Coca-Cola as part of their “My Coke Rewards” program.
Through “My Coke Rewards”, Coca-Cola customers collect unique codes found on various Coca-Cola products and enter them into an account they’ve registered at mycokerewards.com. Points are collected and redeemed for rewards. The mobile component of the program allows consumers to enter the codes over their mobile phone, on the go. According to Nielsen, Coca-Cola’s mobile users typically send about nine messages a month to Coca-Cola.
And short-code marketing is not just for kids and teens. In the Coca-Cola program, half of users were 35 or older. That age diversity is not unique to Coca-Cola, either. Overall, 57% of the standard rate short codes are sent by persons over the age of 35. For an audience accustomed to traditional channels of marketing, the opportunity to engage with brands in a new way is proving to be a welcomed experience.
Profitable returnsRewards programs are not the only way to use short-code marketing—direct couponing has proven to be a lucrative venture as well. A group of Ashley Furniture Homestores in the Carolinas bolstered sales during a slow time this summer when they sent 6,000 text-message coupons to existing customers. Billed as a four-day “secret sale,” the local chain of eight stores also sent nearly 29,000 e-mails to the general public. The text-messages ended up paying off. Almost two-thirds (63%) of the revenue generated from the sale was attributed to the SMS coupon. The group further estimated that for every $1 spent in executing the text-message campaign, $122 was generated in revenue.
Subway, Arby’s, Jiffy Lube, BestBuy, Papa Johns, Village Inn and other major brands have also provided special offers through text- and multimedia-messaging. For most brands, mobile coupons have been delivered through text-message as codes that are manually entered by a cashier. Alternatively, brands may also use multimedia-messaging (picture/video-messaging) to send barcode coupons that can be scanned as a traditional paper coupon might.
Active audience Short codes are changing the way viewers engage with traditional media as well. “American Idol” is arguably the most prolific example of viewers engaging with a TV program over text-messaging. In participation TV, viewers vote for contestants, play along at home or get additional information around a television program over SMS text-messaging. Already millions of mobile subscribers, in the U.S. and abroad, are participating with their favorite TV shows over text-messaging—some at standard rates and others paying a premium for the opportunity to vote or enter sweepstakes.
Increasingly, print and outdoor media are also employing text-messaging to engage readers. The most interesting case may be with two startups: ShopText and SnapTell, who work with publications to embed SMS interactivity into publications. While ShopText uses straight text-messaging and keywords to allow readers to request information, coupons and samples, SnapTell uses a multimedia-messaging approach to allow users to take a picture of a print advertisement, using their phone (Nielsen reports that 73% of U.S. mobile subscribers had a picture phone as of Q2 2008) in order to receive information, discounts or even free samples.
Of those texters who recall seeing some form of advertising while using text-messaging, 45% say they have responded in some way. And the most popular response to any type of mobile advertising (text, video, Internet, etc.) —s ending another text-message. Fully one-quarter of responders sent another text-message—emphasizing the interactivity and engagement this medium presents.
Connection protection As text-messaging further expands in the U.S., so too will the opportunity to engage with customers over this highly personal and interactive medium. While consumers today may look at every text-message they receive, over-exposure to mobile text ads or sloppy targeting techniques could contaminate marketer’s ability to effectively connect with consumers.
As marketers consider this new medium, they should look at SMS and see an opportunity to engage with their core customer base in a new and unique fashion. Short-code marketing has all the potential of a mass medium in terms of reach, but requires a very personal execution. Perhaps more than any other advertising medium today, text-based marketing is as simple as a conversation.
-Nielsen, Nov. 2008
Profitable returnsRewards programs are not the only way to use short-code marketing—direct couponing has proven to be a lucrative venture as well. A group of Ashley Furniture Homestores in the Carolinas bolstered sales during a slow time this summer when they sent 6,000 text-message coupons to existing customers. Billed as a four-day “secret sale,” the local chain of eight stores also sent nearly 29,000 e-mails to the general public. The text-messages ended up paying off. Almost two-thirds (63%) of the revenue generated from the sale was attributed to the SMS coupon. The group further estimated that for every $1 spent in executing the text-message campaign, $122 was generated in revenue.
Subway, Arby’s, Jiffy Lube, BestBuy, Papa Johns, Village Inn and other major brands have also provided special offers through text- and multimedia-messaging. For most brands, mobile coupons have been delivered through text-message as codes that are manually entered by a cashier. Alternatively, brands may also use multimedia-messaging (picture/video-messaging) to send barcode coupons that can be scanned as a traditional paper coupon might.
Active audience Short codes are changing the way viewers engage with traditional media as well. “American Idol” is arguably the most prolific example of viewers engaging with a TV program over text-messaging. In participation TV, viewers vote for contestants, play along at home or get additional information around a television program over SMS text-messaging. Already millions of mobile subscribers, in the U.S. and abroad, are participating with their favorite TV shows over text-messaging—some at standard rates and others paying a premium for the opportunity to vote or enter sweepstakes.
Increasingly, print and outdoor media are also employing text-messaging to engage readers. The most interesting case may be with two startups: ShopText and SnapTell, who work with publications to embed SMS interactivity into publications. While ShopText uses straight text-messaging and keywords to allow readers to request information, coupons and samples, SnapTell uses a multimedia-messaging approach to allow users to take a picture of a print advertisement, using their phone (Nielsen reports that 73% of U.S. mobile subscribers had a picture phone as of Q2 2008) in order to receive information, discounts or even free samples.
Total recall So what affect does short-code marketing have on consumers? According to Nielsen, in Q2 2008, 16% of texters in the U.S. see some form of text-message advertising each month. Not surprisingly, teens are the most likely to engage with short-code marketing—35% see some form of text-message advertising in the course of a month. African-American and Hispanic mobile subscribers are also more likely than the average texter to engage with some form of text-message advertising in a month, at 24% and 23% respectively.
Of those texters who recall seeing some form of advertising while using text-messaging, 45% say they have responded in some way. And the most popular response to any type of mobile advertising (text, video, Internet, etc.) —s ending another text-message. Fully one-quarter of responders sent another text-message—emphasizing the interactivity and engagement this medium presents.Connection protection As text-messaging further expands in the U.S., so too will the opportunity to engage with customers over this highly personal and interactive medium. While consumers today may look at every text-message they receive, over-exposure to mobile text ads or sloppy targeting techniques could contaminate marketer’s ability to effectively connect with consumers.
As marketers consider this new medium, they should look at SMS and see an opportunity to engage with their core customer base in a new and unique fashion. Short-code marketing has all the potential of a mass medium in terms of reach, but requires a very personal execution. Perhaps more than any other advertising medium today, text-based marketing is as simple as a conversation.
-Nielsen, Nov. 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Win Free Clint Black Tickets!
The RiverPark Center has teamed up with Agent511 to offer you updates on upcoming events and special promotions sent right to your cell phone! The RiverPark will also be using text messaging for contests! Sign up for Riverpark textblasts at http://www.riverparkcenter.org/riverpark_signup/riverpark-textblast-signup.htm. You will then be automatically entered to win a pair of Clint Black tickets. How will you know if you won? You'll receive a text message telling you that you're going for free to one of the biggest shows to coming to Owensboro!YMCA-Keeping You Healthy Through Text!
Want to get a jump on this year's New Year's Resolution? Light exercise for just 30 minutes a day is proven to improve health and lengthen your life. Owensboro's Family YMCA is ready to keep you motivated and in good health using text messaging to notify it's members and non-members of important schedule changes, class signups, upcoming races and events, discounts on membership, and inspirational messages. To sign up for text blasts from the YMCA visit http://www.owensboroymca.org
Kentucky Bisons Basketball Team - Text Contesting at the Sportscenter!
Have you joined the stampede? The Kentucky Bisons have added text message updates to keep you informed of the latest updates, giveaways, and scores for Owensboro's newest ABA team! The Bisons will have "text contests" during home games to give away free merchandise, tickets, and much more to texters who participate in the contests. A truly interactive fan experience!Click here to sign up for final scores and Kentucky Bisons breaking information right to your cell phone!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Casinos now Using Text Messaging
...Good to know that we are on the right track - we have talked to some casinos/concert halls about utilizing text messaging into their marketing mix - ANG
Harrah's casino uses mobile to promote concert series
By Mickey Alam Khan
June 6, 2008
Placing bets on mobile
Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel in Iowa is running a pilot program using mobile marketing to promote this year’s Stir Concert series.
The casino company picked a mobile marketing platform to reach concertgoers with information and reminders on new shows, as well as register them for discounts and promotions via text messaging. It will also be able to send and track mobile coupons, host contests and enable voting through text messaging.
“Harrah’s Council Bluffs was looking for a direct, energetic, real-time marketing channel to reach prospective Stir concertgoers and attendees with promotions, information, contests and other deals that ultimately would enhance customer relationships and involvement for a bottom-line revenue increase,” said Jamie Buelt, partner.
“We have designed and built a scalable mobile marketing platform that marries technology with effective direct marketing strategy,” she said. “The platform is easy to use and integrate into the casino’s marketing mix. In this case, the texting program is directed at concertgoers and isn’t tied to the property’s player club program.”
Harrah’s Council Bluffs is just across the river from Omaha, NE. Nebraska doesn’t allow gambling.
Red-carpet treatment for concertgoers
This is one of three Harrah’s texting trials underway. The Council Bluffs’ effort revolves around non-gaming entertainment at the property.
“For this program, the target audience is concertgoers, many of whom are not part of Harrah’s player club program,” Ms. Buelt said. “This program builds communication around non-gaming, entertainment events.”
Text works in concert
The mobile program kicked off last month with the first concert featuring the Styx rock band. Thirty additional concerts are planned through October.
Consumers can opt in or text Harrah’s with a keyword to get information or promotions. Harrah’s, one of the nation’s better known database marketers, makes sure these consumers double opt-in to confirm that they want to be on the list.
So consumers could text Styx to the 72466 short code for the Styx show to participate in a contest to meet the band backstage. Those who texted replied with Y to confirm that they wanted the information they sought.
While the winner got to meet the band, other contestants received something to keep them happy, such as a mobile coupon for a two-for-one buffet at the casino and hotel.
The platform allows messages to be scheduled over several months. Users not only control message content, but also can also add contests and promotions at the last minute.
In addition to list-building and messaging, the platform allows for immediate review of campaign results as well as the collection and categorization of demographic information.
Harrah’s personnel were trained on the system that is administered through a secure Web site.
"Harrah's provides best-practice techniques for building lists, which includes getting concert and wait staff involved and incorporating the invitation to be on text message list into other channels including print, billboard, radio, television, direct marketing, email and other collateral,” Ms. Buelt said.
Also, Harrah’s can segment by opt-in channels such as collateral, radio or the Internet, and via promotions including win free tickets or meet the band.
Harrah’s typically relies on its loyalty card and direct and interactive marketing overtures to encourage repeat visits to its casinos and gaming tables. Its cards help track hotel guests spending and playing habits and thus tailor offers that likely might resonate.
Text is new territory for the world’s leading casino owner and operator, whose brands include Harrah’s, Caesars and Horseshoe. The corporate parent operates under the Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. name.
“Texting, more than any other channel, reaches not just the customer, but the customer who has expressly asked you to contact them,” Ms. Buelt said.
“More people own mobile phones than own computers,” she said. “Typically, people have three things with them when they leave the house – their keys, wallet and cell phone. Texting has moved beyond being a pastime of only adolescents and twenty-somethings. In fact the fastest-growing segment of texters is women over 40.
“In contrast to email, print, direct mail and telemarketing, mobile marketing reaches people where they are 24/7. Moreover, since carriers impose strict standards on spam, people only give their mobile number to people or companies with whom they truly want to communicate. Texting is immediate, permission-based, energetic and effective.”
Harrah's casino uses mobile to promote concert series
By Mickey Alam Khan
June 6, 2008
Placing bets on mobile
Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel in Iowa is running a pilot program using mobile marketing to promote this year’s Stir Concert series.
The casino company picked a mobile marketing platform to reach concertgoers with information and reminders on new shows, as well as register them for discounts and promotions via text messaging. It will also be able to send and track mobile coupons, host contests and enable voting through text messaging.
“Harrah’s Council Bluffs was looking for a direct, energetic, real-time marketing channel to reach prospective Stir concertgoers and attendees with promotions, information, contests and other deals that ultimately would enhance customer relationships and involvement for a bottom-line revenue increase,” said Jamie Buelt, partner.
“We have designed and built a scalable mobile marketing platform that marries technology with effective direct marketing strategy,” she said. “The platform is easy to use and integrate into the casino’s marketing mix. In this case, the texting program is directed at concertgoers and isn’t tied to the property’s player club program.”
Harrah’s Council Bluffs is just across the river from Omaha, NE. Nebraska doesn’t allow gambling.
Red-carpet treatment for concertgoers
This is one of three Harrah’s texting trials underway. The Council Bluffs’ effort revolves around non-gaming entertainment at the property.
“For this program, the target audience is concertgoers, many of whom are not part of Harrah’s player club program,” Ms. Buelt said. “This program builds communication around non-gaming, entertainment events.”
Text works in concert
The mobile program kicked off last month with the first concert featuring the Styx rock band. Thirty additional concerts are planned through October.
Consumers can opt in or text Harrah’s with a keyword to get information or promotions. Harrah’s, one of the nation’s better known database marketers, makes sure these consumers double opt-in to confirm that they want to be on the list.
So consumers could text Styx to the 72466 short code for the Styx show to participate in a contest to meet the band backstage. Those who texted replied with Y to confirm that they wanted the information they sought.
While the winner got to meet the band, other contestants received something to keep them happy, such as a mobile coupon for a two-for-one buffet at the casino and hotel.
The platform allows messages to be scheduled over several months. Users not only control message content, but also can also add contests and promotions at the last minute.
In addition to list-building and messaging, the platform allows for immediate review of campaign results as well as the collection and categorization of demographic information.
Harrah’s personnel were trained on the system that is administered through a secure Web site.
"Harrah's provides best-practice techniques for building lists, which includes getting concert and wait staff involved and incorporating the invitation to be on text message list into other channels including print, billboard, radio, television, direct marketing, email and other collateral,” Ms. Buelt said.
Also, Harrah’s can segment by opt-in channels such as collateral, radio or the Internet, and via promotions including win free tickets or meet the band.
Harrah’s typically relies on its loyalty card and direct and interactive marketing overtures to encourage repeat visits to its casinos and gaming tables. Its cards help track hotel guests spending and playing habits and thus tailor offers that likely might resonate.
Text is new territory for the world’s leading casino owner and operator, whose brands include Harrah’s, Caesars and Horseshoe. The corporate parent operates under the Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. name.
“Texting, more than any other channel, reaches not just the customer, but the customer who has expressly asked you to contact them,” Ms. Buelt said.
“More people own mobile phones than own computers,” she said. “Typically, people have three things with them when they leave the house – their keys, wallet and cell phone. Texting has moved beyond being a pastime of only adolescents and twenty-somethings. In fact the fastest-growing segment of texters is women over 40.
“In contrast to email, print, direct mail and telemarketing, mobile marketing reaches people where they are 24/7. Moreover, since carriers impose strict standards on spam, people only give their mobile number to people or companies with whom they truly want to communicate. Texting is immediate, permission-based, energetic and effective.”
Text Messaging at Lollapalooza and Concerts Everywhere!
Agent511 does all of this! - exciting times :) - ANG
August 15, 2007
They’ve Just Got to Get a Message to You
By JEFF LEEDS
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 14 — As a teenage rock fan, all Dennis Vorreyer really expected of the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago two weekends ago was the chance to see his favorite bands perform live.
But he and his father, Jeffrey, who accompanied him to the festival, signed up for Lollapalooza’s text-message network, and thus learned about a guitar-playing contest taking place there. Dennis, 14, entered and won a new Gibson guitar. Tad Kubler, the lead guitarist for the Hold Steady, who was involved in the contest, then invited Dennis to perform with the band as it closed its set.
“Having your cellphone everywhere is important for everybody now,” Dennis said. “I never dreamed of playing Lollapalooza.”
The modern mobile phone — equipped with camera, Internet access and more — has proved to be a liability for some performers, like Akon and Beyoncé, whose regrettable moments were captured by fans and then immortalized on YouTube and similar sites. But for the fans themselves, mobile phones are becoming as important an accessory as an all-access wristband. Beyond using them to record a short souvenir, they are becoming a ticket to everything from free ringtones to V.I.P. treatment.
On Gwen Stefani’s recent tour, as many as 20 percent of the audience at some shows agreed to pay 99 cents for text messages and the chance to win better seats, according to the mobile marketing company Impact Mobile. At festivals like Lollapalooza, thousands of fans sign up to receive continuous updates from concert organizers about promotions and special events.
Even when there is no fee, the service comes at a price: fans must give their phone numbers to marketers. And purists — and some artists — disapprove of fans pecking out text messages or snapping pictures during performances. Still, the arrival of a new generation of phone-based activities could add a new twist to live events at a time when rising ticket prices have discouraged many concertgoers.
Prince recently invited fans at a Minneapolis show to send text messages to his Web site so that everyone else could read about what they were missing. (“show just ended. I have never sweat more in my entire life,” read one message posted at 4:03 a.m.)
On the Family Values hard-rock package tour, the band Korn has allowed concertgoers to vote by phone on which song should end the show. For $1.99, they can also enter a contest to win an expense-paid trip to a coming show in California. Fergie devotees who attended her recent shows could dance against a special-effects “green screen” to create a video in which they appeared with her. The resulting clip was sent to their cellphones.
The introduction of more interactive features highlights how musicians — and the marketers who surround them — are trying to establish connections that continue long after a fan leaves a concert. Mathew Knowles, the manager (and father) of Beyoncé, said he expected to use the thousands of phone numbers collected on her current tour to pitch a variety of products, including a Beyoncé-themed phone.
“It allows us to have that continuing dialogue and communication via the cellphone. That’s the bigger piece of the puzzle,” Mr. Knowles said. “I love the fact that all of those phones are up in the air. They want to be able to experience it after they leave. That’s a beautiful thing to me.”
Some warn that concerts could quickly open a new channel for marketers to send junk mail to cellphones. “You can see this getting out of hand,” said Les Borsai, an artist manager and co-owner of Modern Mobile Marketing, one of the companies that run text promotions. But the phone information “is the most sacred piece we have. I don’t want to go and get this data and sell it to Kmart. What you want to do is build trust with the consumer.”
So far, the money generated from paid, or “premium,” text-messaging events represents a fraction of a tour’s overall revenue. Marketers say that even popular music acts might ring up only $100,000 a tour. But the possibility of a new revenue stream has already touched off squabbles among concert promoters, sponsors and artists over who keeps most of the money — and the phone-number registries — that these promotions generate. Spread over several tours, the dollars could make a difference.
Perry Farrell, the former Jane’s Addiction singer who was a founder of Lollapalooza, said he had heard the complaint that armies of phone-toting fans are spoiling live performances. But he said musicians who gripe about that were missing the point.
“The cellphone is here,” he said. “You can choose to ignore it, you can grump at it, or you can say, ‘How can I take this amazing invention, how can I apply this and make my festival, and my life, more exciting?’ ”
August 15, 2007
They’ve Just Got to Get a Message to You
By JEFF LEEDS
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 14 — As a teenage rock fan, all Dennis Vorreyer really expected of the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago two weekends ago was the chance to see his favorite bands perform live.
But he and his father, Jeffrey, who accompanied him to the festival, signed up for Lollapalooza’s text-message network, and thus learned about a guitar-playing contest taking place there. Dennis, 14, entered and won a new Gibson guitar. Tad Kubler, the lead guitarist for the Hold Steady, who was involved in the contest, then invited Dennis to perform with the band as it closed its set.
“Having your cellphone everywhere is important for everybody now,” Dennis said. “I never dreamed of playing Lollapalooza.”
The modern mobile phone — equipped with camera, Internet access and more — has proved to be a liability for some performers, like Akon and Beyoncé, whose regrettable moments were captured by fans and then immortalized on YouTube and similar sites. But for the fans themselves, mobile phones are becoming as important an accessory as an all-access wristband. Beyond using them to record a short souvenir, they are becoming a ticket to everything from free ringtones to V.I.P. treatment.
On Gwen Stefani’s recent tour, as many as 20 percent of the audience at some shows agreed to pay 99 cents for text messages and the chance to win better seats, according to the mobile marketing company Impact Mobile. At festivals like Lollapalooza, thousands of fans sign up to receive continuous updates from concert organizers about promotions and special events.
Even when there is no fee, the service comes at a price: fans must give their phone numbers to marketers. And purists — and some artists — disapprove of fans pecking out text messages or snapping pictures during performances. Still, the arrival of a new generation of phone-based activities could add a new twist to live events at a time when rising ticket prices have discouraged many concertgoers.
Prince recently invited fans at a Minneapolis show to send text messages to his Web site so that everyone else could read about what they were missing. (“show just ended. I have never sweat more in my entire life,” read one message posted at 4:03 a.m.)
On the Family Values hard-rock package tour, the band Korn has allowed concertgoers to vote by phone on which song should end the show. For $1.99, they can also enter a contest to win an expense-paid trip to a coming show in California. Fergie devotees who attended her recent shows could dance against a special-effects “green screen” to create a video in which they appeared with her. The resulting clip was sent to their cellphones.
The introduction of more interactive features highlights how musicians — and the marketers who surround them — are trying to establish connections that continue long after a fan leaves a concert. Mathew Knowles, the manager (and father) of Beyoncé, said he expected to use the thousands of phone numbers collected on her current tour to pitch a variety of products, including a Beyoncé-themed phone.
“It allows us to have that continuing dialogue and communication via the cellphone. That’s the bigger piece of the puzzle,” Mr. Knowles said. “I love the fact that all of those phones are up in the air. They want to be able to experience it after they leave. That’s a beautiful thing to me.”
Some warn that concerts could quickly open a new channel for marketers to send junk mail to cellphones. “You can see this getting out of hand,” said Les Borsai, an artist manager and co-owner of Modern Mobile Marketing, one of the companies that run text promotions. But the phone information “is the most sacred piece we have. I don’t want to go and get this data and sell it to Kmart. What you want to do is build trust with the consumer.”
So far, the money generated from paid, or “premium,” text-messaging events represents a fraction of a tour’s overall revenue. Marketers say that even popular music acts might ring up only $100,000 a tour. But the possibility of a new revenue stream has already touched off squabbles among concert promoters, sponsors and artists over who keeps most of the money — and the phone-number registries — that these promotions generate. Spread over several tours, the dollars could make a difference.
Perry Farrell, the former Jane’s Addiction singer who was a founder of Lollapalooza, said he had heard the complaint that armies of phone-toting fans are spoiling live performances. But he said musicians who gripe about that were missing the point.
“The cellphone is here,” he said. “You can choose to ignore it, you can grump at it, or you can say, ‘How can I take this amazing invention, how can I apply this and make my festival, and my life, more exciting?’ ”
Friday, November 7, 2008
Agent511 Launches New Website!
Agent511 launched our new website last Friday. On the new website you can sign up for text blasts, join our mailing list, and find relevant news regarding our company and current trends in the industry. The new website is even easier to navigate than our previous version and it also offers everything you need to know about the latest developments in our company and our services. To visit the new website, click here.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Timberland settles text spam lawsuit
Agent511 is spam-free and committed to opt-in text messaging only :) - ANG
September 23, 2008 — 10:06am ET | By Jason Ankeny
Footwear and clothing manufacturer Timberland has agreed to reimburse consumers for unauthorized text messages advertising its products. Timberland and e-commerce provider GSI will pay $7 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging the firms with violating the U.S. Telephone Consumer Protection Act--according to KamberEdelson LLC, one of the law firms that helped bring the suit, the settlement is earmarked for a cash fund to reimburse mobile subscribers who received the text ads.
A website has been established to offer consumers more information on the settlement as well as details on applying for a reimbursement. Both Timberland and GSI deny any wrongdoing, blaming the unsolicited texts on a third-party firm that failed to secure consumer consent for the messaging campaign.
September 23, 2008 — 10:06am ET | By Jason Ankeny
Footwear and clothing manufacturer Timberland has agreed to reimburse consumers for unauthorized text messages advertising its products. Timberland and e-commerce provider GSI will pay $7 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging the firms with violating the U.S. Telephone Consumer Protection Act--according to KamberEdelson LLC, one of the law firms that helped bring the suit, the settlement is earmarked for a cash fund to reimburse mobile subscribers who received the text ads.
A website has been established to offer consumers more information on the settlement as well as details on applying for a reimbursement. Both Timberland and GSI deny any wrongdoing, blaming the unsolicited texts on a third-party firm that failed to secure consumer consent for the messaging campaign.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Obama/McCain and the Importantance of Mobile Technology
The 2008 presidential race: A baseline for the future of wireless campaigns
Gary E. Salazar
Story posted: November 3, 2008 - 12:40 pm EDT
This year’s presidential election is significant in more ways than one: It marks the year that text messaging and the mobile Web became political battlegrounds, and serves as a benchmark in the amount of money spent on wireless efforts.
Not surprisingly, the juggernaut that is Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has broken much of the new ground, likely due to the operation’s record-breaking fund-raising. Obama’s campaign has used text messaging and a mobile Web site in its new-media platform to reach potential voters. Sen. John McCain’s camp didn’t use text messaging or other wireless technologies to reach the electorate.
“Will text messaging win Obama the election? Absolutely not,” said Evan Tracey, COO of Campaign Media Analysis Group, which has been tracking political spending since 1996. “If nothing else it is a symbolic gesture to young voters that he gets them. It gives him street cred.”
In the future, though, politicians will not be able to ignore wireless technology during election season, Tracey said. The Obama campaign has laid the foundation for wireless technology to be part of political campaigns.
“Wireless will be part of political campaign plans,” he said. “After this election, there will be studies of how it was won, and I am sure the text messaging aspect will be examined.”
Indeed, according to a report from J.D. Powers and Associates, 27% of wireless customers have replaced their traditional telephone with wireless service. Of this group, 61% report they have completely disconnected their landline service. And a large portion of those users are text-savvy; according to mid-year figures by industry association CTIA, 75 billion text messages are sent every month.
Further, reaching Baby Boomers and their children is an important demographic of the voting populace that will be key in this and future elections, Tracey noted. “Those two generations consume media in different ways,” he said.
The older generation is much more inclined to get their information from newspapers and television, while their kids can be reached through the Internet and through wireless technology.
Such thinking is borne out by numbers from J.D. Powers, which found 29% of wireless users 18 and 24 years old solely rely on wireless service for communications, compared with just 9% of customers 65 and older.
Tracey said Obama also could afford to venture into wireless technology.
“He has the money to do these things,” he said. “He has the money to try just about anything.”
Indeed, Obama is on pace to spend the most money ever in a presidential campaign. As of Oct 15, Obama had spent $573 million, with $65 million still left in his war chest, according to campaign finance reports. McCain has spent $260 million, with $25 million left on hand. The amounts are expected to increase as both campaigns have yet to report the full amount of cash raised and spent up until Election Day.
Mobile marketing costs
As for Obama’s mobile marketing efforts, his campaign hired Distributive Networks to handle the text-message campaign. The Beltway startup has been paid $230,000 since the company was hired last July, according to campaign finance reports. The company has declined to say how many text messages have been sent since the company was hired last year.
The Obama campaign’s use of text messaging has been well documented. Numerous messages have been sent to those who signed up online or by sending a text message to Obama’s shortcode, 62262. The campaign created a buzz when it announced Obama’s vice presidential choice would be unveiled via a text message in August. However, Obama’s choice of Sen. Joe Biden was first reported by the Associated Press.
Text messages have been sent from Obama, his wife, Michelle Obama, Biden and various campaign staffers. In the messages, the campaign has tried to add a personal touch using the recipients name and the words “we” and “you” in describing the campaign’s efforts.
Recipients have also received text messages about where Obama stands on certain issues and to gather volunteers and supporters at scheduled events. The campaign also sent out text messages after each of the presidential debates and to respond to McCain attack ads. The campaign has also used the platform to raise money by asking for donations.
As for the mobile Web, in August the Obama campaign hired iLoop Mobile to launch a mobile Web site, m.barackobama.com, and the California firm has been paid $7,000, according to finance reports.
But even with Obama’s nod to wireless as a marketing medium, the campaign spent most of its ad dollars on TV, Tracey said. When all is said and done, Tracey expects for the amount of money spent on TV ads by the Obama campaign to climb to $250 million, which would exceed the record set by President George W. Bush in 2004, when his campaign spent $188 million.
Obama has also had a strong online advertising presence. The campaign has paid Google Inc. $4.5 million and Microsoft Corp. $393,000, according to campaign finance reports. McCain has paid Microsoft $45,000.
Communications costs
In total, Obama’s and McCain’s campaigns doled out $3.3 million to Verizon Communications Inc., Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility, U. S. Cellular Corp. and AT&T Inc., according to campaign finance reports filed by both candidates with the Federal Election Commission. Although neither campaign provided details on exactly what the expenses were for, the money likely went to communications.
Gary E. Salazar
Story posted: November 3, 2008 - 12:40 pm EDT
This year’s presidential election is significant in more ways than one: It marks the year that text messaging and the mobile Web became political battlegrounds, and serves as a benchmark in the amount of money spent on wireless efforts.
Not surprisingly, the juggernaut that is Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has broken much of the new ground, likely due to the operation’s record-breaking fund-raising. Obama’s campaign has used text messaging and a mobile Web site in its new-media platform to reach potential voters. Sen. John McCain’s camp didn’t use text messaging or other wireless technologies to reach the electorate.
“Will text messaging win Obama the election? Absolutely not,” said Evan Tracey, COO of Campaign Media Analysis Group, which has been tracking political spending since 1996. “If nothing else it is a symbolic gesture to young voters that he gets them. It gives him street cred.”
In the future, though, politicians will not be able to ignore wireless technology during election season, Tracey said. The Obama campaign has laid the foundation for wireless technology to be part of political campaigns.
“Wireless will be part of political campaign plans,” he said. “After this election, there will be studies of how it was won, and I am sure the text messaging aspect will be examined.”
Indeed, according to a report from J.D. Powers and Associates, 27% of wireless customers have replaced their traditional telephone with wireless service. Of this group, 61% report they have completely disconnected their landline service. And a large portion of those users are text-savvy; according to mid-year figures by industry association CTIA, 75 billion text messages are sent every month.
Further, reaching Baby Boomers and their children is an important demographic of the voting populace that will be key in this and future elections, Tracey noted. “Those two generations consume media in different ways,” he said.
The older generation is much more inclined to get their information from newspapers and television, while their kids can be reached through the Internet and through wireless technology.
Such thinking is borne out by numbers from J.D. Powers, which found 29% of wireless users 18 and 24 years old solely rely on wireless service for communications, compared with just 9% of customers 65 and older.
Tracey said Obama also could afford to venture into wireless technology.
“He has the money to do these things,” he said. “He has the money to try just about anything.”
Indeed, Obama is on pace to spend the most money ever in a presidential campaign. As of Oct 15, Obama had spent $573 million, with $65 million still left in his war chest, according to campaign finance reports. McCain has spent $260 million, with $25 million left on hand. The amounts are expected to increase as both campaigns have yet to report the full amount of cash raised and spent up until Election Day.
Mobile marketing costs
As for Obama’s mobile marketing efforts, his campaign hired Distributive Networks to handle the text-message campaign. The Beltway startup has been paid $230,000 since the company was hired last July, according to campaign finance reports. The company has declined to say how many text messages have been sent since the company was hired last year.
The Obama campaign’s use of text messaging has been well documented. Numerous messages have been sent to those who signed up online or by sending a text message to Obama’s shortcode, 62262. The campaign created a buzz when it announced Obama’s vice presidential choice would be unveiled via a text message in August. However, Obama’s choice of Sen. Joe Biden was first reported by the Associated Press.
Text messages have been sent from Obama, his wife, Michelle Obama, Biden and various campaign staffers. In the messages, the campaign has tried to add a personal touch using the recipients name and the words “we” and “you” in describing the campaign’s efforts.
Recipients have also received text messages about where Obama stands on certain issues and to gather volunteers and supporters at scheduled events. The campaign also sent out text messages after each of the presidential debates and to respond to McCain attack ads. The campaign has also used the platform to raise money by asking for donations.
As for the mobile Web, in August the Obama campaign hired iLoop Mobile to launch a mobile Web site, m.barackobama.com, and the California firm has been paid $7,000, according to finance reports.
But even with Obama’s nod to wireless as a marketing medium, the campaign spent most of its ad dollars on TV, Tracey said. When all is said and done, Tracey expects for the amount of money spent on TV ads by the Obama campaign to climb to $250 million, which would exceed the record set by President George W. Bush in 2004, when his campaign spent $188 million.
Obama has also had a strong online advertising presence. The campaign has paid Google Inc. $4.5 million and Microsoft Corp. $393,000, according to campaign finance reports. McCain has paid Microsoft $45,000.
Communications costs
In total, Obama’s and McCain’s campaigns doled out $3.3 million to Verizon Communications Inc., Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility, U. S. Cellular Corp. and AT&T Inc., according to campaign finance reports filed by both candidates with the Federal Election Commission. Although neither campaign provided details on exactly what the expenses were for, the money likely went to communications.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Agent 511 Donates Holiday World Tickets to Owensboro Faith Fellowship Youth Group
On September 13th the youth group of Owensboro Faith Fellowship attended Holiday World with a $240.00 worth of tickets donated by us. After the trip they made our office cards saying thank you and they had a wonderful time!
Today's Dining Deals
Here are the deals of the day for Tuesday September 30th!! You must show the coupon on your phone in order to redeem the discount at each restaurant.
You can also text OWB to 511511 to view all of the other information Agent511 has to offer.
OWB DINING DEALS
1. MTMikes- free potato boat
2. Genes-free chips w/sand.
3. Coldstone-$4 off pie
4. FamousBistro-15% off
5. BlindP-1/2 off app w/pur
You can also text OWB to 511511 to view all of the other information Agent511 has to offer.
OWB DINING DEALS
1. MTMikes- free potato boat
2. Genes-free chips w/sand.
3. Coldstone-$4 off pie
4. FamousBistro-15% off
5. BlindP-1/2 off app w/pur
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
How Obama Has Utilized Text Messaging
Commentary: Obama's high-tech edge in presidential politics
Story Highlights
By Leslie Sanchez
CNN Contributor
Editor's note: Republican Leslie Sanchez was director of the Bush White House Initiative on Hispanic Education from 2001 to 2003 and is the author of "Los Republicanos: Why Hispanics and Republicans Need Each Other." She is not a paid consultant to any current candidate. Sanchez is CEO of the Impacto Group, which specializes in market research about women and Hispanics for its corporate and nonprofit clients.
(CNN) -- In 1840, a young Whig organizer named Abraham Lincoln wrote the guidebook on political field work. His "confidential" circular advised Whig campaign operatives to "make a perfect list of all the voters and ascertain with certainty for whom they will vote."
Almost 170 years later, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's campaign is demonstrating the wisdom of Lincoln's counsel.
Computers have long since replaced the 3 by 5 cards that for generations were the stock-in-trade of precinct captains in both political parties -- green cards for voters who supported your candidate, red ones for those opposed and white cards for the undecided. Every campaign needed to persuade the white cards, get out the green cards on Election Day, and keep a close watch on turnout by the red cards.
Marrying creative marketing techniques with state-of-the-art technology, Obama has taken the voter identification process to lengths nobody could have anticipated just four years ago.
By choosing to announce his vice presidential running mate using text-messaging, Obama's campaign obtained the e-mail addresses, cell phone numbers and text addresses of untold millions of likely voters. The campaign still won't say how many voters they've added to their database, but you can bet these folks will receive periodic campaign updates, requests for donations and reminders to vote on November 4.
At Obama organizing meetings and events, volunteers collect information on where the participants live, their phone numbers, e-mail addresses and their text addresses.
Thursday night, Obama's virtual campaign took the process to the next step. It turned the Invesco Field speech into one big organizing tool. Doors opened at 1 p.m., hours before the speech, to allow the campaign to hold workshops on how to use text-messaging and the Internet to recruit friends and relatives as supporters.
They also have been determined in the way they have exploited this advantage thus far.
For example, Abe Adelaja, a Washington-based veteran of the Iraq war who signed up for Obama's campaign via a text message in anticipation of the vice presidential announcement, told me he has received six text messages since August 12.
In those messages, the campaign asked him to text back his ZIP code, his name and the town he lived in, to start spreading the word about Obama's activities and most recently, a call to donate at least $5 to the American Red Cross to aid Hurricane Gustav relief efforts.
What this means is that the Obama campaign has found a way to coax out a more detailed voter profile, which it can then use to mobilize voters in critical states on Election Day.
The technique has already been used to counter potentially unfavorable publicity about Obama. A text message sent to his supporters directed hundreds of phone calls to a Chicago radio show where host Stanley Kurtz, a conservative writer, was discussing possible ties between Obama and Bill Ayers.
Ayers was a 60's-era activist and former leader of the radical violent organization known as the Weathermen. Obama's campaign has condemned the acts of the group and pointed out Obama was 8 years old when Ayers and the Weathermen were active.
Zack Christenson, executive producer of the radio show, "Extension 720 with Milt Rosenberg," was quoted in a Chicago Tribune blog as saying, "This is the biggest response we've ever got from a campaign or a candidate. This is really unprecedented with the show, the way that people are flooding the calls and our e-mail boxes."
Obama's database grows exponentially day by day and will give Obama a critical asset in the last 60 days of the campaign. To date, the campaign of Republican candidate John McCain seems unable to match its power. It has launched a social networking node on its "McCain for President" Web site and is reaching out to younger voters through its "Generation 08" online initiative, but these efforts pale in comparison to what Obama has already accomplished.
In one of the most radical changes in the American lifestyle, people today don't leave home without checking to make sure they've brought their cell phones. There are more than 200 million cell phone users in the United States, making the potential for mobile phones as a campaign tool enormous and unprecedented.
The voters on Obama's cell phone, e-mail and text-messaging lists can be contacted instantly, wherever they are. This will allow him to stay ahead of negative news stories and in a close race, it might make all the difference.
Obama's virtual campaign may provide a particularly effective tool to make inroads among Hispanic voters where -- in the primaries at least -- he was perceived to be weak.
Hispanics have embraced mobile phones and services faster than any other group, representing the fastest-growing segment of the wireless market, with 52 percent of Hispanics saying they text in any given month, compared to just 28 percent of the general population, according to a mobile usage study by Solutions Research Group.
Time will tell just how effective Obama's virtual campaign will be.
One thing is already certain: Barack Obama has changed the way American politics is played.
Story Highlights
By Leslie Sanchez
CNN Contributor
Editor's note: Republican Leslie Sanchez was director of the Bush White House Initiative on Hispanic Education from 2001 to 2003 and is the author of "Los Republicanos: Why Hispanics and Republicans Need Each Other." She is not a paid consultant to any current candidate. Sanchez is CEO of the Impacto Group, which specializes in market research about women and Hispanics for its corporate and nonprofit clients.
(CNN) -- In 1840, a young Whig organizer named Abraham Lincoln wrote the guidebook on political field work. His "confidential" circular advised Whig campaign operatives to "make a perfect list of all the voters and ascertain with certainty for whom they will vote."
Almost 170 years later, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's campaign is demonstrating the wisdom of Lincoln's counsel.
Computers have long since replaced the 3 by 5 cards that for generations were the stock-in-trade of precinct captains in both political parties -- green cards for voters who supported your candidate, red ones for those opposed and white cards for the undecided. Every campaign needed to persuade the white cards, get out the green cards on Election Day, and keep a close watch on turnout by the red cards.
Marrying creative marketing techniques with state-of-the-art technology, Obama has taken the voter identification process to lengths nobody could have anticipated just four years ago.
By choosing to announce his vice presidential running mate using text-messaging, Obama's campaign obtained the e-mail addresses, cell phone numbers and text addresses of untold millions of likely voters. The campaign still won't say how many voters they've added to their database, but you can bet these folks will receive periodic campaign updates, requests for donations and reminders to vote on November 4.
At Obama organizing meetings and events, volunteers collect information on where the participants live, their phone numbers, e-mail addresses and their text addresses.
Thursday night, Obama's virtual campaign took the process to the next step. It turned the Invesco Field speech into one big organizing tool. Doors opened at 1 p.m., hours before the speech, to allow the campaign to hold workshops on how to use text-messaging and the Internet to recruit friends and relatives as supporters.
They also have been determined in the way they have exploited this advantage thus far.
For example, Abe Adelaja, a Washington-based veteran of the Iraq war who signed up for Obama's campaign via a text message in anticipation of the vice presidential announcement, told me he has received six text messages since August 12.
In those messages, the campaign asked him to text back his ZIP code, his name and the town he lived in, to start spreading the word about Obama's activities and most recently, a call to donate at least $5 to the American Red Cross to aid Hurricane Gustav relief efforts.
What this means is that the Obama campaign has found a way to coax out a more detailed voter profile, which it can then use to mobilize voters in critical states on Election Day.
The technique has already been used to counter potentially unfavorable publicity about Obama. A text message sent to his supporters directed hundreds of phone calls to a Chicago radio show where host Stanley Kurtz, a conservative writer, was discussing possible ties between Obama and Bill Ayers.
Ayers was a 60's-era activist and former leader of the radical violent organization known as the Weathermen. Obama's campaign has condemned the acts of the group and pointed out Obama was 8 years old when Ayers and the Weathermen were active.
Zack Christenson, executive producer of the radio show, "Extension 720 with Milt Rosenberg," was quoted in a Chicago Tribune blog as saying, "This is the biggest response we've ever got from a campaign or a candidate. This is really unprecedented with the show, the way that people are flooding the calls and our e-mail boxes."
Obama's database grows exponentially day by day and will give Obama a critical asset in the last 60 days of the campaign. To date, the campaign of Republican candidate John McCain seems unable to match its power. It has launched a social networking node on its "McCain for President" Web site and is reaching out to younger voters through its "Generation 08" online initiative, but these efforts pale in comparison to what Obama has already accomplished.
In one of the most radical changes in the American lifestyle, people today don't leave home without checking to make sure they've brought their cell phones. There are more than 200 million cell phone users in the United States, making the potential for mobile phones as a campaign tool enormous and unprecedented.
The voters on Obama's cell phone, e-mail and text-messaging lists can be contacted instantly, wherever they are. This will allow him to stay ahead of negative news stories and in a close race, it might make all the difference.
Obama's virtual campaign may provide a particularly effective tool to make inroads among Hispanic voters where -- in the primaries at least -- he was perceived to be weak.
Hispanics have embraced mobile phones and services faster than any other group, representing the fastest-growing segment of the wireless market, with 52 percent of Hispanics saying they text in any given month, compared to just 28 percent of the general population, according to a mobile usage study by Solutions Research Group.
Time will tell just how effective Obama's virtual campaign will be.
One thing is already certain: Barack Obama has changed the way American politics is played.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Karan Goel visits Agent511, Owensboro.
Youth forms online ACT prep business
8/15/2008
By Joy Campbell
Messenger-Inquirer
Karan Goel, a colleague of local entrepreneur Ankur Gopal, said Thursday he will launch an online education/ACT and SAT prep business in Kentucky today.
Goel, 23, was in Owensboro Thursday meeting with school district officials to explore possible collaborations, he said.
"We want to see if we can collaborate and help them with their students," Goel said in a phone interview. "We hope schools will see the value of the program.
So far, 43,000 students have used Goel's PrepMe product and have seen an average three-point increase in their ACT scores.
But he sees it as more than an ACT-prep test.
"Typical products focus on little tricks to help students improve their scores, and that has value," Goel said. "I compare that to giving someone who is running a marathon a new pair of sneakers. That would help some, but we all know that you must improve your running by building strength and working on your skills."
The PrepMe online offerings teach students to build their skills and reinforce key academic areas, he said.
"Students will be more prepared for college generally and not just do better on the test," he said. "It's customized for every student."
Goel plans to announce a partnership with the Kentucky Governor's Scholars Program today.
With the help of sponsors who buy the program, PrepMe will be available free for Governor's Scholars.
Monday, August 18, 2008
KWC Registration
Agent511 will be at Kentucky Wesleyan College's freshman and upper-class registration this Thursday and Friday. We are glad to be able to welcome the class of 2012 as well as all other returning students at KWC. We will be giving away gift-certificates to local restaurants as well as T-shirts for students that sign up to receive TextBlasts.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Agent511 at Atlantis
Agent511 was at Atlantis on August 5 promoting our free TextBlast service and helping people subscribe. All in all, it was a successful and enjoyable day. We even had the chance to spend a bit of time in the pool!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
AGENT511 & DON MOORE
We are excited to announce our partnership with Don Moore! We bring to you the cheapest deals in town on a used vehicle at the Don Moore Hyundai Auto Mall (located in front of Target and TjMaxx). Visit Don Moore's Hyundai dealership and look for the sticker in the car window that displays a code to send to Agent511. Through our partnership with Don Moore, we are able to bring you, the consumer, the lowest possible price on an automobile!
So if you are looking to trade in your gas-guzzler or just upgrade your vehicle, Agent511 and Don Moore have you covered!
Save Money By Using These Hot Deals!
Here are the deals of the day for Wednesday August 6th!! You must show the coupon on your phone in order to redeem the discount at each restaurant.
Dining Deals:
1. Shogun-15 % off dinner
2. Genes- Free chips w/sand.
3. Creme-1 free cookie
4. MT Mike - Free onion ring
5. Pizza roma-Free App
Retail Deals:
1. Gene-20% of Sonnie 7
2. Moore $1,110 off 04 Titan
3. 24/7 car wash $1 off
4. Xango 10pct off order
5. Blossoms-20% off IT Jeans
Dining Deals:
1. Shogun-15 % off dinner
2. Genes- Free chips w/sand.
3. Creme-1 free cookie
4. MT Mike - Free onion ring
5. Pizza roma-Free App
Retail Deals:
1. Gene-20% of Sonnie 7
2. Moore $1,110 off 04 Titan
3. 24/7 car wash $1 off
4. Xango 10pct off order
5. Blossoms-20% off IT Jeans
Monday, August 4, 2008
FREE Giveaways at Atlantis Swim Club
Join Agent511 tomorrow, August 5th, at Atlantis Swim Club for a chance to win some great giveaways such as restaurant gift certificates and event tickets for the Owensboro MusicFest on September 6th! Simply stop by our booth and sign up to receive daily TextBlasts of your choice to be entered to win one of these prizes.
Friday, July 25, 2008
OWB GREEN
WE'RE GOING GREEN!
You can now text OWB GREEN to 511511 to receive a daily GREEN tip. Each day's GREEN tip informs you how to reduce your impact and pollution to the Earth.
You can also visit our website at owb511.com to receive daily updates of Owensboro weather, news, mobile dining coupons, health tips, and more!
Daniel Pitino Foundation
We are sending school supplies to the Daniel Pitino foundation to help out homeless and underprivileged children. The CYP is looking for other businesses in Owensboro to contribute to this great cause. You can contact the Owensboro Chamber of Commerce or the Daniel Pitino Shelter building.Text OWB MUSICFEST to 511511
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AGENT511 and DJ ANK G will be at the HUGE Music Fest on September 6th, 2008! Check out this flyer for more information.
TEXT OWB MUSICFEST to 511511 for contact information on this great event!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Agent511 @ GREENing Western Kentucky
Agent511 will be at the GREENing Western Kentucky Expo this Saturday, July 19th, at Brescia University. We offer many services that are "GREEN" such as paperless coupons and advertisements as well as the ability to do Text-Banking. These services can save a considerable amount of paper and are also very cost-effective for your business.
-Come check out how Agent511 can help your business become more "GREEN" and see all the other services we offer!
Newest Addition. OWB Movies.
We are proud to introduce OWB Movies. Just text in OWB Movies to receive the showtimes of the five most popular films out right now. It's just one more step in ensuring that you have the most relevant Owensboro info right in your pocket.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Agent511 launches on 97X!
We are proud to announce our partnership with 97X radio station! You can simply text 97X + your song request to 511511 and the DJ will receive your song request. (Ex: 97X Gimme 3 Steps!) 97X will also be doing contesting through text messaging, so be sure to tune in your radio to 97.1 FM for a chance to win some great prizes and hear your song requests played!
Monday, July 14, 2008
OWB HEALTH
Agent511 now offers a Daily Health Tip provided by Gene's Health Food by texting OWB HEALTH to 511511. Gene's Health Food also offers dining deals on lunch and retail deals on vitamins and supplements.
--Examples of daily health tips:
-"Researchers have found that blueberries rank # 1 in antioxidant activity. They help neutralize radicals causing cancer and aging of the skin. PER GENE'S HEALTH"
-"Many studies have shown that drinking cranberry juice twice a day helps prevent certain bacteria, such as E-coli, from sticking to the urinary tract."
Friday, July 11, 2008
New Video---How to sign up for TextBlasts!
John stars in our new video telling you how to subscribe to our TextBlasts!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Launch of Interactive Radio through Text Message!
Agent511 and WBIO 94.7 now offer you the ability to text in your song requests straight to the DJ. Simply text WBIO + your song request to 511511 (the + is not necessary just a space between WBIO and your song) and they will likely play your song. We are very excited about this program and will be launching with other radio stations in the future.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Police Encourage Tippers to Use Text Messaging to Combat Crime
7/3/2008
By Mitch Stacy
Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. -- Police in the 1970s urged citizens to "drop a dime" in a payphone to report crimes anonymously. Now in an increasing number of cities,tipsters are being invited to use their thumbs -- to identify criminalsusing text messages.
Police hope the idea helps recruit teens and 20-somethings who wouldn'tnormally dial a Crime Stoppers hot line to share information withauthorities.
"If somebody hears Johnny is going to bring a gun to school, hopefullythey'll text that in," said Sgt. Brian Bernardi of the Louisville MetroPolice Department, which rolled out its text-message tip line in June.
Departments in Boston and Cincinnati started accepting anonymous text tipsabout a year ago. Since then, more than 100 communities have taken similarsteps or plan to do so. The Internet-based systems route messages through aserver that encrypts cell phone numbers before they get to police, makingtips virtually impossible to track.
In Louisville earlier this week, Bernardi's computer displayed a textmessage from a person identified only as "Tip563." It read: "someone hasvandalized the school van at valor school on bardstown rd in fern creek."The note also reported illegal dumping in a trash container and in thewoods.
"It's obvious that the future of communication is texting," said officerMichael Charbonnier, commander of the Boston Police Department's CrimeStoppers unit. "You look at these kids today and that's all they're doing.You see five kids standing on the corner, and they're texting instead ofhaving a conversation with each other."
When Boston adopted the system last year, the first text tip yielded anarrest in a New Hampshire slaying. In the 12 months that ended June 15,Boston police logged 678 text tips, nearly matching the 727 phone tipsduring the same period.
Earlier this year, a text tip led to the arrest of a notorious suspect in adrug case.
"We've gotten some great drug information, specific times, dates, names ofsuspects, locations, pickup times, license plate numbers," Charbonnier said.In another instance, a hearing-impaired man who could not call 911 used atext message to report a domestic violence incident.
Since the beginning of the year, cities such as Tampa, San Francisco,Seattle, Denver, Indianapolis, New Orleans and Detroit have started theirown text-based tip systems, according to Texas-based Anderson Software, aleading providers of the technology. Many cities are adding the textmessages to a system that already accepted anonymous tips through a Website.
Lisa Haber, a sheriff's detective who heads the Tampa-area Crime Stoppersunit, recently spent an hour exchanging 21 text messages with a tipsterabout a possible stolen car. It didn't yield an arrest, but Haber said itallowed her to glimpse the potential of being able to communicate in realtime with texters.
Sarah Coss, an 18-year-old incoming freshman at the University of Tampa,typically logs around 6,000 text messages a month chatting to her friends.She thinks people who use text messaging every day will be more likely toreport crimes that way, and the impersonal nature of text messaging willgive more people her age the confidence to share information withauthorities.
"It might take a while for people to know about it and get more comfortablewith it, and for people to know it's really anonymous, and they're not goingto get in trouble," she said.
Just like callers to a crime hot line, text tipsters can collect rewards forsignificant information. It's done with the cooperation of banks that handover the cash -- no questions asked -- to people who present a code issuedby police.
Officers acknowledge it may take time to get used to the text shorthandfavored by younger people, who tend to LOL at the relative technologicalcluelessness of their parents' generation.
"We were kind of nervous about that, having to learn a new code language,"Bernardi chuckled.
By Mitch Stacy
Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. -- Police in the 1970s urged citizens to "drop a dime" in a payphone to report crimes anonymously. Now in an increasing number of cities,tipsters are being invited to use their thumbs -- to identify criminalsusing text messages.
Police hope the idea helps recruit teens and 20-somethings who wouldn'tnormally dial a Crime Stoppers hot line to share information withauthorities.
"If somebody hears Johnny is going to bring a gun to school, hopefullythey'll text that in," said Sgt. Brian Bernardi of the Louisville MetroPolice Department, which rolled out its text-message tip line in June.
Departments in Boston and Cincinnati started accepting anonymous text tipsabout a year ago. Since then, more than 100 communities have taken similarsteps or plan to do so. The Internet-based systems route messages through aserver that encrypts cell phone numbers before they get to police, makingtips virtually impossible to track.
In Louisville earlier this week, Bernardi's computer displayed a textmessage from a person identified only as "Tip563." It read: "someone hasvandalized the school van at valor school on bardstown rd in fern creek."The note also reported illegal dumping in a trash container and in thewoods.
"It's obvious that the future of communication is texting," said officerMichael Charbonnier, commander of the Boston Police Department's CrimeStoppers unit. "You look at these kids today and that's all they're doing.You see five kids standing on the corner, and they're texting instead ofhaving a conversation with each other."
When Boston adopted the system last year, the first text tip yielded anarrest in a New Hampshire slaying. In the 12 months that ended June 15,Boston police logged 678 text tips, nearly matching the 727 phone tipsduring the same period.
Earlier this year, a text tip led to the arrest of a notorious suspect in adrug case.
"We've gotten some great drug information, specific times, dates, names ofsuspects, locations, pickup times, license plate numbers," Charbonnier said.In another instance, a hearing-impaired man who could not call 911 used atext message to report a domestic violence incident.
Since the beginning of the year, cities such as Tampa, San Francisco,Seattle, Denver, Indianapolis, New Orleans and Detroit have started theirown text-based tip systems, according to Texas-based Anderson Software, aleading providers of the technology. Many cities are adding the textmessages to a system that already accepted anonymous tips through a Website.
Lisa Haber, a sheriff's detective who heads the Tampa-area Crime Stoppersunit, recently spent an hour exchanging 21 text messages with a tipsterabout a possible stolen car. It didn't yield an arrest, but Haber said itallowed her to glimpse the potential of being able to communicate in realtime with texters.
Sarah Coss, an 18-year-old incoming freshman at the University of Tampa,typically logs around 6,000 text messages a month chatting to her friends.She thinks people who use text messaging every day will be more likely toreport crimes that way, and the impersonal nature of text messaging willgive more people her age the confidence to share information withauthorities.
"It might take a while for people to know about it and get more comfortablewith it, and for people to know it's really anonymous, and they're not goingto get in trouble," she said.
Just like callers to a crime hot line, text tipsters can collect rewards forsignificant information. It's done with the cooperation of banks that handover the cash -- no questions asked -- to people who present a code issuedby police.
Officers acknowledge it may take time to get used to the text shorthandfavored by younger people, who tend to LOL at the relative technologicalcluelessness of their parents' generation.
"We were kind of nervous about that, having to learn a new code language,"Bernardi chuckled.
Check us out at the Blind Parrot!
The next time you go to the Blind Parrot, check out our new signs displayed inside the bar and outside facing Frederica Street. You can text BLIND PARROT to 511511 and receive a list of entertainment at the Parrot and possibly a drink or meal special. You can also sign up for daily updates of dining deals and other entertainment via our website, owb511.com.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Winners from Atlantis Swim Club!
(Grand Prize winner Sheila Hopewell is pictured above with her group and a few members of Agent511)We gave away some great prizes yesterday at Atlantis Swim Club. Our top-prize winner took home 2 All-Access Holiday World Tickets. Other prizes included Marengo Cave tickets, a $50 Montana Mike's gift certificate, and Agent511 t-shirts.
Guests at Atlantis were able to sign up for daily text updates such as OWB DINING DEALS and OWB WEATHER. By signing up, they were entered to win one of the great prizes we gave away!
(Our winner of the $50 Montana Mike's Gift Certificate along with Cortney, Brian and John)
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Join Agent511 at Atlantis Swim Club on Friday June 27th!
Join Agent511 at Atlantis Swim Club this Friday, June 27th. We will be giving away t-shirts, Holiday World tickets, and Marengo Cave tickets! Make sure to meet us by the pool for some fun in the sun and a chance to win one of the great prizes we will be giving away!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Alex Priar wins Mystery Festival Tickets
Alex Priar of Owensboro came away with two tickets to the Owensboro Mystery Festival at the RiverPark Center on Thursday, June 20th. "All I did was add Agent511 as a friend on MySpace" said an excited Alex, "It was so easy". When we asked him who he was going to give the other ticket to, Alex responded "I'm definitely taking John Thomas" he said, referring to his little brother, "He loves going to plays". We here at Agent511 will be holding further promotional giveaways. Just be on the lookout on our Facebook and MySpace pages for frequent updates.
WBKR Meet-&-Greet
Agent511 was invited to the WBKR Meet-&-Greet yesterday afternoon. WBKR provided BBQ for everyone in attendance. We met many local professionals and discussed what Agent511 has to offer businesses in Owensboro. We had a really good time and appreciate WBKR's hospitality.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
2 FREE HOLIDAY WORLD TICKETS!
Once again Agent511 is giving away 2 FREE Holiday World Tickets!
There are 3 easy ways to enter:
1. Join our mailing list (located on the right side of this blog)
2. Share a story on our Facebook wall about your experience with Agent511
3. Share an experience you have had with Agent511 on our MySpace wall
This contest ends at 12 Noon on Friday June 27th, 2008. We will take all the people that have entered and randomly select the lucky winner of the 2 FREE Holiday World tickets. Also, get your friends to become fans of Agent511 so they too can enjoy our daily updates!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
WE HAVE A WINNER!!
Congratulations to Jarrod, our 511th friend on Myspace! Jarrod received 2 tickets to Holiday World just for adding us as a friend! Jarrod is ecstatic that he will be able to spend a day at Holiday World with a friend for FREE, courtesy of Agent511!!
Check out our Facebook page because we are currently running the same promotion for our 511th fan of Owensboro 511.
Check out our Facebook page because we are currently running the same promotion for our 511th fan of Owensboro 511.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Can't figure out our service? Check this out!
Check out our new commercial starring Owensboro's one and only Kitty Galloway!
Friday, June 6, 2008
AGENT511 HAS IT!
We are very excited to be featured on the Chamber's billboard campaign. If you haven't seen them all yet, check out this video! Our partnership provides fellow Chamber members with discounts on marketing and advertising with our text messaging services.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Agent511 on the Radio!
Beginning today, you can hear our new radio spot on 97.1 97x Rocks, 94.7 WBIO, 102.7 WLME, and the CJ 105.7. We are proud to be working with the Cromwell Radio Group in getting our message out to the community.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Agent 511 at the Sunset Series!!
Last night, we went down to the Sunset Series at the Executive Inn to spread the word about Agent511. About thirty of our "agents" were in and around our tent educating people on how to use our service. The people we talked to were all surprised and delighted at the deals they could receive just by texting OWB to 511511.
During the band's break, a few of us were even asked to come on stage as Heath Eric of the Executive Inn instructed the crowd on how to use our service. We threw out t-shirts and other items to a very excited crowd. It was a very enjoyable and successful evening out in the community, and we would like to thank all the people that came out and helped us promote our great service!
During the band's break, a few of us were even asked to come on stage as Heath Eric of the Executive Inn instructed the crowd on how to use our service. We threw out t-shirts and other items to a very excited crowd. It was a very enjoyable and successful evening out in the community, and we would like to thank all the people that came out and helped us promote our great service!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
NEW SERVICE---Daily Deals Direct to your phone!
- We are going to be offering daily TextBlasts on all of our services starting June 1!
You no longer have to worry about forgetting to text 511511 each day to get great daily deals and information.
--Don't forget that this is all FREE for you with any standard text plan! - Simply type ADD before any phrase that you would normally send to 511511 to be added to our database to receive daily texts for that category.
- Examples are ADD OWB DINING DEALS; ADD OWB WEATHER ; ADD OWB GAS ; ADD OWB ENTERTAINMENT
- Want to stop receiving TEXT BLASTS? Simply STOP plus the code.
- Examples are STOP OWB DINING DEALS or STOP OWB WEATHER
COMING SOON!
- OWB PIZZA, OWB HOTELS, OWB INSURANCE, and much much more
- Any Suggestions for categories??? -- Please e-mail us at agopal@agent511.com
- Want to advertise or create a mobile marketing campaign with us? Please e-mail us at agopal@agent511.com!
THE CREME RIBBON CUTTING
We were all present today at The Creme ribbon cutting. We are proud to work with this great new business and encourage you to look for their deals on our OWB DINING DEALS.
You can also send ADD OWB DINING DEALS to 511511 to receive daily blasts on lunch and dinner deals from local restaurants like The Creme starting in June.
CYP MEETING AT ROCABAR
We were at the May meeting of the Chamber of Young Professionals yesterday afternoon at RocaBar. Ankur spoke for a moment about how Agent511 works and about our Text Blast service. Users of our service simply need to send a text to 511511 that says ADD OWB GAS, or ADD OWB DINING DEALS etc. and they will receive daily updates on the respected category, starting in June. The CYP was a great group of people to talk to and everyone had a good time networking and meeting new professionals.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Burns Elementary
The crew at Agent511 visited Burns Elementary School on May 16th and spoke to the 5th grade Junior Achievement class. Ankur Gopal discussed entreprenuership and business as well as spoke about how the company,Agent511, works. To our surprise, almost all of the 5th graders had cellular phones and knew how to text message; when asked, the kids all said they had taught their parents how to "text" as well. This was proof to us of how text messaging is growing.
Friday, May 23, 2008
IRAQ PACKAGE
At the GOTIT meeting on Wednesday, we were incouraged by Kevin Bruner of Infoserv, Inc. to send a care package to our soldiers in Iraq. We picked up several suggested items around town and packaged them up today to send off. We are very thankful for all that our military does for us and thought this would be a good way to show a bit of our appreciation. 
Items included DVD's, popcorn, soap, razors, shaving cream, and several magazines and literature about Owensboro. Wednesday, May 21, 2008
GOT-IT MEETING
OWENSBORO, Colby's Restaurant
--Ankur Gopal presented to GOTIT (Greater Owensboro Territory Information Technologists) today at their last meeting until September. Ankur spoke in-depth about the systems and databases that make Agent511 work. The crowd of technical savvy information technologists had several questions about the capabilities of Agent511 and what services can be offered such as TextBlasts, Emergency notifications through text, and so forth.
Ankur was excited to talk about the technical aspects of how he and his parnter worked to build the software for Agent511. We are always happy to demostrate how Agent511 can work for a business or client.
--Ankur Gopal presented to GOTIT (Greater Owensboro Territory Information Technologists) today at their last meeting until September. Ankur spoke in-depth about the systems and databases that make Agent511 work. The crowd of technical savvy information technologists had several questions about the capabilities of Agent511 and what services can be offered such as TextBlasts, Emergency notifications through text, and so forth.
Ankur was excited to talk about the technical aspects of how he and his parnter worked to build the software for Agent511. We are always happy to demostrate how Agent511 can work for a business or client.
Monday, May 19, 2008
OWB GAS
Agent511 now offers the ability to check local gas prices. Now you don’t have to drive around to find out who has the best deal on gas. Simply text “owb gas” to 511511 to receive a list of gas prices around Owensboro. With gas being at an all time high, we can all take advantage of this feature to save some money at the pump.
DIsclaimer: We get most of our gas information from Motortrend...Gas prices are volatile and are subject to change.
The gas prices shown on MotorTrend.com are provided by OPIS, a comprehensive source of U.S. retail fuel purchases. The fuel prices shown are actual pump prices paid by consumers as OPIS data is based on credit card transactions collected from fleet vehicles. MotorTrend.com is updated daily with new data from roughly 100,000 gas stations and convenience stores across the U.S. Due to the volatile nature of fuel prices, MotorTrend.com makes no guarantee in regard to the accuracy of prices shown.
Friday, May 16, 2008
MAY MAKE A BUSINESS CONNECTION
We attended the May Make-a-Business-Connection today and it was a great experience for all of us at Agent511. We were able to promote our company to the attendees as well as hear from representatives of other local businesses.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
New Feature: Owensboro Weather
Today we added a new feature to our service. Users can now view up-to-date weather information by texting OWB WEATHER to 511511. Now anyone with a cell phone can instantly access the local Owensboro forecast anywhere, anytime.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
International BBQ Festival
Those who attended this year’s BBQ fest learned how to use the service and add Owensboro511 as a contact in their phone. T-shirts were available for $5 with the phrases “Practice Safe Text” and “Instant textual gratification.”
Agent 511 also hosted a hospitality suite for over 100 of their supporters. Guests were encouraged to meet the developers of Agent511 and learn more about the services offered.
GMAC Real Estate
Buyers can utilize text messaging in their search for a new home:
When a prospective home buyer arrives at a home, they will see a sign that says to text a four-digit number to 511511. Agent511 will reply with a message with all the specifications of the home. Buyers will then have the listing of the home on their cell phone to take with them wherever they go. Listings can also include pictures of the home for the potential buyer to show all of their friends and family. The best part is that home buyers will not even have to step out of their car to receive all the information
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