By Ori Nakar Approach your holiday mobile marketing campaign the way you would plan to host a holiday dinner. Who is coming to dinner? Understand the demographic of your audience. What are their interests and how do they consume information? This information will help you plan your campaign and how to dish out an effective campaign. Planning If this is the first time you serve mobile to your guests, you might want to start off with a simple version of it. We typically recommend to start with SMS – its simplicity, high-adoption rate, and high recall and response rates, not to mention relatively low cost, make it an effective appetizer. In many cases, it can be consumed as a main course, too. Shopping There is plenty of information out there and research is simpler than ever. If you are subscribed to Mobile Marketer, then you are on the right track. From a regulatory perspective, the mobile space is far from being fully mature. Regulations change often and so does the wireless carriers’ attitude to those who do not comply with standards. It is imperative that when you make a decision to run your first mobile campaign, you select a seasoned provider (sous chef) who knows the ins and outs of the regulatory process (kitchen). Menu: Key ingredients Value – What is in it for the consumer? This is particularly important during the holiday season since cost efficiency is at the forefront of consumer’s minds. Simplicity – During the holiday season, consumers are bombarded with offers. Keep the message simple with minimal demands on the consumer as time and attention are often running thin. Relevance – Mobile is a personal device and, as such, the audience’s expectation is that the communication that they receive through it is personal and relevant. You do not want to be the host that serves filet mignon to your vegetarian guests. Tips from the mobile kitchen When you are cooking up an SMS campaign, there are several things to keep in mind about the nature of mobile. SMS is highly successful in driving audiences to act on impulse. For example, an SMS message that lets your customers know that your store will be open late on Sunday will be most effective if it is sent that day. You would not buy your groceries two weeks before your dinner, so do not send a text message as a reminder of an event that is two weeks away. Mobile should be an integrated part of your campaign rather than just the parsley along side the main dish. When used in conjunction with other communication channels, mobile helps extract more value out of the overall marketing campaign. For example, adding a short code to a print or billboard campaign will help get immediate feedback and increase measurability of the success of the campaign. The job of hosting a dinner does not end with serving the meal. Stimulating conversation is key to getting feedback, and getting tips for how to improve your recipes. Your secret sauce is the perfect blend of the above ingredients. Get it right and you will have happy consumers that come back for more. Ori Nakar is chief technology officer of Telescope Inc., Los Angeles. Reach him at ori.nakar@telescope.tv.