Consumers like multimedia messaging service (MMS) advertising enough to pass it along to family and friends, says Multimedia Solutions, an MMS distributor.
The company was reacting to recent reports that mobile subscribers are growing increasingly concerned about MMS spam.
"We have a 0.02% unsubscribe rate, which shows that most consumers find MMS a favourable form of advertising," says Multimedia Solutions operational director Riaan Groenewald.
"In fact, MMS advertising has a 5% to 12% response rate within 48 hours of consumers receiving the MMS," he adds. "The MMSes are also forwarded on by consumers to friends and family, accounting for an additional 3% of responses. We believe this is because consumers find the experience interactive and innovative."
It is also largely free to the consumer. "The advertiser always pays for the MMS and not the consumer," says Groenewald. "This means that the entire process, including the downloading of the MMS via GPRS, is free."
Groenewald adds that with MMS advertising growing rapidly in the market as an alternative means for companies to extend their brands, consumers have a legitimate concern about spam. He says it is a company priority to make unsubscribing to MMS advertising free to the consumer. However, the unsubscribe issue goes deeper for the consumer, he notes.
Central database
"What happens when there are multiple services to unsubscribe from, even if the process is free? What is, therefore, needed is a central unsubscribe database. Multimedia Solutions believes the Wireless Application Service Providers' Association (WASPA) is ideally placed to manage such an unsubscribe database and would welcome the implementation of any such initiative to protect the consumer," he says.
WASPA chairman Leon Perlman says his association is assessing the feasibility of an in-house or outsourced "utilities company" that will mediate unsubscribe requests for SMSes and MMSes and possibly also for subscription services.
"Other services that could be offered include a look-up for SMS shortcodes, providing easily accessible extended terms and conditions, and age-verification services," he says.
Perlman adds that WASPA is also driving towards making the unsubscribe option free to consumers.
He adds that since WASPA implemented a code of conduct in September 2005, "there has been a marked drop in spam complaints. The code allows only very narrow instances of when SMSes and MMSes can be sent out to a bulk list. Instances where spam has been sent out have been robustly dealt with by WASPA's adjudicators, who are all ICT lawyers."
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