MMS marketing on the rise

By Candice Jones, ITWeb online telecoms editor

Johannesburg, 10 Jul 2007

With MMS awareness growing in the market, companies are starting to see how adaptable the technology actually is, says Multimedia Solutions.

Riaan Groenewald, Multimedia Solutions operational director, says people are now starting to understand MMS is more than just a picture taken from a camera phone with some text underneath.

The company believes this is paving the way for the use of bar-coded ticketing, digital vouchers and gift vouchers, using the multimedia dimension of MMS.

"Some of our clients have already begun using the service, testing the waters by sending digital vouchers to consumers that can be redeemed for an item when taken into a store. We've had a phenomenal response, because it increases the level of interaction between companies and their base, while consumers always love receiving a free gift."

Groenewald adds that digital ticketing also assists in cutting down on printing costs for the sports, movie and performing arts industries. "An MMS not only has the information about the ticket, but would be able to have the branding of the venue and more information on the event itself, including pictures, voice and text."

Better tech

Striata CEO Mike Wright says there are many benefits in using MMS technology for vouchers and ticketing. "With cellphone technology getting better, there are no longer problems with things like the size of the bar code on the screen."

He says the interactive nature of MMS makes it a rich platform for vouchers.

However, he believes there are a few problems with using this technology. "In SA, phones are stolen all the time and if there was a voucher in your message folders, you are now losing money along with the phone."

"Bar-coded gift vouchers are ideal for retail stores," says Groenewald. The value lies in the added information that can be included, such as how long vouchers are valid for, and information like store locations.

"The average person is more likely to think about whether they have their phone on them when they go out before they think about their wallet. Therefore, using mobile technology is the logical next step for companies that utilise ticketing and vouchers."

2010 challenge

The challenge lies in whether South African retailers will be able to accept a virtual voucher by 2010, says Rowan Brewer, chief executive of Tutuka Software.

"Visitors to SA will be carrying the latest in cellphone models and will able to receive them. However, most South African retailers do not have bar code scanners capable of scanning a cellphone bar code, or the ability to manage the fraud by authorising the voucher immediately."

Brewer believes that come 2010, most South African retailers should be able to accept virtual vouchers in one form or another, even if it is a simple voucher number in an SMS.