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Whether you pay via your taxes or your paycheck, we are all affected by the upward spiral of health care costs. And there is nothing more wasteful than a missed appointment. Which is why I was intrigued to hear that America’s largest non-profit provider of healthcare has started to use SMS messages to remind patients of appointments.
Rather than relying on snail mail or a phone call, Kaiser Permanente decided to try texting appointment reminders to patients – a straightforward solution to customer communication. With this simple paperless reminder scheme patients were able to opt in or out, and could specific whether the alerts should be sent to their work or personal cell phone.
As you’d expect, SMS reminders were most effective with patients aged between 13 and 44. And no, there wasn’t much interest in the scheme by older generations. This no doubt reflects the lower take up of mobile phone technology by this age group. However, the use of SMS appointment reminders was revealed to be a great success overall. read more>> |
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It is a self-evident truth that the most successful campaigns are those that use the right media to drive home their message to the right audience. And these days if you are trying to target the younger technology savvy market you need to reach them where they “live” – on social networks and mobile phones.
So it was interesting to read recently that SMS marketing has a new advocate. This time we see the self-styled actress, socialite and hotel heiress, Paris Hilton (who has teamed up with Hair Tech International to launch her new line of hair and beauty products) using SMS technology to help boost her ‘huge’ brand.
While it is true to say that Ms Hilton hasn’t always been the best role model, the use of SMS to reach out and connect with the valuable Gen Y (aged 18 – 34) market is a well targeted coup for the celebrity. read more>> |
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It’s a well worn stereotype that SMS messaging is the soul preserve of teenagers. But as is the case with most stereotypes, this one doesn’t always ring true. While a comedy sketch may paint a picture of a texter as a spotty-faced teenager tapping away bizarre acronyms into a cell phone, in reality a typical texter may well be the parent of a teenager - or even their Gran.
It would seem that more mature mobile phones users are just as comfortable with sending a text message as a making a call.
According to a recent survey of 500 participants in North America and Europe, 60% of those over 45 were just as likely to send a SMS as to make a voice call from a mobile phone. The survey for the American firm Tekelec, also found that around a third of the participants expected to increase their use of SMS in 2010. read more>> |
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As a new year rolls around again industry commentators have made their marketing predictions for the coming twelve months. And while social media looks like it will still be a dominant force in marketing campaigns, a quick trawl through the predictions for 2010 highlights SMS messaging as the next important trend in marketing.
One advantage of push-technology, such as SMS alters, is that it enables businesses to connect the customer directly. Mobile marketing via SMS and MMS communication gives businesses the enviable ability to deliver an advertising or brand message to receptive consumers in an instant.
Whether it’s a SMS message offering a coupon, an alert about upcoming events or an appointment reminder – a text is a great way to keep in touch your customer base. read more>> |
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Humans are undoubtedly creatures of habit. We get very frustrated and annoyed if our daily lives are disrupted by sudden changes.
Certainly the weather has been testing our patience this winter. Across Europe, heavy snow and plunging temperatures have played havoc with our day-to-day routine. Even the east coast of America, which is accustomed to harsh winters, has been hit by heavy blizzards.
While you can receive an SMS alert to tell you that snow is on the way, it is the knock –on effects of the weather that are so frustrating. From flights and trains being cancelled to chaos on the roads, bad weather can give you a major headache. You need an array of automated SMS messages to keep on top of all the disruption. read more>> |
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