Posts Tagged ‘sms’

Use Text Messaging to Receive Receipt Codes

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

Wish there was a way to let your customers submit survey codes, redeem receipt codes for future benefits, or enter rewards codes from product packaging…all instantly using text messaging?

Well, OTAir can fulfill your wishes. Today, OTAir published an enhancement to our web based platform to receive such codes from consumers via an incoming text and validate the code using a pre-populated database or by querying a POS system in real-time.

The received codes can be in a variety of different formats, can often be submitted without the need for consumers to start the text with a client specific keyword, and we can ensure that only one valid code is honored for each phone number submitting a code.

The new functionality is an effective way for restaurants, retailers, personal service providers and product manufacturers to enable instant engagement by their customers in an effort to foster increased loyalty to the product, service or brand. Enablement of the capability takes less than a week and, since it uses text messaging, works on every carrier OTAir has connectivity with and almost every mobile device…not just smart phones.

Email sales@otair.com or call 888.898.8247 today to learn how incoming code receipt by text message can help lift sales, cost less than competing code redemption methods, and boost customer loyalty.

UPDATE (May 12, 2010)
The capability was recently utilized by a national restaurant chain on one of the busiest dining days of the year…Mother’s Day. The vast majority of customers correctly submitted the code printed on their receipt and received the promoted significant discount for a future visit by email.

Dynamic Text Message Content a Value to Marketers

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Today, OTAir innovates their powerful web-based mobile marketing and communications platform again with the ability to insert dynamic date and other data into text messages configured in response to an incoming consumer inquiry.

For example, a restaurant that offers a welcome promo to consumers that join their mobile VIP club, can specify a date formula, such as [date+3d] for an expiration date rather than a static expiration, such as 03/31/2010, when that might be weeks away for a consumer texting early in the month or hardly useful for a consumer texting on that date.

A dynamically generated, variable “rolling expiration” provides incentive for rapid redemption of the promo for all consumers regardless of when they text in, thereby keeping it fresh. The marketer does not need to remember to update a static expiration date to keep it valid.

There are a number of other variable data placeholders that can be inserted into pre-configured response messages. We won’t list them here as we certainly don’t want to help our competitors out. But, if you are a retailer, restaurant or other company or organization that can benefit from such enhanced mobile messaging, please email sales@otair.com or call 888.898.8247 today.

Promo Code Distribution Has Never Been So Easy

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

Show your customers some love and appreciation. Track your customers’ interests. Or, take advantage of consumer impatience with instant rewards gratification.

All possible with automated distribution of unique promotional, redemption, source or virtually any type of tracking code using text messaging. OTAir mobile solutions has pushed text messaging to new capabilities once again with this innovative means of benefit your customers while also tremendously aiding your ability to track their actions that lead to increased sales.

OTAir can distribute virtually any type of alphanumeric code, even those containing symbols, in response to a consumer texting in to receive such a code. The consumer may be initiating mobile engagement due in-venue signage, a print ad, a direct mail piece, or an ad on TV or the radio…doesn’t matter…but we can track that too.

Codes for distribution can be pre-populated into the OTAir platform in advance or queried from a POS system in real-time. The OTAir platform will record the distribution of each code to make sure it is sent only once and online reporting shows the mobile numbers receiving the codes, along with date/time of distribution and even the consumer’s email address and/or zip code, should they be asked to submit such info.

Along similar lines, we will soon be adding the capability to RECEIVE unique codes from consumers. The reverse will serve as a great way for consumers to text in survey, rewards and source codes that may be printed on receipts, product packaging, direct mail pieces and more.

If your company can benefit from such granular tracking of media effectiveness, marketing message and consumer follow up, contact us at sales@otair.com or call 888.898.8247 today.

UPDATE (February 22, 2010)
A month of implementation of unique code distribution has proven how powerful this functionality is. A national tax preparation firm has successfully utilized this latest OTAir innovation to track the lift in branch visits stemming from radio and print ads inviting college students to text in for free tax prep services.