MMS Increase Shows the Way for Mobile Marketing

Research: Friday 13th February 2009

The Mobile Data Association (MDA) has just released it's figures for the final quarter of 2008, which show an increase of peer to peer MMS of 23% on 2007.
In 2008 a total of 553 million MMS were sent, compared with 449 million in 2007. The use is clearly seasonal with the largest volume (over 56 million) being sent in December.

MMS is still minor when compared to SMS, where 78.9 billion text messages were sent in the UK in 2008. However, the increase in use of the multi media service signals an acceptance by users for this medium. Whilst it was initially touted as a replacement to SMS, consumers never saw this, but MMS is finding it's place in the mobile world. With the increase in phone cameras, better data networks and MMS in tariff bundles, mobile phone users are seing specific benefits in sending pictures and even video.

For the mobile marketer there are clear opportunities. Advertisers are looking to engage consumers with rich media content, and MMS offers the simplest method of delivering that to mobile. The medium also offers benefits for consumer engagement where user generated content can be sent simply from the phone.
Aside from pictures and video, MMS also offers marketers the benefit of being able to deliver bar codes or 2d codes, which are integral to vouchering and ticketing on mobiles. The introduction of mobile checkin by some airlines, such as Lufthansa, are an excellent example of this.

However, MMS still has many draw backs, making it only suitable for specific campaigns. The downsides include the cost, up to three times as much as an SMS, network and compatability issues. Although MMS is very broad, it still lacks the universality of SMS. For example the iphone, often used by opinion formers that advertisers want to reach, has no MMS.

Article Links
Mobile Data Association
DMA Help Note on MMS Marketing