Marketing on the Go

This week, our new media class studied and discussed mobile marketing and its quick rise in popularity. It seems that everyone these days have has a cell phone with email, Internet and texting capabilities and which is opening a new medium. Now, marketers can reach us anywhere at anytime. When we're on vacation, at work and even when we wake up in the morning.

Is it invading our privacy? Well, most of the time we are giving these marketers permission to contact us when we opt-in and give them our email addresses and from time to time, our cell phone numbers.

An example I provided in our class was receiving dinner specials from Olive Garden during the holiday period of Black Friday to the Decembe 23. Imagine, shopping in the evening and you receive a text message of a special of 10 percent off your total bill from Olive Garden, good for dining in and or carry out, the message also gives you the phone number and address of your closest restaurant. All you have to do is place your order and and show them the text message to receive your discount. Dinner is ready and the family is happy.

Clearly, mobile marketing is up and coming and we are only touching the tip of the iceberg.