Consumers can sign up for SMS-coupon programs for different Money Mailer advertisers via a specific keyword sent to the short code 686868. The call-to-action can be found on the Money Mailer circular or on the Money Mailer site.

“Adding the ability to opt-in for SMS campaigns further emphasizes our interactive strategy in extending our advertiser’s reach,” said Steven Gray, chief operating officer of Money Mailer Direct Marketing, Garden Grove, CA. “It extends how we’ve branded ourselves online.

Money Mailer Direct Marketing is a division of Money Mailer and provides direct marketing services from direct mail to mobile advertising.

More mobile for Money Mailer
Mr. Gray said that adding the ability to opt-in for SMS campaigns to the Money Mailer Web site is part of the brand’s new multichannel focus for 2010.

The calls-to-action are part of a fully integrated campaign, Mr. Gray said. The calls-to-action appear on the inside of Money Mailer envelopes, online in the coupon search and the individual business will also have in-store advertising.

After opting-in, the first coupon will be sent within 30 seconds. After a double opt-in, the consumer will receive up to four texts per month from the merchant.

To redeem the coupon, consumers show the SMS they received to the in-store clerk.
 
There are more than 600 customers currently using SMS campaigns on the Money Mailer platform.

For example, Dolson Avenue Goodyear Tires in Middletown, NY has an SMS program with Money Mailer. To join, consumers can text the keyword DOLTIRE to 686868 or opt-in directly at http://MoneyMailer.com.

Mr. Gray said that because Money Mailer categories cover a wide range of goods it is hard to pinpoint an exact demographic, although he said in some categories there has been high opt-in rates of consumers between the ages of 30-50.

Money Mailer is not new to mobile offerings.

In October, Money Mailer Direct Marketing and Coupons Inc.’s Coupons.com expanded their partnership to include mobile coupons.

The companies are leveraging the iPhone platform to deliver an application where consumers can browse local businesses for savings. An Android application is set to follow (see story).

Mr. Gray said that adding SMS campaigns is about reaching the consumer.

“It addresses the advertiser’s challenge of getting coupons to where the customers are,” Mr. Gray said. “This gives them the opportunity to allow communication.

“With text, it is just one more channel to leverage,” he said.