Inside Mobile Marketing

T-Mobile contacted its messaging Aggregator partners earlier this week to announce the following changes to their off-deck messaging campaign requirements:

1. TMO used to require the phrase, “Other Charges May Apply” to be present in a couple of outgoing campaign messages and marketing materials (e.g. website) – now the Operator will adopt the widely accepted “Standard Messaging Charges Apply” – (assume abbreviations accepted as well)

2. TMO used to require that recurring Standard Rated messaging program (e.g. daily weather alerts) have a double optin message present (e.g. to receive your weather alerts, reply Yes).  Now the widely accepted Single optin process is accepted (e.g. user texts keyword to shortcode – this counts as optin.)

3. The maximum price point for single-optin interactive TV programs (e.g. vote now for your favorite dancing star) has been raised to $1.49 from $1.00

4. Live, real-time Customer Support assistance must be extended from 8AM – 8PM EST – this adds 2hrs to the previous 8-6PM EST requirement.

To the outsider, these changes may elicit a “so what?” response. To mobile practitioners these changes have a two-fold impact:

First, they reduce costs (except #4) for marketers. Significant effort is required by engineers to ensure their messaging platforms comply with the ability to deliver carrier-specific messages. It also lessens the amount of compliance review time required of marketers.

Second, and arguably most important, is that these changes (except #4) signal a willingness by a major Carrier to “play nice” with the other Carriers to help standardize a set of cross-industry, cross-Carrier mobile program regulations. This bodes well for all in the Mobile ecosystem as the biggest knock on the industry is fragmentation. Fragmented Carrier messaging just got some help. Thanks T-Mobile.

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