SMS2.0 Singapore pilot deemed breakthrough

Singapore - Pilot tests in Singapore for new mobile text messaging platform SMS2.0 have revealed click through rates from preview to full screen ranged from 1.12% to 2.77% - behaviour previously unseen in the SMS environment where reading and replying messages are the norm.

As reported by Marketing, Affle's new SMS offering, would be marketed across the region within the next two years, and aimed to show that unlike traditional mobile marketing, users would be more likely to explore onscreen content and ads delivered via SMS2.0, with offerings featuring updated messaging features, including colours, emoticons, scheduled SMS and other personalisation options.

"SMS2.0 creates a new user interface which blends messaging and content into one screen. Imagine having your normal text messaging, but also having a simple web browser embedded at the bottom. Users can now interact with content by clicking thorough from the banner on the SMS editor or viewer to the ‘full screen' and furthermore from the ‘full screen' to WAP sites or internet sites. Currently, SMS2.0 is the only application using the SMS platform to deliver content and advertising so we don't really consider anyone a direct competitor," Anuj Khanna, CEO and chairman of Executive Committee for Affle said.

The Singapore test, which involved 3,000 M1 users, showed evidence user interaction with content and advertising, and exploring further by clicking through to WAP sites and the internet. Click through rates to WAP sites ranged from 0.28% to 0.97%.

"Given that we had done some beta studies prior to the pilot, we expected high levels of consumer enthusiasm. What is heartening to note that while the core behaviour of the user in using SMS remains the same, there is evidence of new behaviour in that users are interacting with the teasers and full screen. Users are actually opening up their SMS screen to now surf content on their phones," Khanna said.

Nokia phones are currently the only devices pre-bundled with SMS2.0 while plans have started to develop software compatible with other models.