SMS scanner solution

by Peter Crush, Marketing Direct 31-Dec-04

Carling Live, the music events division of Carling, is the first brand to launch an SMS campaign promoting music events using a mobile phone scanning system that reads vouchers sent directly to handsets.

The system uses new technology developed by Wireless Brand Channel (WBC), the company launched by the former directors of the Diageo-owned SMS marketing spin-off Nightfly.

Instead of sending a barcode - where up to 40 per cent cannot be read by conventional EPOS scanners because of phones' curved screens and resolution settings - WBC's Reedemit system sends a matrix of dots that is readable on all phones when scanned over its at-venue units. A voucher then prints off that doubles as an entry ticket and as a voucher for a free bottle of Carling.

The gigs are being promoted by email to Carlinglive.com and elbowrooms.com subscribers, the venue holding the events. Posters at student venues and press ads also promote the gigs. These invite people to text a shortcode to receive their Reedemit voucher.

WBC is giving venues free scanning units to encourage take up. Nicola Young, head of relationship marketing at Carling Live, said: "Because each matrix can only be used once, we can track our engagements with consumers through the redemption cycle."