Cadbury targets mobile marketing

Cadbury wants to know your mobile phone number

As the confectionery giant Cadbury prepares to launch the UK's biggest ever text messaging marketing campaign, our e-commerce reporter John Moylan looks at why consumers could be turned off such campaigns by junk mail and scams.

Its an irresistible combination - chocolate and mobile phones.

From next month the confectionery giant Cadbury will be offering a million pounds worth of prizes to consumers who send the firm a text message.

In the UK's biggest ever text messaging campaign, Cadbury will print details on the wrappers of 65 million confectionery bars.

Consumers will be asked to respond to questions like "R U A 5K WNR?" by messaging a number.

Chocolate lovers will learn within seconds whether they've won.

Access to phone numbers

"What we are doing is talking via today's most relevant communications channel to people who buy and eat our chocolate" says Cadbury's Richard Frost. "They will be contacting us rather than us contacting them."

The promotion will give Cadbury an invaluable database of mobile phone numbers.

There's no advantage in sending out unwarranted text messages - it is self defeating and counter productive

Cadbury's Richard Frost

Richard Frost accepts the company will use this to target further promotions at its consumers, but he claims the company has no immediate plans to follow up the campaign in mind.

"There's no advantage in sending out unwarranted text messages . It is self defeating and counter productive," he said.

Multiplying initiatives

In the past 12 months marketing executives have jumped on the text messaging phenomena.

It has exploded amongst young people, a key demographic for companies wanting to promote their brand to a new generation of consumers.

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Nestle, McDonalds, drinks firms and even cinema chains are already targeting promotions at mobile users.

Once a fortnight 30,000 readers of the teen magazine Smash Hits are messaged with details of what's in the latest edition.

Nescafe is to sponsor a free messaging and reply service through the internet service provider Lycos as part of its campaign to attact younger coffee drinkers.

And even the Labour party messaged thousands of party members during the election and urged them to pass messages on to their contacts.

Abuse fears

But text marketing is already being abused.

The consumer always has to have an easy way to opt out of further communications

Wireless Marketing Association

The authorities have just shut down one scam which involved mobile users being duped into running up big bills.

It is believed that thousands of people were sent a message asking them to urgently phone a number.

When they did, they heard an engaged tone.

This was actually a recording. The mobile users were being charged on the premium rate line every time they called.

Dangerous spam

George Kidd is the Director is ICSTIS, the body which regulates Premium Rate calls.

He claims consumers are increasingly being targeted by firms operating similar scams and even sending unwarranted junk text messages.

Which Cadbury creme egg wrapper holds the lucky number?

"There are a small number of people out there with malicious intent to take advantage of consumers and that is not acceptable to us and it is not acceptable to the rest of the Premium Rate Industry which operates on a perfectly legitimate basis," said Mr Kidd.

The Wireless Marketing Association (WMA) has drawn up guidelines for firms wanting to promote products to consumers via mobile phones.

Steve Wunker, Chairman of the WMA says it involves three basic principles:

"First the contact has to be instigated by the consumer. Second the consumer always has to have an easy way to opt out of further communications. And finally they always have to know who the message is from and how to contact that party".

Meanwhile Cadbury's Richard Frost claims it will be easy for people to avoid being sent further messages.

"If you don't want to receive anything from us simply text us with the word "Stop". That's it - finito!".