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Yes, I’m making that bold statement. Not because I work for the top telecommunications company in the country. But because I am one of the 86 million mobile subscribers the Philippines currently has. Yes, there are 86 million mobile phones out there. Tell me if you still know someone who does not own a mobile phone and we’ll tell you that you must be crazy (or that person is!). They’re probably stuck in a cave somewhere in the mountains (but hey, we have signal there too!) or maybe even have just had their cellphones snatched.
How many newspapers are circulated nationwide? How many television sets are there around the country? Definitely not 86 million.

Six out of 10 Filipinos are said to sleep with their mobile phones by their heads. I’m one of them. We bet some of you are too.

Either for security, entertainment or communications purposes, yes, it has become a necessity. Try living one day without your mobile phone and tell us what it was like (good luck if you even survive half a day though). A US survey even said that six out of 10 Americans would rather lose their mother-in-laws instead of their mobile phones. But that’s another story altogether. And here’s hoping my future mother-in-law does not read this.

So how do marketers and brand people take advantage of the large number of mobile phone subscribers then?
Enter Mobile Advertising.

No, it’s not the hundreds of texts a subscriber receives from random numbers informing him/her of certain promos or people to vote for in the next elections.

That’s called spamming.

Mobile marketing is all about reaching the right customers with the right message at the right place, and at the right time. And with their permission. It means communicating your message straight to your consumers with a great possibility of getting their feedback in the process.

Everyone is flocking to advertising directly to their customers—yes, via their mobile phones. Where else? Newspapers can be accessed via your phone. Television shows, music and movies too. It’s the all-in-one gadget that you can put inside your pocket (Okay, please put that television set back on the table, wise guy. It really won’t fit in your pocket). And advertisers are slowly realizing this. More importantly, subscribers are appreciating it too.

In a survey done by Smart Communications Inc., majority of cellphone owners welcomed receiving text messages from advertisers especially if it informed them of information relevant to their lifestyle, whether these are announcements on events, promos, contests, coupons, and other similar offers.
Mobile browsing statistics have also risen, due to the proliferation of more affordable internet-capable handsets and the availability of unlimited data packages from network operators. And for mobile advertising, engagement is the key. What’s the use of reaching out to people if they don’t respond?

Interaction is easier for mobile phone users since everything is literally just a few thumb clicks away. “Do Thumbthing” as one advertising campaign in a television show encouraged. Want to call the establishment for questions, click on the tab on the mobile ad to do so. Want to test drive a car that you saw online? Just press “9” to schedule it!

It’s a win-win situation for the advertiser and the subscriber.

The advertiser reaches their target customer even in their own bedrooms and the subscriber can be informed about the latest offerings while sipping on his morning coffee. Brands can also choose to reach a profiled database for a more targeted engagement resulting in more effective campaigns.

Slowly but surely, many companies are catching on. Mobile Advertising is the way to go now. It’s the easiest and most convenient way to reach a target market. And hey, it’s the best value for advertisers’ money. Imagine communicating their messages directly to their customers via mobile devices, while at the same time hitting a target age, gender, and location through a gadget that is always on 24/7, and right by their customers’ pockets or bags. Add to this a direct line to hearing their customers’ feedback on their products! You can’t get any more efficient than that.

Contributed by:

Dinjo Constantino is a Product Officer for the Mobile Advertising team of Smart Communications, Inc. He has been a writer for more than 10 years now for publications like Village Voice, UNO Magazine, and JUAN Philippines. He also has his own online endeavors like www.pinoycallture.com and www.alabangbulletin.com.

Anyway, the main platform for the campaign is the new Pepsi Akin Ang Pinas Facebook Page. On the page you can watch the video and even interact with the characters of the video: Alvarez Parak and Boy Balbon (they have individual personal pages).

www.facebook.com/pepsisarapmagbago (33k Likes as of this writing)

Over-all it’s a pretty interesting campaign with a lot of potential! The social capital they’ll be gaining with this community will be off the charts because they used relevant and localized humor to connect with their customers. I’d like to see how this all pans out in the coming weeks. It will be good to see how they will develop it into something more than just a funny video (maybe something to drive sales).

Other than Belkin, Digital Hub also sells products from Core and Speck. The Speck back covers come in different funky and cool designs while the Core leather folio is a stylish and artsy leather case that’s really more for women than men.

To those with iPads out there, strongly suggest you drop by Digital Hub while supplies last!

We only have one life to live, one country, and one family. Let’s make it count.