Mass Attendance Events (MAE) such as sporting events, pop concerts, and trade shows or exhibitions present a unique and exciting mass event marketing opportunity. The specific character of each event attracts thousands or even tens of thousands of people, all attracted to the theme of the specific mass event. The crowd attending the event form a “captive consumer base” a highly segmented population with specific life style and tastes as revealed by their decision to attend the specific event.

Recently, several MAE (football matches and pop concerts) have introduced the use of interactive SMS. The typical activity has, until now, involved messages sent from the crowd and projected to everyone on the screen (SMS chat), or SMS voting sessions such as choosing the home team MVP (most valuable player). Text messaging is currently the best and most practical means of communication during a live event. Encouraging the audience to text premium rate SMS voting messages during the event can generate additional multiple revenue streams, it can increase customer interaction and loyalty, as well as increase the audience’s enjoyment of the event.

We, at Mobile Feedback, believe that current SMS interaction is only the tip of the iceberg. The potential for interactive message communication between the event organizers and its attendees can go far beyond the recently introduced ‘SMS chat’ or ‘SMS voting’ during an event. Our vision turns any mass attendance event into a massive Customer Relationship Management exercise – offering an unlimited scope of commercial opportunities for the event organizers and sponsors. The simple idea is to conduct different types of SMS marketing interaction with the event attendance before, during and after the event, creating a database containing thousands of cellular phone numbers, enabling mobile marketing.

Mobile Reply is offering MAE organizers and sponsors the only complete and easy-to-use technology platform,using intelligent 2-way SMS communication to generate a wide range of immediate revenue sources. Applying Mobile Reply technology will significantly increase the profitably of any event, while adding excitement and fresh content to its customers. Best of all – using the Mobile Reply service the event organizers and sponsors are able to build with each event a database to communicate with long after the event is over - a mobile communication Fans Club.

How does it work?
Mobile Reply is offering you a fully web-based technology platform, a fans club software. All you need to start communicating with your event audience is to open a user account, and then use your web browser to plan and execute any communication activity you have in mind – inbound, outbound, 2-way, dynamic automated sequences of messages and questions, all are designed and operated easily by the same Mobile Reply platform.

What makes the Mobile Reply solution unique?
The use of bulk SMS by the business sector for marketing, advertising and the distribution of information, is becoming highly popular. Yet, most software applications used today for mass SMS communication are simple one-way SMS communication engines.

The concept of the Mobile Reply platform stems from work in the areas of Market Research, CRM, Direct Marketing and Loyalty clubs. It enables “knowledge-based interaction” with the system’s user population (which could be employees, customers, or consumers). By targeting a specific population through continuous two-way SMS communication, you are able to build up an immense knowledge about the preferences & desires of individual members of your database. You can use this knowledge to segment the population and to match your chosen initiatives to each segment. This presents you the first real opportunity to begin SMS personalization for MAE marketing and sporting events marketing.

The Mobile Reply system in Operation
The use of the Mobile Reply platform opens the opportunity to generate excitement and entertainment during the event, and lay the foundations for continuous Fans operation club after the event. The system supports a range of activities before, during and after the event:

Before the event:
The purpose of using the system before the event is to build the audience database. The event organizer or sponsor chooses a specific keyword. Event ticket buyers are encouraged to send the keyword to a specific cellular number, by offering them an attractive prize or other benefits. The system captures and registers the source cell phone number of each incoming keyword message.

Case study 1 –
a pop music concert

The keyword is the name of the performing artist – “ROBBIE”. It is advertised on concert tickets, billboards, leaflets, or other promotional material.

Text “ROBBIE” to the number “8020” and you will have a chance to be invited to join Robbie and his band for the filming of their next music video clip!!!

The cell phone numbers of the thousands who respond to this offer are atuomatically recorded in the database and can be used for continuous concert marketing activities.

During the event: The system is activated for conducting live, real-time SMS communication with the audience during the event. It is possible to start the creation of the audience database at this interactive stage by inviting the audience (using the scoreboard or the screen displays) to vote or send free-text (chat) during the event. Trivia competitions, prize bearing fun games, sports betting (real time) are all fully supported by the Mobile Reply service.The outcome and results of all SMS interactions can be displayed live to the audience, by projecting the Mobile Reply report page on the event’s display screens.

Sporting events	Performing artists concerts
SMS voting for the best player	Sending and projecting “Love” messages
Betting the match score during half-time break	Trivia contest on the artists history
“Advising” the Coach on tactical issues	Voting the song to be played at the end of the show

Case study 2 –
Rugby match

During the halftime break, the match spectators are invited to send their own forecast for the match final score. The results are projected live on the scoreboard. Those who predict the actual score receive SMS coupons for gifts and prizes. Again – this activity generates a database containing thousands of Rugby fans.

After the event: Applying the Mobile Reply database management tools and SMS communication facilities to communicate continuously with the attendance database. At this stage the scope of activity is unlimited – a one time commercial offer of discounted merchandise, an invitation to additional events, or a complete daily SMS fans club communication. The power of the Mobile Reply suite at this stage is in its ability to break down and segment the attendance database, using the accumulated knowledge sourced from all interactions. The system performs as a direct marketing platform, with high ability to focus on sub-groups and segments of the overall fans population recorded in the database.

The concept of Fans Club operation resembles shoppers loyalty clubs operated by almost all retail chains. The combination of a database, analytical tools and an immediate SMS communication platform is the key to the build up of an immediate powerful marketing asset.

Case study 3 –
Grand Prix motor race

Assortments of SMS interactions supported by on-site advertising are used to generate the inflow of thousands of text messages from the event spectators. The database is used for communicating commercial offers to the motor sports fans. The organizers offer the event sponsors the opportunity to communicate directly with their fans, for market research and direct marketing.

The database created through the SMS interaction before and during the show includes not only the cellular phone numbers of anyone who texted a keyword, message or answer to a question, but also the details of her/his SMS activities. This information can serve as the first layer of analysis aimed at segmenting the audience into various sub-groups.

After asking for the permission of those included in the database for post-event communication, the system user can initiate at any point of time the sending of questions, information, or commercial offers. Questions can provide better understanding of the consumer profiles of members of the club, and can be a great source for market research knowledge. Commercial offers can be directed to the relevant segment in the club population, where the returning answer can serve as an immediate order. The system can send SMS coupons for receiving discounts upon presentation to retailers.