Have I been pronouncing Clay Aiken's name correctly the entire time? I hope so, because even if I haven't, I don't think it would make me like him more. Maybe it's pronounced Asshat?
Meanwhile...
Keep your cell phone number to yourself. The ads are coming.
CHICAGO - Get ready for the inbox on your phone to fill up faster. From fast-food chains to carmakers to consumer goods manufacturers and sports franchises, more and more companies are adopting text messaging as a way to target consumers on the move.
The practice has taken off in the past year and appears a trend ready to explode, according to Gerry Purdy, an analyst for Frost and Sullivan.
"Probably the most important medium for advertising in the 21st century is going to be the cell phone, not print media, not billboards. It's just a matter of time — there are just too many of them," he said. Globally, the number of cell phones in use recently crossed 2.5 billion.
There ya go. They've found us. As for me, a person with no house phone, I guess I'm doomed. Junk mail ... Junk text messages. One of the reasons I ditched the house phone is because I got sick of answering calls from tele-marketers. Once there are enough of us, they will find us. I guess 2.5 billion was enough of a block for them to start the assualt. If I start getting charged for marketing text messages and calls, it will only be a matter of time before I'm sending smoke signals from the back yard. Laura has it figured out:
Text messaging "provides anytime, anywhere access to the consumer because the mobile phone is always on and always available," said Laura Marriott, executive director of the Mobile Marketing Association.
Sure, like when I'm driving or at work. Honestly ... leave me alone. If I want your product, I either already have it or know where to get it. Stop calling me. Jeez ... even McDonalds:
"Text messaging is going to be a big opportunity," Barrett said. "It not only offers us a fun way to engage consumers and a great way to have a conversation with them, but in the future it represents an opportunity potentially to make the McDonald's process even easier for consumers to use."
I think McDonald's is easy enough to use as it is. If I want to have a conversation with you, I'll pull up to the drive-thru and talk to the big speaker.
As if our lives weren't cluttered and busy enough, now we're going to have to deal with this nonsense. We'll have to get Congress involved; create more laws, another "don't call" list and more bureaucratic red tape. All in the name of corporate marketing.
Oy.
6 comments:
So, are text messages not covered in by the "do not call" list? figures they would find some way around that law. I don't have a home phone either, but I rarely use text. So I suppose I could simply cancel the text feature. Telemarketers (or texters) drive me INSANE!
Since I don't like talking on the phone, I like text messages, but only when I send them or get them from friends. I'd hate to have to give up the privilege for the sake of this nonsense.
Yes, they have figured a way around the "do not call" thing. I do occasionally get calls from tele-marketers on the cell. They come up as UNKNOWN, and I don't answer.
It's a bitch to have to give out my phone number, but sometimes I don't have a choice. I'm not sure that the world has caught up to us not having house phones. I didn't see the point to paying 2 phone bills, so I ditched the land line.
I'm really curious to know what McDonald's has in mind to "make it easier" to use the restaurant.
Kate: You could probably start with a terse letter to the Mobile Marketing Association, to the attention of the woman in my post. That might get some attention.
Although, you may want to edit the "f*** off" :)
LOL...So noted!!
Or ... they'll take your cell phone number and use it to try to sell you Pepper Spray.
LOL!! That I might buy.......
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