I came across this article in the Wall Street Journal, and I found it interesting: online.wsj.com/article/SB100008723963904...35960.html?mod=e2tw.

In the States, some youth-oriented fashion brands have discovered teens and twenty-somethings respond to marketing messages they receive by text message. In fact, they respond better to text messages than to emails.

Why are text messages a more appealing medium than emails? You opt-in to text message-based marketing, whereas with emails, some marketer could buy a list containing your email address and try to sell you something you're not interested in.

My question is this: how many Canadian stores do this? Readers, what are your personal feelings about text message marketing?

I think this is a smart idea...for now. Today's teens are much more likely to respond to text messages than emails. And there's something about marketing through text that makes it more personal.

I have signed up for text message coupons before and appreciate them coming straight to my phone. And I think I am more likely to use them when they come to my phone as opposed to my inbox. Part of the reason for this is because there is just so much traffic coming to my inbox now, I tend to delete the marketing messages without even reading them. But text messages I almost always read.

At the same time, I'm not about to give my phone number out to every retail store or restaurant I visit. I don't want to receive texts nearly as often as I receive emails.

I think the reason this marketing approach is working right now is because it's new, and it makes your brand stand apart from the rest. But as soon as everyone else starts following suit, it won't have nearly the same effect. It has the potential to becoming even more annoying than email marketing.

Agreed, it's definitely evolve or die, and the teenager demographic is one of the most difficult to crack.

A text message will stand out right now, but I can easily see this getting to the point where users will need text filters and spam protection. Is a "do-not-text" list in our future?

The US FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has some interesting thoughts on how to reduce the amount of unsolicited texts.

I know I carry my phone on me when I am out shopping, and I sure don't carry my computer with me. Coupons sent to my phone are very handy. I have been on JC Penney's text messaging for about a year now, for my US cell phone, and it is great. I just wish the companies would allow you to specify a maximum frequency for receiving the texts - for example, 1 per month.

This would also solve the ink killing problem with some coupons that are sent by email. My Jack Astor's coupons used to kill my red ink cartridge - coupons (heavy red background) had to be printed to be used - I couldn't just show it in my blackberry. I contacted their marketing department, and they changed their coupons to say they could be shown on mobile devices, not just printed. Terrific solution, that others need to implement (some have, some haven't).

As an aside, another challenge I find is receiving notification of a sale, with a coupon code, where the sale starts in a couple of days, rather than being available immediately. Aritizia sent me one of these, with a customer coupon code, but then, to my happy surprise, they honoured it immediately for my daughter!!

Cheryl