OXFORD, United Kingdom-The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) reported an increase in the number of consumers complaining about unsolicited text messages. The organization said it upheld six complaints about SMS-based promotions this year, compared with none the previous year.
Most of the complaints, according to the ASA, center on promotions attempting to dupe cell-phone users into calling a premium rate number. However, SMS marketing company FlyTXT claimed if certain key rules are adhered to, SMS could be beneficial to both consumers and firms.
“Text messaging is a double-edged sword. It can ruin your brand if you misuse it or be deadly effective in creating customer loyalty if used correctly,” said Pamir Gelenbe, director of development at FlyTXT. “Responsible SMS marketing must involve a two-way relationship between advertiser and customer, ensuring that all recipients have opted-in to receive messages and allowing them to opt out at any time.”
The problem does not look like it will diminish, according to market research firm Forrester, which is predicting that 56 percent of firms will use text messaging as a marketing tool by 2003. Also in Japan, where recipients rather than senders are charged for messages, spam is reported to be a bigger problem, with nine out of every 10 messages on the DoCoMo network estimated to be unsolicited.
