TEXT FOR TENNIS TICKETS

Nothing gets people’s attention like the possibility of a prize dangled in front of them.
Indeed, the Sony Ericsson Open and Starbucks have partnered for just such an event. The two have joined forces on a new promotion that will offer tennis fans in Florida the chance to win a pair of tickets to the Sony Ericsson Open or the 2007 Wimbledon Championships. Beginning March 13, anyone with a text-capable cellphone at a Starbucks in Florida had the opportunity to play a trivia game via text messaging on their mobile phone. A text code provided at each Starbucks location gave participants the opportunity to answer two trivia questions to have a chance to win. The promotion ran through March 25 and the winners are expected to be announced soon.
Red Fish Media L.L.C. is behind the application and the platform used for the promotion. President Matt McKenna says he’s seen significant growth in the mobile voting and notifications in the three years since he started the company. McKenna, who used to be an international celebrity deejay under the moniker “Matt E Love” spinning for the likes of Anna Nicole Smith, Shaquille O’Neil, Justin Timberlake and Carmen Electra, says he became fascinated with the wireless business after seeing its colossal popularity and apparent transcendence throughout Europe.
“I like the interactive side of mobile, getting participation from people,” he said in a recent interview with RCR Wireless News. “We like the messaging because everybody can get it; we’re capturing the entire marketplace.”
The Florida-based company has launched other promotions ranging from trivia and polling to ringtones and more detailed business-to-business applications and voting. It also has a service to send text alerts with daily lottery drawing results in all 50 states.