As a type of media to buy, Mobi-Action is like a virtual, interactive billboard. The actual content of a campaign is a Flash movie and the campaign takes place over a time period using available phone lines in our Network Operations Center.
Some campaigns, such as the ones shown in Case Studies, are unusual custom projects. This gives an idea of what is possible with Mobi-Action, but in most cases a campaign will use standard options, described below.
Buying a Mobi-Action campaign slot is a simple matter of reserving a time period and giving us a starting point in terms of designing the Flash movie (see Campaign Setup, below). Ideally, all graphical and video assets will be ready for final conversion and deployment. If this is the case, deployment can take as little as two weeks.
Coverage
Mobi-Action can work with nearly all mainstream mobile phones in Japan. Currently the iPhone is not supported, but it will be in the future. Some older AU phones are not be compatible with the service.
Please note that consumers do not require pake-hodai plans from their mobile carrier in order to enjoy Mobi-Action campaigns. Consumers typically receive a videocall, which does not incur packet charges or any charge for the consumer. If consumers make a videocall, they will pay per-minute charges which will vary by carrier and monthly plan. We recommend that instead the system calls the consumer after the consumer makes a normal phone call to request a call-back.
Costs
Mobi-Action campaigns use a phone call as the means of inquiry by the consumer and the means of delivery of the campaign. Therefore, the way a campaign is billed is similar to the way telephone service is billed. It is also possible to deploy Mobi-Action as a system integrated within a corporate infrastructure – if that is of interest, please contact us for details.
A standard Mobi-Action campaign can be charged at per-minute, daily or monthly rates. By estimating usage in advance, you can save money by using a rate that includes a certain number of minutes. For example, daily rates can include 500, 1500 and 3000 call minutes per day. (When usage exceeds the expected level, we will adjust the rate to provide the maximum discount possible.) Multiple campaigns can be run by the same advertiser at the same time, which together will account for the daily or monthly volume.
Campaigns that are offered for free or do not involve the consumer making a purchase are often contained within a one-minute or two-minute length, typically based on the length of videos included in the campaign. Therefore, the usage rate can be estimated and budgeted with reasonable accuracy.
Other costs include a small setup fee (see Campaign Setup, below), which includes the provisioning of a dedicated phone number that consumers dial to request your campaign. In addition, Mobi-Action charges a Cost per Conversion, which is 10% of the retail value of a purchase conducted within a Mobi-Action campaign.
Points of Entry
There are three ways in which a target consumer can begin to interact with Mobi-Action:
- Mobile ad leading to landing page with option to click a link to make a phone call
- Website ad leading to a landing page with a form for the user to enter a phone number
- A phone number is published in any medium and the consumer simply calls the number
We always recommend using a call-back method to start the consumer engagement, meaning that the consumer will make a normal voice call and then request a call back by pressing a key. This will generate the highest potential response rate and is built into our cost structure.
It is helpful to know the expected response rate from any of the points of entry so we can estimate the traffic in our Network Operations Center. Depending on the availability of phone lines, we may recommend a certain timing to some points of entry. Some media are more time-sensitive than others. For example, a TV ad will generate a high level of traffic within a short period of time, whereas a magazine ad will generate a lower level of traffic over a longer period of time.
These are some of the factors we take into account when scheduling a campaign. Other factors include the nature of the campaign (for example, a morning wake-up call), which may require a greater call volume at certain times of day.
Campaign Setup
Campaigns can be delivered as Flash movies or a design concept. In either case, final graphical and video assets must be delivered in order to deploy the campaign smoothly.
For a standard campaign, the typical production time is two weeks from when we receive the design concept and assets. This of course depends on the approval process and whether assets need to be modified. The cost of campaign setup is a standard production fee which can be reduced if campaigns are delivered in near-final form. Custom campaigns, meaning those with unusual design requirements, require a design and production fee quoted in advance.
Scheduling a campaign depends on the nature of the campaign and entry points, as described above, and so we recommend discussing campaign ideas with us before entering the production cycle. As part of campaign setup, we provision a dedicate phone number for your target audience to request a campaign.
Campaign Options
A standard Mobi-Action campaign consists of media assets, typically videos, and a menu of potential actions by the user.
The menu can use all the standard keys on the phone keypad to request actions, including:
• play the video again, play another video, or go back to the menu
• purchase something
• send SMS to the phone (which could include a web link)
• set a schedule
• answer questions, as in a quiz
• request a call-back
• capture video and post to a website
• move a cursor on on-screen element
Videos can be provided in a range of formats and we will convert them as part of the setup process. We recommend using videos that will be effective on a wide range of mobile phone screens.
Stages of Communication
A Mobi-Action campaign can include several sub-campaigns or evolve over time to encompass other campaigns. Mobi-Action is focused on communication with a consumer, and there are many ways in which that communication can develop and grow.
For example, a sub-campaign may be useful to engage a consumer on initial contact from a particular point of entry, such as a magazine ad. That sub-campaign could lead to a weekly entertainment service with the option to buy additional services or products. Later, a website ad introduces another promotion that is also added to the weekly entertainment service, and so on.
The possibilities are endless, and many forms of marketing and content delivery can be tied together in a Mobi-Action campaign.
Please contact us or one of our representatives to get started today!
