UK newspaper giant increases reader’s respond rates, generates excitement and increases advertisement revenue using SMS tactics

20 Feb 2003 LONDON : The Telegraph Group Ltd (TGL) aimed to improve its capability in reaching out to its millions of readers. The paper publishing giant also wanted a quicker setup rate in operating multiple marketing campaigns in order to attract advertisers for each of its publication. The Telegraph Group publishes The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph, The Spectator and The Weekly Telegraph, which is circulated nationwide in the United Kingdom .

The use of email and Web-based polls on its sites were fine but its pace took too long. With the proliferation of texting among the UK population using Short Message System (SMS) technology, The Telegraph Group was quick to grasp its simplicity and powerful interactivity in getting SMS responses.

TGL and its subsidiary Hollinger Telegraph New Media Limited (HTNM) partnered with leading mobile services specialist Brainstorm Ltd, to license M-Brand in February 2003. M-Brand is Brainstorm's remotely hosted, Web-based mobile marketing tool. Its sole purpose is to enable the delivery of sophisticated, in-house SMS campaigns.

“We want to use mobile more and more so that a reader can react immediately,” said HTNM strategic development manager Robert Bridge . “It's potentially a very good mechanic for lead generation, enabling readers to reply to, say, car ads.”