Cherry Tree Mobile Media, a PDF Conference Sponsor, has finally produced their first campaign. They have partnered with Majority Action, an independent group that shines a spotlight on the records of Republican members of Congress (amongst other things), to produce television ads that allow viewers to text for more information.

In the ads, the first political ads in the United States to use text messaging, people are told to text the word "IRAQ" to 35328 for more information on their mobile phones about how to contact Congressman Jim Walsh and text the word "TRIPS" to 35328 for more information about how to contact Congresswoman Deborah Pryce.

"Texting gives the viewer an opportunity to act immediately," said Bill Buck, President and COO of Cherry Tree Mobile Media. "Political and advocacy campaigns must embrace the ability to communicate with an on-the-go society. Rather than expecting people to remember to go to a website and sign up, you give people an opportunity to immediately contact you with the one item they are never without: their mobile phone."

The ads, however, leave little to be desired in getting people to send a text message. As more companies and organizations start playing with the mobile medium they always seem to start by throwing it in for 5 seconds at the very end of something like, say, a 30 second television ad. Not only does Majority Actions ad do this but the announcer never even says or indicates the word text message. The words "Text TRIP to 35328" come and go before anyone has the chance to even know its an option or write down the shortcode. Everyone I showed the ad to either missed it or turned to me and said "Oh! I see why you like it, it said something about texting." When I asked them to send the text message they said they did not get the details.

I am also not sure if a television ad is the proper place for a call to action texting campaign as most successful runs thus far, so the theory goes, take place at event venues or commuter locations.

There is no word if any of these options have been considered.

SMS TV spots are good for American action like voting or for prompting people to get content like a ringtone... and even then you need more than 5 seconds... Not everyone has your shortcode memorized like you do.

This is not Cherry Tree Mobiles fault, however... unless they also consulted them on the marketing implementation. It will be interesting to see how many people catch the texting part of this campaign.

Cherry Tree Mobile Media appears to have a pretty strong wireless application provider behind them, however, in that they appear, based on information provided in their text message, to be using Proteus.

With this launch you can add the relatively quiet up to now Cherry Tree Mobile to your growing list of companies specializing in bring the mobile medium to the political masses.

View the Jim Walsh ad:

View the Deborah Pryce ad:

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Technorati Tags: 35328, cherry tree mobile media , congress, deborah pryce, iraq, jim walsh, proteus, sms, trips

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