I recently discovered a company down in the Bay Area called Zoove (www.zoove.com). Well, saying I discovered them is a stretch as they’ve been around for a number of years quietly building a compelling direct response mobile marketing service.
Essentially called StarStar, the Zoove platform allows companies to purchase vanity or brand StarStar (“**”) codes and use them to deliver marketing, advertising or other call to action messaging to users of mobile devices.
This makes it very easy for consumers to, say, get information on BMW by simply typing in “**BMW” for example and have BMW send them updates, information, etc. straight to their mobile device. Such messaging can include SMS, MMS, WAP or Voice Services. Additionally, Zoove retains the ability to reserve certain codes to develop advertising networks or applications. For example, “**Autos” could be a car finder application as well as a “keyword” against which to sell advertising.
This is a compelling, opt-in, marketing model that by-passes the cumbersome SMS/TXT campaigns currently underway as they remove the need to memorize lengthy messages or codes. Simply ** the company name and you’re there. Brilliant!
Zoove is using the service to reach out to brand advertisers who are constantly seeking more effective direct response mechanisms to engage and interact with mobile consumers. Zoove’s compelling and near ubiquitous mobile platform looks to give them this capability.
What I find exciting about the StarStar concept is its similarity to how URL’s and domain names have become a key marketing tool for companies and brands. Like a domain name, having a StarStar account will quickly become a “must have” for companies looking to market their services in the mobile space. I think Zoove is just scratching the surface of what’s possible with StarStar marketing and is a company I intend to watch closely.
