SMS become more popular like never before

WHEN I took up amateur photography, the only expectation I had was the possibility of finding a creative outlet and at best an inspiration to travel.

The viewfinder seems to have provided a great deal more than that.

My random excursions to shopping malls, busy streets, parks and even Zoo Negara in search of the perfect picture has unearthed an unusual but interesting trend with huge marketing potential.

While hoping to capture people going about their daily lives, I noticed young couples not just hanging out and spending what seemed like quality time but also doing something I didn’t expect; constantly texting away on their cell phones.

The occasional SMS when you are with your partner, I figured, was understandable but to be doing it non-stop, I assumed, was just bad manners.

My curiosity eventually got the better of me and I got into my discovery mode to find out why.

Had the rules of engagement changed so dramatically for this millennial generation? And who were they texting to? More importantly, why?

I have to admit, this empirical research has been one of the more interesting ones I have involved myself in. It’s been casual, personal, tedious yet fulfilling. Here’s a peek into just some of what I found.

With over 90% penetration of cell phones in Malaysia and perhaps even higher penetration in urban centres, it’s logical to assume that certain rules are bound to change. Marketers and advertising agencies alike need to start looking a little deeper into behaviour that this technology is affecting.

While there is no denying that broadband access through the ubiquitous cell phone is something to look forward to, it’s the simple text messaging that is altering behaviour like never before. SMS is now.

This simple application is allowing cash-strapped young people who today cannot fully explore 3G due to price to remain connected virtually 24 hours. And it is this connectivity that deserves further discovery.

Twenty years ago, we used to collect our days’ events and share them over coffee or tea in the evenings. There really wasn’t any other way to do it.

The extreme in those days was the stereotype of your typical teenage girl glued to the telephone. That image was synonymous of the times.

Times may have changed since but that need to stay connected hasn’t and is today being fed like never before.

Young people, aged roughly between 16 and 24, are sending out anywhere between 40 – 60 text messages a day.

Events in their lives go digitally public within their close-knit community moments after they happen.

These text messages range from personal issues about pocket money to more serious confrontations with bosses if they are employed.

Combine that with over 10 calls a day that sometimes complement these messages and you realise that there is very little talk about in the evening.

Personal time is increasingly becoming quiet time with short conversations in between text messages. So who are these text messages going to? Mostly common friends.

And when I spoke to them about content, it was facetious at best. The messages are mostly about nothing of significance. This may spell doom for old world romance but it also defines a powerful new marketing opportunity.

Conversations with these youngsters revealed that silence can sometimes be overwhelming and a text message, even from a marketer, is a welcome break.

The right marketing message about a sale or an interesting promotion quickly gets forwarded and becomes an event for them to gather in numbers.

As I discovered, this "Now" generation is unlikely to remember a promotion or event for less than a few hours. The stimulus needs to be timed such that it targets them when they need it. The potential for such a message becoming viral is highest in the evenings and over weekends.

For the affluent urban Millennials, this takes on a whole new face. Armed with camera phones, images are uploaded almost immediately on social networking sites like Facebook and Friendster. The time lag for participating in a social event is nearing zero. An entertaining evening is quickly populated by friends on such sites. If you are targeting young, urban, affluent consumers take heed of the speed with which social networking can turn a poor turnout into a crowd.

Find the mavens on Facebook and Friendster and cultivate them as ambassadors. The game is much bigger than merely having your brand’s profile on these sites. We need to get deeper.

Surprisingly, perpetual connectivity is resulting in a lot of free time. And that time needs to be filled with exciting events and cleverly designed marketing initiatives.

A word of caution though; just as a "happening" event can become bigger than it was intended, a poorly organised one can go from bad to worse. Digitally, bad news travels faster than good news.