Political SMS Marketing · SMS Marketing Examples

Mitt Romney Sends First Text Message

Mitt Romney App

Mitt Romney’s campaign sent out their first text message last Tuesday announcing his new and exciting mobile app. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t appreciate the 5:00 am PST wake-up call.

Romney’s mass text message promised all who downloaded his Mitt VP App would be the first to know who his VP choice will be. Sounds pretty similar to Barack Obama’s 2008 Campaign, where an estimated 3 million people opted in to receive a text message with the name of his VP Candidate. Mitt’s text message is below.

Mitt Romney's Text Message

I tried downloading the app because I read some pretty negative reviews and wanted to test it out. Upon opening the app it asked me to log in or create a “My Mitt” account. The first page prompted me for basic information like my name and email address. That information apparently wasn’t good enough because then it took me to page two, where it asked me for my phone number (not sure why this wasn’t pre-populated – amateurs) and home address, neither of which were optional. No address no mobile app.

Once I had finished giving Mitt my blood type, mother’s maiden name, and favorite color, (that was a joke), it warned me that by signing up for this app I was automatically signing up for the Mitt Romney Campaign’s contact list. So not only would I get to find out who Mitt’s VP would be, but I’d also be bombarded by all things Mitt to my mobile phone and home address.

The question that remains unanswered is how successful Mitt’s VP App will actually be and how will it compare to Obama’s 2008 mobile campaign? In my opinion, not very successful with the number of hurdles it makes you jump through to sign up for the app—and that’s not even taking into consideration the 50% of Americans who can’t even download the app because they don’t have a smartphone.

 


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