Written By Reprise Media | August 22, 2005 | Share This |

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The idea of commercials on cell phones is nothing new, with most consumers knowing enough to protect themselves from an onslaught of text-based spam.

However, there’s a new breed of mobile advertising that takes a different approach - one that’s generating a great deal of debate among privacy advocates, marketers and consumers alike.

Its friends call it “Bluecasting” while foes call it “Bluespamming.” Whatever you want to call it, the practice of beaming advertising messages to Bluetooth-enabled cell phones via transmitters located in public places such as airports and subway stations was recently used to promote the new Coldplay album. Filter UK, the agency behind the technology, reported a 15% response rate as the result of its Bluecasting Coldplay campaign, significantly higher than that of direct mail (usually around 1%).

Supporters say Bluecasting is less intrusive than other forms of mobile advertising because it first sends a message “asking users” if they’d like to receive the ad. Fair enough, but as Mike of techdirt points out, asking someone if they’d like to recieve an ad is still sending an unsolicited message.

These ads are the equivalent of a door-to-door salesman ringing your bell and asking you if you want to listen to a sales pitch, but what’s worse is that instead of your own home, they’re being delivered in places where you are usually A. in a rush, and B. in a bad mood, C. more likely to be having a bad consumer experience.

Not counting out this mode of advertising entirely, just saying that there are ways to do it that are a little more consumer-friendly. This article in the Wall Street Journal has more.

Topics: Wireless & Mobile |