Either its Bluecasting or Bluespamming, I think that the party implementing this idea to spam people, without people’s notice, just simply lacked the responsibility.

Although 3G’s popularity in the future and everyone’s access to wap sites non-stop. Don’t forget about the “location-base” and “push” attributes that BT has.

The invention of internet gave birth to many large corps such as Google, e-Bay, My Space etc. These companies actively do ads/PR/news release online. Why? Because online ads are the most direct way (with one click) to access these websites. Further more these people (sitting in front of a computer accessing the web) are the potential users of these websites.

In the near future, when people will spend more time accessing the web via mobile, larger companies that provides mobility services will emerge. What will be the best way to push these “wap services” to a potential user’s phone? Taking a QR code, send it and wait to be accessed? Yes, maybe, in some situations. In a lot of cases, it will be BT. When you’re in an outdoor environment, activating your phone’s BT to access mobile contents, will be the same as clicking a banner within a website to access Amazon.com.

BT cannot substitute other forms of ads, just like online ads aren’t killing TV/mag/outdoor ads. It will be a tool that has to be integrated with outdoor ads to provide location/environmental base communication solutions to fulfill the whole chain of communication.

So, for people who are pushing contents via BT, pls do it with responsible. Don’t let people think that its rubbish!

I’m a designer and right now i’m developing a flash lite app for a public transporter here in portugal.

The plan is to allow people to download or receive through BT a file wich will inform about timetable, rates, news, lines available etc, all in the phone!

so if you ask me, bluespamming is negative, however, having info to give through mobile support is positive indeed.
The question here (as with all the spam i guess) is permission.

even if subconsciously people like to be in charge. and deciding whether they want or not some info, makes them feel that way, hence avoiding spam!

that’s just my 2 cents though!

Also, I’d say that a 7% opt-in rate to direct marketing messages is really quite good, although as you quite rightly say this is a very targeted audience

I think that most people feel that their cell phone, texts and earpieces are completely off limits for marketers. Yet there are definitely times that I wish I could receive a restaurant recommendation on the fly. There is tremendous potential reaching customers as they walk by the store so of course people are going to try, but there definitely needs to be some tome of permission system or else things will spiral out of control.

Google adwords is such a phenomenal success because their ads are relevant, measurable and presented at the precise time that the customer is searching for the information. Obviously mobile marketing can be measurable, relevant and close (which is a huge advantage). The big question is if we can find a way to distinguish the customers that are looking for this information. Angering 93% of the people through their phones is way too many.

On another note I really enjoy the blog, thanks for writing. Mobile marketing and commerce has interested me for a while, but now I am looking to break into the industry. Would either of you have any advice as to companies that may be hiring non-tech people? I live in NYC and I am coming from a totally unrelated industry so I don’t have many contacts inside mobile.