United States
Posted by KatrinVerclas on Jan 11, 2007
In today's New York Times there is a full-page ad for Amnesty's Close Guantanamo campaign -- complete with a short code for a text-in campaign. Text believe to '30644; to opt in to the Amnesty campaign. This is the frst time that a major campaign is using a text component in their work here in the US. Of course, it's par for the course elsewhere in the world, but organizations have been cuatious here for fear of annoying supporters, and unsure of the ROI of the investment.
Posted by PrabhasPokharel on Mar 09, 2010
The Mobile Intent Index data sheet 2483 Views
Abstract:
Ruder Finn's Mobile Intent Index examines the underlying motivations or reasons – intents – people have for using their mobile phones. The representative and Census-balanced online study of 500 American adults 18 years of age and older who "use their mobile device to go online or to access the Internet" was conducted in November 2009 by RF Insights among respondents who belong to Western Wats' large consumer panel, Opinion Outpost. The Mobile Intent Index asked respondents how frequently they use their mobile phones to go online for 295 reasons.
The study reveals that 95 percent of mobile phone owners use their devices to stay informed, including 60 percent who browse news on current events and 39 percent who read a local newspaper. Among other findings, 100 percent of those studied used their phones to simply pass the time and 93 percent connected with others via social networks.
Posted by KatrinVerclas on Nov 20, 2008
The Vodafone Americas Foundation has a new Wireless Innovation Challenge to promote innovation and increase implementation of advanced wireless related technology for a better world. The foundation is providing $600,000 in awards to support projects "of
exceptional promise." The Challenge is open to projects from universities and nonprofit organizations based in the United States.
Projects must demonstrate a multi-disciplinary approach that uses innovation in wireless related technology to address a critical global issue in one or more of the following areas: access to communication, education, economic development, environment, or health. The
technology should have the potential for replication and large scale impact. Teams should have a business plan or a basic framework for financial sustainability and rollout. Submissions deadline is February 2, 2009.
Posted by KatrinVerclas on Nov 03, 2008
The 2008 election in America has seen a much greater use of mobile technology than in any election before in this country. The Obama campaign in particular has been touted as very innovative innovative in its use of using text messages as part of their voter and volunteer engagement, culminating in the unprecendent text message announcement of the vice-presidential pick that went to an estimated million new text subscribers.
But these are not the only innovations. In the waning days before the election, a number of other efforts stand out that take advantage of mobile phones. Here are a few:
Posted by CorinneRamey on Jun 25, 2008
Note: This primer was written for the NTEN newsletter, targeted at a US audience and thus focuses on America. For more on mobile advocacy in many other parts of the world, see here.
Mobile phones are more prevalent in the U.S. than ever before. Today, over 86% of the US population ages 13 and up owns a mobile phone. Although Americans say that the mobile phone is the device that they hate the most (it even beats the alarm clock and the television!), the cell phone is here to stay. In the past decade, mobile users have grown from about 34 million to more than 203 million, and growth is expected to continue to increase exponentially.
Posted by chrisken on May 22, 2008
This entry is cross-posted from Rock the Vote's blog.
Thousands of people download voter registration forms every day from Rock the Vote, but they don't necessarily know the voter registration deadline for their state. We're all busy and it can sometimes take people a few days or weeks before they print and mail the registration form. One of the programs we've been testing at Rock the Vote is the use of text messages to remind young people of their registration deadline. Our early evaluation results from the primaries indicate that these SMS reminders boosted registration rates of our registrant list by about 4% points!
Posted by KatrinVerclas on Feb 13, 2008
Mobile donations to nonprofits have been stymied in the United States - hampered by the high fees charged for text message gifts that are then billed to a mobile phone customer.
When a donor gives to a nonprofit via text, more than half of the contribution goes to the telephone carrier, leaving less than 50% to the nonprofit, an unacceptable margin for most charities. Combined with low donation caps -- no more than $5 per SMS with a total of five SMS for a $25 donation -- and other charges for short codes and mobile vendors, nonprofits have determined that mobile giving is not worth it.
This is about to change.
If the Mobile Giving Foundation plays its cards right, mobile donations via text message may just explode this year.
Posted by KatrinVerclas on Jan 18, 2008
Political ringtones, wallpapers, and SMS election updates are part and parcel of election campaigns in countries around the world -- from Spain to Kenya to the Phillipines, from Argentina to the Ukraine. It is has taken until this year's presidential election, however, for political contenders the United States to catch up.
