Founders Alec Andronikov and Derek Merrill of Free411 competitor InFreeDA have launched a new mobile coupon startup MoVoxx after selling off their free 411 service to AT&T. The service lets you move print coupons on to your mobile phone by dialing into an 800 number listed with the print version, or subscribe to weekly SMS updates of coupons that interest you for free. Coupons are just text messages, so advertisers will have to be willing to have them spread through forwarding. Subscribers can also deactivate their account by SMS or MoVoxx.com.
MoVoxx quietly launched this Wednesday in San Francisco, where they are based, with the Guardian and San Jose Mercury news as partners. Both papers are running ads of the service in order to expand their advertising reach to an opt-in mobile audience. MoVoxx says that print coupons get about a 1% redemption rate. The opt in structure is sure to push that higher. We reported earlier that Cellfire has been seeing a 20% redemption rate by making coupons mobile. The Guardian launch is geared toward coupons dealing with nightlife, while the San Jose launch is aimed at dining. MoVoxx hopes to keep the signal to noise ratio high by only sending updates of 2 or 3 three top coupons during the later half of the week, coinciding with the most social nights of the week.
MoVoxx has an interesting take on mobile coupons by appealing to the least common denominator in mobile access, 800 numbers and text messaging. Startups like Cellfire may be the technological future of coupons, but are limited by what phones they work on, the required software download, and making it’s own advertising relationships. Cellfire currently works with 9 advertisers. Movoxx, on the other hand, has the potential to quickly snatch up a wide range of advertisers (big and small) that already work with print publishers. Their main hurdle, though, is sure to be earning the trust of the average user to hand over their phone numbers.
Updates: Since we last covered Cellfire, they have launched Cellfire Express, which allows any phone with a WAP browser to access their service.
I joined yesterday but haven’t received any alerts yet. Look forward to seeing this service in action!
From their RentaCoder request:
“We are looking for a downloadable J2ME application similar like cellfire but much
simpler version. You can visit our website at Keywords:Hand Held / PDA,Computer
Platforms,Embedded Systems.”
Looks like they got a bidder for their $5K ask.
I like to welcome this service. We rolled out Text2store.com apha and limited beta at end of November. We are signing merchants and shoppers up and we will be rolling out our full beta nextweek with some media buzz.
Oliver, I will send you our press release.
Ola Ayeni
Founder
Text2store Mobile
Where we connect merchants and shoppers via sms with coupons and deals.
Ya know, this is pretty old hat. in 2000 a company called GoZing was providing this functionality on pagers, alerting folks to new music releases (on Tuesdays), giving away free drinks from Subway at lunch. The problem, as I recall, wasn’t that folks didn’t want to get the alerts nor that there weren’t companies unwilling to make offers, but that there was no way to track the redemption of the offers. There was no way to limit the use or understand their efficacy. GoZing now only seems to offer surveys. All that’s old is indeed new again.
Service and Platform is weak! And they make some pretty big claims!
“…Free411 competitor InFreeDA…”
Very clever… or not.
It’s interesting how the only people who have posted seem to be people pushing their services? Is there anyone out there who actually used this service and has feedback as opposed to trying to market their own products? … I signed up and so far received a $5 coupon for a concert @ the Mezzanine. A few weeks ago got an offer for a new sushi place in Berkeley too…anyone out there have positive/negative experiences so far? I went to the concert but didn’t go to the sushi place.
-B
To old hat> I would think that inside a WML file you could create a response method to track the stats on the coupons
or require a code to activate the coupon at point of sale.
“but that there was no way to track the redemption of the offers. There was no way to limit the use or understand their efficacy.”
Send a barcode via MMS instead of SMS to the customers mobile phone.
Starting from June 1, 2007 T-mobile USA will charge the same rate to send/receive sms and mms (15 cents each or $14.99 for unlimited).
Harold @ baycloud.com
I recently heard of mobisherpa.com. It’s a mobile coupon site that uses wireless website so it does not matter what phone you are using or who your service provider is. They let you vote on what kind of coupons you want to have or would like the service to provide. Service is a good concept, names kind of cool!!!!!!!!
Hello all,
If you are into mobile coupons, you should check out Yowza! It’s now the third most popular app in the lifestyle section of the app store, and is currently working with Dairy Queen, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sports Authority, and a bunch of local shops and restaurants.
The brochure is available at http://www.retailsmartguys.com/Yowza.pdf.
Right now, it’s super cheap for retailers to get involved. The pricing is in the brochure.