An open letter of thanks to Clickatell's Peter de Villers

Peter,

Thank you, thank you thrice thank you. Well over a year and a half ago, Stefano Sessa, one of your marketing chaps dropped me an email enquiring as to whether I’d be interested in running a Clickatell ad on SMS Text News (as Mobile Industry Review was then named).

I was surprised — then delighted — at the request. I recognised the value in the union and swiftly became a huge fan. In particular, I was impressed by the manner in which Clickatell didn’t necessarily judge ROI based on clicks and impressions. I remember explaining to Stefano that our audience aren’t clickers. That’s not what they’re about. As the vast majority already work in and around the industry and, to put it mildly, are a little jaded (bordering on cynical!) when it comes to traditional marketing efforts, the Mobile Industry Review audience are shapers. Opinion formers. And purchase decision makers. Indeed the research that my team have been formulating (it’s still rough) estimates the Mobile Industry Review audience economy to be around £150 billion — or midway between Singapore and the Phillipines in terms of GDP. (The rough calculation — 10% of the audience or 30,000 readers each with C-level influence over a gross budget of of £5m). Counting clicks won’t ever be how you measure the influence over the Mobile Industry Review audience and I’m wholly grateful that you never tolerated ROI based on clicks alone. Kudos.

It’s about influence, attention, awareness. Ask me for a recommendation for a bulk text or mobile services firm and my answer is immediately and wholeheartedly Clickatell. To anyone who will listen.

After a few months of working with you I began to enjoy pointing out that you were not offering competition and comprehensive services, but that you also were supporting the site, enabling me to offer better and better services!

Although Mobile Industry Review is underwritten by me, your financial support through your continued purchase of the frontpage ad space on the site has been hugely valuable. I don’t necessarily mean in cash terms — more in the confidence to experiment and innovate. It gave me the confidence to develop the offering, the audience and do more than I would ever have done had we not struck a deal.

Your support has been most sincerely appreciated.

I have always worked hard — perhaps, on reflection, a little too hard — to see that you’ve always received reciprocal if not greater benefit in return for your support. I hope — and I trust — that this is the case.

Sadly the time has come for us to part company effective today. Alas I never managed to make it down to your Cape Town head office either 😉

Every success to you and to all at Clickatell and thank you, thank you THANK YOU for your support!

Kind regards
Ewan MacLeod
Founder & Editor,
Mobile Industry Review