Archbishops' Council launches PREMIUM text service for Lent
Saw this on the frontpage of today’s Telegraph.
I’m pleased to see some of our more ancient institutions taking advantage of and implementing newer mediums of interaction.
I think quite a few practising folk could be persuaded to get involved and use the service. For the 50 day period, you’ll be sent a text messge each day with some sort of Lent-related comment.
The deal is that you’ll be whacked for £1 to cover 10 messages, so call it a fiver for the whole 50 day period.
The frequently asked questions (pdf) reckons that this premium rate will help offset the Archbishops’ Council costs and generate a bit of revenue for Christian Aid.
I think it’s a wicked concept but I also recognise that Churches in the UK are having enough trouble getting attention in today’s world, that charging for the facility is a little bit limited in potential.
Charging simply kills the mildly-interested. I wonder how many people thought, ‘hmm, I’ll get that..’ and then noticed that it was a quid and then thought, ‘errrr… nah.’
Deary me. The Sunday Telegraph put the story on their FRONTPAGE and I’m sure many other newspapers did something similar. All that super advertising only to demand cash from people.
If they’d come to me for advice, I’d have told them to make it free because whilst I’m sure there are interested folk out there, based on my experience of mobile marketing, they’re most probably not minded to pay to receive the daily messages.
The two links from the LiveLent frontpage going to SMS FAQs and SMS T&Cs are bizarre. I know they need to put terms and conditions up, and it’s good they have, it’s just rather weird reading that on a religious site.
I’d have dumped the premium option big time. I wouldn’t want the unbelievers/believers flocking to my site and viewing the Archbishops’ Council or the ‘Church’ as a commercial entity.
In fact, after a bit of thought, I have upgraded my opinion to: It is ridiculous for them to charge.
We provide the Service to you solely for your personal,
non-commercial purposes. The Service may not be used for
any other purpose including without limitation, publication,
reproduction or transmission nor provided to any other
person and you are not permitted to amend any of the
contents of the Service unless expressly permitted by us.
Does anyone know if the Church of England has a service level guarantee? Or do they offer similar terms and conditions when you make a donation?
Oooh dear. ‘The Service may not be used for any other purpose?’ 😉
This is a bit naughty:
11 USER PRIVACY
By signing up to this Service you give us permission to
communicate with you from time to time via your mobile
for certain marketing, market research, analysis and related
purposes. It is up to you how much or how little information
you allow us to use for these purposes. The purposes
include informing you of other material which may interest
you.
You’d think the Church would abide by best practice and ASK you to OPT IN. Gosh.
Anyway I’m pleased the Archbishops’ Council is using the technology. I wonder who advised them to make it premium. I couldn’t find any mention of any mobile marketing company on the site.
More at www.livelent.net.
