Textopoly moves the marketplace with just 250 text messages

Steve Yzerman is a name that will mean next to nothing to international readers of Mobile Industry Review. A quick Google reveals that he was a rather good Ice Hockey player playing with a team by the name of the Detroit Red Wings.

Steve has been retired since 2006 and is now President of the team.

All good, right?

Mobile services geniuses, Textopoly, are managing the Detroit Red Wings mobile strategy. About a year ago they setup a keyword, REDWINGS, as a demo for the team’s marketing chaps. Text REDWINGS to the Textopoly shortcode and you’ll get a message back letting you know that Steve is coming out of retirement. An excellent proof-of-concept demonstration — and, obviously not accurate.

Well, the other night, a Red Wings team member knocked out an email to people encouraging them to text REDWINGS (the, er, wrong keyword) to sign-up to mobile alerts and the like.

Only, the keyword that Textopoly recommended they use was actually WINGS. That’s shorter, better, easier to type.

Text WINGS and you get signed-up as normal, right?

Text REDWINGS and you get the demo message about Steve. Saying he’s coming out of retirement. Heh!

Well, 250 people texted the wrong shortcode almost immediately upon receiving the email and … woosh: A media frenzy erupts. All over the sports news and ice hockey sites.

Somebody obviously picked up the demo alert. Forwarded. Forwarded it and before anyone knew it, it was making news. Fascinating! What a really good example of the power of the medium.

Obviously Mr Yzerman issued a clarifying statement saying he was amused by the text message but that it was just a mix-up. Heh. Excellent!

It’s about time sports teams really got to grips with the mobile medium — if they need any proof of the viral power and influence that mobile yields, they should take a look at this example. Most of the UK Premier League Soccer teams have got text alerts. In fact, if I recall accurately, Newcastle United has begun sending fans news updates ahead of the media.

Why bother with the mainstream media and their distortion when you can talk directly to your customers fans?

I’m looking forward to seeing how the Red Wings mobile service performs over the coming months.