Any of my fellow Canyonites will tell you, probably in an annoyed or animated way, that I’m a cell phone junkie. My iPhone has become such a permanent fixture in my life that I spend more money on bedazzling IT than myself.

Being the phone junkie that I am, I love to know what’s new and exciting in mobile technology. Normally I feel fairly ahead of the curve on mobile phone-related news, so imagine my surprise when I experienced my very own mobile phone first—an advertisement delivered via text to my phone.

Text- or SMS-based marketing campaigns are something our industry has been implementing for awhile. But, I’ve never been on the receiving end of an ad via SMS before. I have to tell you—I was super annoyed. It felt intrusive to me. It also made me wonder if SMS marketing campaigns will ever truly take off in B2B, or even B2C space.

However, there have been some successful national text-based ad campaigns and, I did some research and found that many mobile marketing companies make this point:

97% of recipients who receive an ad via text are going to view it within twenty minutes.

Can any other marketing vehicle do that? Certainly not print. Maybe e-mail marketing…but 97% within 20 minutes? That is quite a stat.

I’m sure there is a right fit for an SMS-based marketing campaign, but I haven’t experienced it yet. What do you think of this marketing tactic? Have you ever experienced a SMS ad?

‘I love my cell phone so much it was almost included in my Canyon bio picture.’

Everyday, marketers must come up with creative ways to target a certain market/customer, but how sure can you be that someone will even look at your information with all the junk mail out there?

Canyon Communications recently implemented a creative way for prospects to access information. Have you heard of USB laser pens? They are a great way to get people to access information. Rather than skimming a sell sheet or folder with materials, a USB laser pen forces people to insert a thumb drive to access your files. And, it’s easily accessible. No more searching through paperwork and folders to find information.

A USB laser pen can be used as:

• A pen
• A thumb drive
• A laser pointer for presentations

Interestingly enough, after we used these USB pens for a client, I received information from a company marketing its services. I expected to receive a folder with a sell sheet, brochure or a CD, but instead, I received a USB laser pointer pen! The accompanying note instructed me to look at the ‘media pen’ for more information. On the pen, the company incorporated a flash presentation on its service offerings. They forced me to insert the thumb drive to access the information.

Did their strategy work? Yes, it did and I will remember this company because they got my attention.

I receive a lot of direct mail. And, it takes a lot to get my attention when it comes to direct mail. So, I will hold on to and remember anything that sparks my interest. Just recently, I received a great dimensional mailer from 3dpapergraphics.com that I want to share.

Now, I wouldn’t recommend mailing it in an a window envelope the way I received it but, I was tickled when I opened the piece and out “popped” three more pieces. I admit, I was startled at first but then I realized how fun, creative and attention grabbing this direct mailer is. It’s definitely a great idea to keep something like this in mind if you’re struggling with the same lackluster mailers.

Have you received any creative or fun direct mailers lately?

Today marks the celebration of George Washington’s birthday, a.k.a. Presidents’ Day. It is one of 11 permanent federal holidays established by Congress. I’m sure the majority of you who are off work today are celebrating good ole George’s birthday and the rest of the faces that grace U.S. currency in your own special way.

Speaking of money…in 2010 marketers will be looking for more ROI than in years past and are shifting budget investments to more trackable online media and search marketing. According to a recent study by ExactTarget and Econsultancy, marketers plan to increase their online marketing budgets by an average of 17% this year. Therefore it’s more important now than ever to implement a SEO strategy and create effective online campaigns that will resonate with your target audience.

Are you planning to shift more of your marketing budget to online media this year? Do you have a favorite president or amount of currency?