IVR: Not Just for Call Centers Anymore
IVR has been around for years. But when marketers think of IVR, they often think first of the automated phone lines that handle calls to the bank or the local cable company, rather than the incredible mobile marketing opportunities surrounding the technology.
According to Wikipedia, AT&T first used Dual Tone Multi-Frequencies in the 1960s and by the 1970s, companies began automating their call center tasks with the technology. In the 1980s and 90s, real costs savings materialized alongside the increases in computer processing power and introduction of Voice XML, which has made IVR a necessity for most corporations. Today between movie listings, bank balances, and voicemail, most consumers interact with IVR systems at every turn.
So when did IVR overcome its automated call center origins and become a hot mobile marketing tool that is still gaining traction with entertainment clients and brands? Automatic dialers for political campaigns and opinion polls brought awareness of non-traditional applications for IVR in the late 90s and early 2000s but I would argue that the first mainstream consumer marketing use of IVR incorporated customized messages from Samuel L. Jackson in 2006.
New Line Cinemas mounted an amazing marketing campaign that year, tied to the August ’06 release of “Snakes on a Plane” that included a brilliant IVR component. More than 1.5 million people sent personalized messages from Samuel L. Jackson to friends telling them to get out and see the movie. From the movie’s website, consumers could enter their friends’ phone numbers, select personalized options including jobs, physical features or car type, and then their friends received a call incorporating the information. People loved it. And a new marketing tool was born.
In today’s world, musical artists and movie studios use IVR extensively to interact with fans. Celebrity talent frequently interacts with IVR technology to deliver messages to thousands of fans regarding pre-releases of songs, tour dates, and venue information. IVR has fans feeling connected and engaged, and as a bonus, the marketing technology is incredibly cost-effective.
When you are realizing your mobile marketing strategy, be sure to think about incorporating an IVR component or you might miss out on a fantastic and fresh way to interact with your customers.
