WASPA, the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of South Africa, looks after mobile users by keeping Mobile Aggregators in check. Starting from 26 August 2014, we can expect a few changes to their Code of Conduct.
Because mobile marketing is still a relatively new form of marketing, there aren’t such clear-cut guidelines on which practices are acceptable and which aren’t – unlike traditional channels that have been under scrutiny for decades.
In a nutshell, what does it mean for Mobile Aggregators?
Opting out
Keywords that consumers are allowed to use when saying “no thank you” to your services, are:
- End
- Cancel
- Unsubscribe
- Quit
- Stop
- Competition entry fees
Although it is still good practice to inform entrants how much they will pay to enter a mobile competition, it is not required to do so. But only if the entry is free or the rate is that of a standard text message.
Marketing times
It is bad practise to send SMS marketing material at inappropriate hours. But just in case you aren’t sure which hours are inappropriate, DON’T send messages on:
- Sundays and public holidays as contemplated in the Public Holidays Act, 1994
- Saturdays before 09:00 and after 13:00;
- All other days between the hours of 20:00 and 08:00 the following day.
Confirming cell phone numbers
If you use a web form to capture a consumer’s cell phone number, you have to prove that the number does indeed belong to the person in question. Luckily it is easy to do the confirmation: simply send a pin/ password to the mobile user (via SMS or USSD) that they have to use in order to complete the form.
No more “accidental” subscriptions
It often happens that consumers don’t subscribe to a service at all, but much to their disgust, they receive mobile marketing material from a provider. But there are also times when people unknowingly subscribe or forgot they had subscribed in the first place. To help sort this problem out, a consumer now has to go through a “Double Opt-in” process.
Integrat is a Mobile Aggregator in South Africa and a proud member of WASPA.
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