Submitted by Mike Grenville on Tue, 19 Oct 2004 10:29

A Califorian newspaper is using SMS for instant polling in the presidential election with participants receiving mobile coupons for a meal at a local restaurant.

The Bakersfield Californian newspaper and its television partner, CBS affiliate KBAK-TV (29 Eyewitness News), are using text messaging because traditional opinion polls target land-line phones, potentially excluding voters that are not at home or in the office during the brief time pollsters’ calls are made.

Over the next three weeks, real-time text polls of Presidential, Congressional and State Legislature races will be a key element of part of the media outlets’ election promotion program. The wireless polls are being promoted in advertisements at the Pacific Movie Theater, the Valley Plaza mall, and in the local Red Robin restaurant, as well as in newspaper and television announcements.

The SMS campaign is being run using mobile marketing company NetInformer’s technology and services.

“The newspaper will push election results to wireless phones as the polls start closing” said Tim Repsher, The Californian's technology manager.

The paper's Web site presents continuously updated results of the polls through NetInformer’s polling application. The company’s text message system will also deliver local and national election results to the mobile phones of those who participated in any of the polls.

The election results text messages are sponsored by the local Red Robin restaurant, and poll participants will receive a mobile coupon for a discount on a future meal.

The Californian is also offering one voter will win a portable DVD player and another voter will win a digital camera that will be awarded to randomly selected poll participants.

www.bakersfield.com

www.redrobin.com

www.netinformer.com