To ensure that fans had a positive experience , 21st century technology was used by super bowl XLIII.

To provide text messaging capabilities to their fans in order to report any unruly or negative behavior,The NFL selected InStadiumSolutions (ISS).

Fans were able to text issues directly to the security command center in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL, from their mobile phone.

Scott Meyers, vice president of sales and marketing for ISS, Sunrise, FL said,”Our strategy is trying to get penetration in venues and stadiums across the country with 15,000-plus patrons, on both collegiate and professional levels.”

“The NFL has instituted a fan code of contact to try to curtail obnoxious, rude fan behavior to make it a better experience for fans at the stadium,”he added.

He further said,”They want to give fans a voice to empower them to have a say in what’s happening around them.”

“There are a limited number of security personnel, so SMS lets fans voice an opinion without having to stand up and be identified as a snitch.”he added.

The main aim of ISS text messaging system is to let fans have a voice and allow the venue to handleissues quickly and effectively.

To give fans a voice and allow venues to act upon the various issues that may crop up during a game,text messaging is the simplest tool.

The InStadiumSolutions platform lets venues increase their efficiency in handling those issues and connect with their fans via text messaging.

At Dolphins Stadium,there is a stadium command post,where ISS is also being used.

Recently,at the BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 8, held at Dolphins Stadium,the ISS system was used.

Including the San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings Other NFL teams using the ISS platform.

Mr. Meyers said,”Several other NFL teams are in the process of adding the ISS system before next season.”

InStadiumSolutions offers text messaging services for any type of venue. Its system allows stadium issues to be received within seconds by stadium staff for quick response and resolution.

The Web-based software platform provides stadiums, arenas and other venues with event reports that can be exported to Microsoft Excel.

The ISS system can perform several other functions including use as a staff communication channel and as a parking and weather alert system.

Also, it gives venues and teams the ability to run interactive games and contests and send after-game permission-based marketing messages.

To join and complete via its multi-platform offering in time for the Super Bowl ,KlickSports, a provider of live, sports-based interactive prediction gaming, is targeting sports fans.

Via both online and mobile formats, consumers can participate in predictive gaming for sports enthusiasts during the Super Bowl.

Jose daVeiga, CEO of KlickSports, Los Angeles said,”We’ve been trialing this for quite a while, and we had a soft launch at the end of November with college basketball and football bowl games.”

“Brands include our message in their existing marketing efforts, word has been spreading through Twitter, Facebook and word of mouth, and now we’re doing a big thing with the Super Bowl,”he added.

Mr.Jose daVeiga said,”We started seeding it and getting feedback, we’ve made lots of upgrades, and now we’re ready.”

He further said, “We’re always improving, always changing and fixing things, and always adding new things.”

Consumers can visit the KlickSports site at http://www.klicksports.com/promo/1271,to participate in the sports-based prediction gaming.

After two years of stealth trials and beta development,it’s offerings was unveiled by KlickSports.

Including the addition of MLB, NCAA basketball and soon soccer to the roster of games,the company secured $1.2 million in an initial round of funding in feb.2008 and has since experienced a number of milestones.

With AT&T and Valero, operators of Diamond Shamrock, as sponsors,KlickSports debuted the SMS game in-venue at the Alamo Bowl in 2006.

In addition, KlickSports deployed the mobile component of a Fox Sports college basketball campaign and a 12-week radio and online campaign with Kentucky Fried Chicken in Hawaii.

During the NCAA Paradise Jam basketball tournament,KlickSports ran a one-week SMS promotion.

To the success of a sports team,fan support at games is fundamental, which is why British soccer club Aston Villa turned to SMS in order to fill seats.

Calling for their support,Aston Villa tapped Relay Station to broadcast text messages to the mobile phones of opted-in fans.

In this season’s UEFA and FA Cup,Aston Villa is working hard for a Champions League spot and also has hopes of success.

Sharon Maslyn, managing director of Relay Station, Amesbury, Britain said,”Aston Villa is targeting season-ticket-holders with an easy-to-use system, which lets them buy tickets immediately using their mobile device.”

“The goal is to increase the number of people who attend the games,”she added.

To governments, banks, enterprises, small-to-medium enterprises, charities, professional organizations, sports clubs and other types of operations with large audiences,relay Station is a communications provider.

The new Relay React service of relay station,enables reply text messages to trigger a voice message and for fans to be connected immediately with the ticket office.

No incentive is offering from the side of the Aston Villa SMS campaign.It’s aim is to make it simpler for fans to buy tickets.

Sms has been used by Aston Villa for quite some time to attract sales of tickets and kits, also known as “strips” or uniforms.

Ms. Maslyn said,”Season-ticket-holders buy their tickets once a year, but their season tickets package doesn’t cover all matches, and they’re not used to going to a Web site or call in to buy tickets,
so this makes it as easy as possible for them to carry out transactions.”

Including all the mobile numbers of their season-ticket-holders,Aston Villa already had a database of their opted-in fans.

She said,”Fans opted in through various marketing campaigns and clubs get their information when they buy season tickets.”

“Over time they have built up a great database of info on their fans,”she added.

Relay Station sends out a text message to all of Aston Villa’s fans for the interactive SMS broadcast which typically reads “Are you interested in buying a ticket for Aston Villa’s game against.”

To get a voice message sent to them automatically,the fans can then reply YES via SMS.

Ms. Maslyn said,”It’s all automated, so we made it as easy as possible to buy the one-off ticket sales for special matches.”

Dewar’s White Label,Bacardi’s Scotch whiskey brand and Japanese brewer Sapporo sponsored (CLL) PHN-LCKN ‘09, an SMS-themed marketing event that took place last week in New York.

The happycorp/LVHRD, a marketing agency & mobile marketing agency 5th Finger that fuels interaction between creative professionals through unconventional events and digital media, organized the event that attracted close to 300 people.

To keep subjects entertained throughout the marketing experiment,A DFA recording artist from Portland,Yacht,OR, performed, and Dewar’s and Sapporo provided complimentary drinks.

“We focused specific audience outreach on the advertising community,” said Conrad Lisco, mobility planning director for 5th Finger, San Francisco. “We worked with various advertising-related blogs and media outlets to get advertisers and marketers to the LVHRD event.

He said,”This allowed marketers to see, in real time, how our audience, their potential audience, could leverage mobile technology to deliver brand messages while getting a unique user experience.”

The event took place at 92Y Tribeca in Manhattan.

Each consumer was given a “protective” white jumpsuit with a four-digit number emblazoned on the front,Upon arrival.

The subject that were asked to text in their first name, last initial and a brief bio with their four-digit ID number to a short code.

For each subject,the bios were broadcast onto two large screens (one above the stage and the other next to the bar) in the event space.

The experiment was to give test subjects access to information about fellow subjects via common mobile phone functionality.

To receive a text message with that person’s bio,each subject could text in another subject’s four-digit code to the short code.

To gauge the experiment’s success rate,LVHRD and 5th Finger documented all interactions with the master SMS database.

According to Clickatell,enterprises, governments and communities worldwide need SMS emergency response strategies in place to send information, connect people and save lives.

Last year,the whole world had to faced many tragedies such asthe earthquake in China, cyclone in Myanmar, wildfires in California and Australia, and Hurricane Ike hitting Texas.

At that time,when these event occurred, people often got separated from family.They were in harms’ way and immidiately they needed to send and receive critical information.

Chuck Drake, executive vice president of marketing for Clickatell, Redwood City, CA. said,”Governments, communities, organizations, schools and small and mid-sized businesses need to consider an emergency communications plan using SMS for immediate and assured delivery.”

He further said,”If tragedy happens, there won’t be time to do the easy steps necessary to send out critical information.”

“So, organizations should implement these SMS emergency alert plans now before tragedy strikes,”he added.

The most appropriate example of how SMS was used to connect families during times of chaos is ‘The Hudson River emergency airplane landing’.

At the time of the crisis,the government agencies who needed to be informed had laid out a mobile plan of action-in advance-to communicate via SMS immediately.

For example,Local and national government and private organizations must be able to communicate bad weather, community tragedies and other unforeseen events that affect people in the heat of the moment and also letting them know if they should leave an unsafe area or pick up their children immediately.

People might have to wait for critical information from television, radio, or the word on the street Without a solid mobile communications plan in place .

Because at the time of crisis,people may not be able to receive critical information that is necessary to save their lives unless delivered directly to their mobile device.

Tens of thousands of people would have been better informed via their mobile phone prior, during and following the crisis If local enterprises, governments and communities had each established an SMS-based emergency alert system ahead of time.

Mr. Drake said,”SMS is important because it is immediate”
“It reaches people exactly where they are,”he said.

He further said,”Everyone has a cell phone and every cell phone has SMS built in. SMS gets through even when voice and other communication forms might not be able to.”

In order to extend its sponsorship of the London Marathon, Adidas ran a mobile campaign.

Through the services of Marvellous, Adidas have created a Java application for the mobile Web that tied together with radio-frequency identification chips in runners’ shoes with timing mats on the course. People could enter a specific runner’s unique code via the application or online to get the latest information on that competitor’s progress and projected finish time.

Jon Carney, CEO of Marvellous, London, said that “Adidas is a prime sponsor of a number of marathons around the world, they wanted us to help extend and amplify that sponsorship, so we created the adidas Runner Tracker.This came out off our insight that everybody who runs a marathon runs it not as an individual but with loads of support from family and friends.We created something to help runners stay in touch with their support system while running a marathon.”

The application lets family and friends follow a runner around the marathon course and cheer on their loved one.

According to Jon, The campaign was designed to inspire people to run better with the support of their loved ones and it is Adidas encouraging them to achieve the impossible.

Adidas AG is a German-based retailer of sportswear and is part of the Adidas Group, which comprises Reebok, TaylorMade and Rockport.

Its tagline in current ad campaigns is “Impossible is Nothing.”

Adidas featured the mobile call-to-action “Text the keyword RUN to the short code 83040” within print advertising and on billboards around London.

Those who texted in received a text-message with a WAP link redirecting to a mobile site where they could access the application.

Information available within the mobile application included a mapped location, average speed and estimated finish time for the specific runner, meaning that friends and family could be in the right place at the right time.

The application is compatible with practically all handsets across all British carriers.

Supporters could also send personalized messages of encouragement to large digital displays around the course, which appeared as each runner approached them.

T-Mobile is offering a chance to party like a rock star with punk-pop band blink-182. The company has launched a text-to-win program to promote its new 3G Sidekick LX handset. The program is named “Live the Rock Life.”

Consumers are asked to text the keyword ROCKLIFE to the short code 95495 for the chance to win one of 10 first-prize awards or the grand prize of partying with blink-182 and $20,000. T-Mobile’s text-centric Sidekick handset has remained popular among the younger generation, and for them the best way to communicate is SMS.

According to Derek Chang, director of sponsorships and promotions at T-Mobile USA, Bellevue, WA, T-Mobile created the Live the Rock Life with blink-182 sweepstakes to drive consumer awareness towards the launch of the new 3G Sidekick LX. He said that they have partnered with a well-known band to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience through a simple text-to-win promotion.

T-Mobile and its Sidekick franchise have always stayed top-of-mind with the youth demographic. This group is constantly bombarded with new brands and experiences that try to capture their attention.

The new 3G Sidekick LX is the latest and greatest in the T-Mobile family of Sidekicks, boasting a sleeker design, full QWERTY keyboard and, most importantly, third-generation processing power.

To be in the top of the minds of young generation, T-Mobile has pulled out all the stops for this campaign, offering a wide range of indulgences as part of the grand prize. The lucky winner of the Live the Rock Life sweepstakes will win $20,000, a first-class trip to Los Angeles with what T-Mobile has dubbed as “Fave Five” (five friends of the winner) and accommodations at a private Hollywood estate complete with a butler and chef. Not only that, but the grand-prize winner will also get the chance to hang with blink-182 during a sound check, ride with the band in their tour bus, sit at a VIP table during the blink-182 Hollywood concert and receive band gear signed by the rock group.The lucky winner will also win a new 3G Sidekick LX handset, as well as five more for his or her Fave Five. The winner will also pocket $1,820 for a shopping spree at The Fast Life, a Los Angeles clothing retailer.

This campaign is is being promoted through retail appearances with the band, promotional advertising in retail locations, street teams and numerous social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter.

Text messaging,the same 160-character dispatches that was first popularized by nimble-fingered teenagers.It may be the closest thing in the information-overloaded digital marketing world to a guaranteed read.

According to CTIA, the wireless industry trade group,text messaging is also known as SMS (for short message service).The use of text messaging has exploded in this country.Every day 3.5 billion text messages are sent and recieved.

The number of sms is more than of cellphone calls and it has a threefold jump from 2007,with some of the biggest increases occurring in people over the age of 30.

According to the latest cell-carrier research,thanks to regulatory quirks, however,text messaging is still a relatively uncluttered and spam-free marketing channel. It’s also the one medium of communication that most of the people are tethered to 24*7. Which helps explain why, at a time when in-boxes fill with hundreds of never-opened e-mail messages from direct marketers, 97 percent of all SMS marketing messages are opened.

Jeff Lee, president of Distributive Networks, a text-messaging application and consulting firm based in Washington said,“I like to think of it as the certified mail of digital communications.”

“When you want to be sure people see something, send it by text,”he added.

To announce Joe Biden as its pick for vice president,Mr. Lee’s company worked with the Obama campaign on its use of SMS in August 2008.To receive the text some 2.9 million people registered.

Because of this promotion, millions of new mobile phone numbers are generated, which the campaign then used to send out more texts drumming up donations and volunteers.

After a year, in part inspired by the publicity over those efforts,to increase ticket salessports teams are using SMS , health clubs are using it to hand out trial gym passes, and a luxury home-design chain plans to use it to enhance the shopping experience for the customers.

According to mobile ecard provider Sharpcards,mobile messaging’s busiest time of the year is Valentine’s Day .

A range of branded mobile ecards to its loved-up users is offered by sharpcards.

Will Walsh, CEO of Sharpcards, London said,”The point is that MMS is now an exciting part of the messaging mix and carriers and mobile marketers are starting to take it seriously.”

MMS is supposed to bring in revenues of $31 billion around the world in 2009, that’s over $1 billion more than SMS did only 5 years ago when it was hailed as a massive success.

Mr. Walsh said,”MMS enables a richer experience for an increasingly demanding customer base keen to communicate with more emotion and personality.”

“Sharpcards is shaping the way in this new wave of rich-media messaging, partnering with the likes of Disney and Hallmark to deliver a truly compelling alternative to SMS.”he added.

By the end 2008,the mobile messaging market raked in around $130 billion in revenues & it is on target to increase that to $224 billion by 2013.

Although its majority is made up by SMS, the popularity of MMS has been increasing steadily over the past few years.

Over 1.5 million mobile personal greetings was sold worldwide by sharpcards in 2008.Around 20% of those sales (300,000) coming from Valentine’s Day alone.

Mr. Walsh remarks,”In the future MMS will be a key tool for mobile marketers.”

“Ecards could also be a useful tool for companies to get their message across at an appropriate time.”he added.

He further said,”"Furthermore Sharpcards is building up a huge wealth of information around messaging, giving further insight to customer behavior around communication — what people send, to whom, why and when.”

Currently,sharpcards runs messaging services for Orange, T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon and H3G

In the words of Mr. Walsh,”"The Mobile phone is the communications tool of this century — and so it is only natural that it will play the major role in bringing love together on Valentine’s Day.”

“On the way out is the hand written letter; a greeting card is rather old fashioned,”he said.

To stay in-the-know,Fox Soccer Channel is letting fans sign up for text-message alerts.

Including England’s Barclays Premier League, Italy’s Serie A, Major League Soccer, Women’s Professional Soccer and a host of international tournaments such as the FA Cup and CONCACAF Champions League,The alerts will encourage viewers to tune in to the wide range of programming offered by Fox Soccer Channel.

Bhavesh Patel, vice president of interactive media for Fox Soccer Channel, Los Angeles said,”The strategy of the new text-message campaign is to drive tune-in to on-air Fox Soccer Channel programming through an additional medium.”

“Fox Soccer Channel wants to provide up-to-date programming information to the loyal base of soccer fans,”he added.

Including Major League Soccer, England’s Barclays Premier League, Italy’s Serie A, the Argentine First Division and Australian Hyundai A-League, as well as such global tournaments as the UEFA Cup, English FA Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, CONCACAF Champions League, 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup,Fox Soccer Channel offers coverage of soccer available in the U.S.

Soccer fans have to text keyword FSCTV to short code 37288,for signing up.

Mr. Patel said,”The predominant viewers of Fox Soccer Channel, according to Nielsen research, are tech savvy young males ages 18-34, so this is a perfect match.”

He remarks,”Fox Soccer Channel provides on-air and online coverage of national and international leagues and tournaments from around the world every day of the week, so we want to make sure our viewers have all the information on when they can catch the various matches on-air.”

Including AT&T Wireless, Verizon Wireless, Alltel, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Virgin Mobile USA. the text message offering is available on different U.S. carriers,Powered by 2ergo’s mobile messaging manager.

“2ergo works as a service provider for Fox Soccer Channel,” Mr. Patel said.