Dubai has finally introduced a recent change in a Telecommunications Regulatory Authority’s (TRA) regulation which allows customers to block SMS. This long awaited measure was taken after the TRA has received a large number of complaints from the consumers, nevertheless this measure was already adopted a long time ago in Europe.

This article explains that retailers are required now to communicate to their own customers and therefore need to build their own database with an “Opt-In”system: customer will be required to formally accept commercial communication from the retailer and potential partners.

At ATON, we share the same vision and have strictly implemented this approach since many years in Europe, our solutions allow members to choose whether or not to receive SMS and e-mail.

When retailers cannot use as much as they would like SMS and e-mails, they can opt for new and different solutions like e-couponing, a great means to send unlimited coupons to customers, that they receive on their smart phone or on a web account. Why not choose also to receive them on Facebook ? These features belong to the new generation of direct marketing tools, trendy, attractive for customers and easy to handle for retailers.

Contact us if you want to know more…

Click here to read the article (Gulf News, 22.07.2010)

This very interesting article written by Joel Groover from “Shopping Centers Today” Magazine shows how the mall gift cards are growing in popularity, unlike retailer gift cards in the US market. In 2009, at a time when consumers were more careful with their dollars, mall gift cards have offered significant advantage of greater choice. Read the full article. (Source: Shopping Centers Today, February 2010).

Even the most creative shoppers can run out of gift ideas. And even the most gracious recipients sometimes hate the gifts they receive. Thus, the popularity of the gift card. But a tough economy is changing the way consumers use this shopping option. Read more… (source: SCT Today, May 2008)