SMS Advertising - A New Media Mix Tool

The public trials of the first cellular system began in Chicago during the late 1970s and the first commercial cellular telephone system was launched in Tokyo. Cellular telephone services were introduced in the US in the early 1980s, and became popular within a short span of time.

By the late 1980s, cellular services were operational in many developed countries across the world. Over the years, there was an improvement in both the number and quality of services offered on account of dynamic technological advancements. There were mainly two types of cellular services offered by operators - post-paid and pre-paid.

These cards were available in different denominations, and the customer could choose one, keeping in mind his/her call requirements and budget. When customers exhausted the call time they were entitled to, the services were withdrawn. To attract and retain their customers, cellular companies offered a host of other services like voice mailing, chatting, Internet browsing, roaming services, call wait/hold/divert options and games. Customers could also download ring tones and logos, and receive information (horoscopes, game scores, traffic updates and weather news among others). Subscribers usually had to pay for all the above services depending on the service provider's tariff plans.