The Future Of Mobile Marketing Lies In Unlimited Access

Maybe I'm just an old fart, but when I'm on my cell phone, I have an internal clock that tells me how many minutes I'm using.  My wife and I share 1000 minutes, and that's plenty with our business, but we have gone over on occasion, and I always feel disappointed (and a little angry) at the overage charges.

Sure, we could bump up the minutes, but when you go through several months not getting close to your limit, you'll kick yourself for buying too much.  And if you want to change your plan, you're stuck with the same carrier for another two years.

Why is this important?  Verizon and AT&T are introducing unlimited plans that are reasonable in cost, and they cover voice and text.  As these plans become more common, and continue to drop in price, consumers will feel more comfortable using their phones for commerce.

I think this is one of the big reasons mobile marketing hasn't taken off.  If 20-30% of users (and it's probably higher) feel like I do about minutes and paying for texting, the freedom and relative cost of unlimited plans will wipe away barriers to cell phone use.

All of a sudden, the attitudinal concerns consumers have about text clubs, coupons, and even mobile newsletters will be a question of convenience, and not cost.  Mobile will have caught up to e-mail and the internet as low-cost alternatives to the users.  If I'm already paying for it, I'll use it.  Why do you think people take such long showers in condos (water use is often covered as part of your fees in condo developments)?