The Chicago Automobile Trade Association is making mobile a core part of this year?s Chicago Auto Show.

The association teamed up with Text2Drive to collect opt-in mobile numbers of those in the Chicago area that were later incorporated in the CATA?s promotional advertising campaigns leading up to the auto show. The Text2Drive platform will be used to drive show attendance and increase attendee?s participation by raising awareness and creating a buzz around special events, featured vehicles and show promotions.

?Mobile is a great fit for us because we have a lot of people coming through the show every day and we can connect with them and let them know about special contests and giveaways and it?s an interactive way to work with our exhibitors to help reach out to attendees,? said Mark Bilek, Internet director of the Chicago Auto Show, Chicago.

Text2Drive offers car shoppers a method of obtaining vehicle information without the need of the Internet on their mobile phones.

According to Nielsen only 30-40 percent of consumers have Internet connectivity on their phones.

CATA?s use of mobile
The CATA is using Text2Drive to increase show attendance and exhibitor engagement at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show.

The organization?s mobile marketing campaign is divided into three campaigns: (1) pre-show, (2) during the show and (3) post show.

The pre-show campaign?s goal is to collect opt-ins through traditional and interactive advertising and marketing efforts leading up to the event.

The mobile numbers that are collected will be used to send show reminders, special events alerts and other notifications that will draw potential attendees to the show.

During the Show, the CATA will use Text2Drive to increase participation and engagement by enabling attendees to vote on their favorite cars, get information, view photos of vehicles sent to their phones, participate in giveaways and receive special alerts of events occurring the day the attendee is at the show.

Post show, the CATA will work in conjunction with Text2Drive to provide original equipment manufacturers and local car dealerships access to the mobile database for remarketing purposes.

?Text2Drive is the ideal service to fulfill CATA?s mobile strategy at the show because the Text2Drive Mobile Marketing Center was created and designed specifically for large events that require the delivery of large amounts of information at very specific times and dates,? said Gregg Owen, CEO/cofounder of Text2Drive, Chicago.

?Because the size of Text2Drive?s mobile pipeline thousands of texts can be delivered either via keyword campaigns or by way of text blasts in a matter of seconds,? he said. 

?It is both the speed of delivery and the simplicity of campaign construction that makes Text2Drive the ideal partner for the CATA and the 2010 Chicago Auto Show.?

Specific promos
CATA and the 2010 Chicago Auto Show have 24 vehicles that are all in competition for ?Best of Show? at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show.

Signs are found next to each and every vehicle that is in competition. Attendees are asked to text VOTE REGAL to 37483. Here are some calls-to-action at the show:

Once visitors vote, totals are accumulated electronically in Text2Drive?s Voting/Polling section of its Mobile Marketing Center.

At the end of the show the winner will be announced both via email and text messages sent to anyone who opted-in and voted.

Each day at the show, prizes are given away such as $25 gift certificates for some of Chicago?s finest restaurants, or tickets to the Brookfield Zoo, to the first person who finds ?Mr. Potato Head? at the Chrysler Delta Concept car located in the South Hall, for example. 

Every few hours other prizes are placed near other Auto Show ?Best of Show? vehicles, which when found are awarded to the person who finds them.

These announcements are made only for those Auto Show visitors who have opted-in to the ?At The Show? text campaign.

Certain restaurants located at the Auto Show location also offer discount meals at various times.

These discount offers are texted to show visitors who have opted in to the text campaign.

?Mobile is the ideal channel for the CATA and the 2010 Chicago Auto Show because it creates a very high level of excitement for show visitors who opt-in,? Mr. Owen said. ?Once a message is sent out that asks visitors to find a certain object located at the show visitors can be seen moving throughout the show attempting to find the object and then win the prize.

"It?s fun,? he said. ?It keeps the mobile public engaged while they are the show and is a very easy way to deliver whatever message the CATA would like sent to Auto Show visitors.?