MOBILE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS TO THE YOUTH
An Analysis of the MXit Platform
Charmaine du Plessis
Department of Communication Science, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
Keywords: Mobile Commerce, Mobile Marketing, Mobile Marketing Communications, Mobile Social Network, MXit.
Abstract: This paper explores the various ways in which mobile marketing communications are available to the youth
on a very popular South African mobile social network site known as MXit. The popularity of cellular
phones has resulted in mobile-based brand advertising and promotions that specifically target the youth. The
mobile medium is used by marketers as an additional channel to current marketing communications
strategies. Because the mass market in South Africa does not use expensive cellular handsets, the format of
mobile marketing communications is kept simple. MXit offers its subscribers effortless and accessible
technology as well as appealing content, which is why it has become a prominent advertising platform. This
is illustrated by examining two mobile marketing communication campaigns (one completed and one
continuous) using MXit as an additional marketing communications channel to existing traditional
marketing communications channels.
1 INTRODUCTION
The mobile platform has become increasingly
dominant as a method of communication, simply
because a cellular phone is permanently switched
on, is within reach and is a very personal device.
Marketers are therefore making use of the
opportunity to communicate information about their
products and services to their target market in what
is known as “mobile marketing”.
According to Pousttchi and Wiedemann (2006),
mobile marketing is a division of mobile commerce.
They define mobile commerce as “any kind of
business transaction, on the condition that at least
one side uses mobile communication techniques “.
The focus of mobile marketing lies in the fourth P of
the four Ps of the marketing mix: promotion, which
is why they therefore prefer the term “mobile
marketing communications”. Pousttchi and
Wiedemann (2006) define mobile marketing as a
“form of marketing communications using mobile
communication techniques to promote goods,
services and ideas”. This definition of mobile
marketing is adopted for this paper.
A variety of technological platforms support
mobile marketing applications, such as wireless
application protocol (WAP), short message service
(SMS) and multimedia message service (MMS)
(Carroll, Barnes, Scornavacca & Fletcher 2007:81).
Because a cellular phone is a very personal item,
it has a great deal of potential in terms of tailor-
made, personalised, two-way interaction, especially
between the marketer and the customer. Other
advantages include high reach, relatively low cost,
high retention and flexibility. Marketers can
virtually reach cellular phone users anytime and
anywhere, even more so than the internet, because
customers always carry their cellular phones with
them. Marketing communication messages sent via
a mobile medium represent mediated interactivity
(communication between two individuals facilitated
by a device). However, interactivity can only occur
if the recipient of the message chooses to interact
with the sender. Marketing communication
messages should therefore be designed to generate
interactivity as a result of its perceived value
(Sinisalo, Salo, Karjaluoto & Leppaniemi
2007:774).
To develop more effective ways to target
consumers, service providers have begun to explore
the marketing potential of mobile social networks of
consumer-to-consumer communication. For
example, Vodafone pushes Multi-Media Messaging
(an enriched form of texting that enables consumers
to attach sounds, pictures, and videos to their text
messages by enticing SMS users to share and
experiment collectively with this new service
5
du Plessis C. (2010).
MOBILE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS TO THE YOUTH - An Analysis of the MXit Platform.
In Proceedings of the International Conference on e-Business, pages 5-13
DOI: 10.5220/0002886200050013
Copyright
c
 SciTePress

(Kleijnen, Lievens, De Ruyter & Wetzels 2009:15).
Advances in internet tools and cellular phone
features allow numerous mobile applications such as
to personalised ring tones, phone interface and style,
screen savers, information, SMS alerts, address
books, pictures albums and MMS services. Because
they can personalise their own mobile service
experiences, cellular phone users increasingly
demand affordable and reliable services that
correspond exactly to their specific individual needs,
lifestyles and preferences (Sigala 2006:395).
SMS is still the most popular mobile data
application for marketing (Timpson & Troutman
2009:59), but marketers are also exploring other
mobile marketing strategies to reach more
consumers; in other words, not only those who
have been granted permission to be opted in to
receiving mobile advertising messages. Marketers
increasingly let consumers subscribe to a branded
mobile channel (contracted with a mobile service
provider) where they can access different offerings
that may include exclusive content as well as
applications, games, special opportunities,
incentives, and even emotional experiences to
strengthen the value of the sponsoring brand while,
at the same time, generating business value. As a
result, organisations engage with consumers on a
deeper level and increase their brand loyalty;
consumer retention is also enhanced (Friedrich,
Gröne, Hölbling & Peterson 2009: 54). Because a
cellular phone usually belongs to one person only,
mobile service providers are also able to do
“contextual marketing” to their subscribers based on
tracked information such as geographical position of
users, technical addresses of the cellular phones and
customer profiles. Contextual marketing refers to
the extent to which e-businesses use the internet to
provide customers with relevant information in the
right context and in real-time (Lee, Korea & Jun
2007:799).
However, marketing via a mobile platform also
poses various limitations and challenges, such as
small screen size, limited bandwidth, device
diversity, limited set of visual and audio capabilities,
and issues such as permission-based regulations,
consumer trust, and perception of personal intrusion.
Marketers therefore consider the mobile medium as
a complementary or substitute channel to current
marketing communication strategies (Sinisalo, Salo,
Karjaluoto & Leppaniemi 2007:775). Alternatively,
they use mobile marketing communications
primarily to strengthen the organisation’s brand
(Okazaki 2009:168).
2 MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS
TO THE YOUTH
The popularity of cellular phones has resulted in
mobile-based brand advertising and promotions that
specifically target the youth. Although the youth
market is often referred to by marketers as
“adolescents”, “Generation Next”, “Generation Y”
or even the “internet or iGeneration”, researchers of
the Golden Age youth survey – which was
completed in 2008 – now challenge the traditional
demographic definition of “youth”. They argue that
the traditional definition of youth is no longer
relevant in today’s society and that the
youth market
is much larger than is believed. Marketers should
therefore “target consumers based upon their
engagement and participation in youth culture rather
than on their chronological age”
(http://www.netimperative.com/news/2008/october/
1st/study-debunks-2018golden-age-of-youth2019).
Cellular phones are essential to many youth
lifestyles. Not only have they become indispensable
fashion statements, but they also help their owners
connect with and synchronise peer networks. Using
cellular phones may also help young people gain and
maintain peer group acceptance (Grant 2007: 224).
Young people have an “intimate relationship” with
their cellular phones. Mobile marketers realise that
they can reach the youth at any time (Okazaki 2009).
Numerous studies examining the reason for youth’s
rapid adoption of cellular phones refer to the uses
and gratification theory, which assumes that media
audiences are active, seek goal-directed gratification
that the choice of media lies with the individual, and
that media compete with other sources for
consequent satisfaction (Leung & Wei 2000). Other
studies refer to the social network theory, which
stresses the importance of personal attributes in
terms of obtaining a certain position in a network
(Kleijnen et al 2009). Ling (2007:60) refers to
research in Europe, which indicates that mobile
communication enhances informal social interaction
within the user’s immediate group of friends –
which makes cellular phones an indispensable item.
Research by Nielsen in 2009 on media usage by
teenagers in the United States (and other countries in
which the company tracks internet use, such as the
United Kingdom, Italy, France, Spain, Germany,
China, Brazil, Australia and South Africa) reveals
that teenagers send text messages at incredible rates,
and that they are also early adopters of all mobile
media. Marketers can therefore reach them through
other mobile platforms; in other words, not only
ICE-B 2010 - International Conference on e-Business
6

through SMS marketing (Nielsen, 2009). Another
study by Nielsen in 2008 found that teen mobile
media users were approximately three times as
interested in mobile advertising as the total
subscriber population. This means that more than
half of teen mobile media users can be considered as
open to mobile advertising (Nielsen, 2008).
Jenkins (2006) explains that, since young people
are generally skilful when it comes to new
technologies and therefore adopt new mobile
technologies quite quickly, marketers also attempt to
engage them with an organisation’s brand via mobile
databases. For instance, some magazines aimed at
teenagers may encourage their readers to opt in to
receiving free SMS messages (for instance, CAR and
Seventeen magazines) to encourage interaction with
the brand. When marketing to the youth, “safe and
ethical communication and interaction” is the key to
the success of any mobile communication. All
communication should be brand related and
integrated into the organisation’s brand strategies
(Jenkins, 2006).
Many young people in South Africa have
adopted inexpensive mobile and rich-media and
internet-based applications (Kreutzer, 2009).
However, because the mass market in South Africa
does not use expensive cellular handsets, the format
of mobile marketing communications is kept simple
to suit users’ phones
(http://www.totallymad.co.za/?idstory=20984).
3 RESEARCH QUESTION AND
METHODOLOGY
The research question for this study is:
How do mobile marketing communications occur in
a popular South African mobile social network?A
case-study approach was used, because mobile
marketing communications is still not fully
understood. According to Rowley (2002:16),
acase-
study approach is appropriate when existing theory
is lacking. A case-study approach is also useful
when the researcher mainly asks “how” and “why”
questions and uses a research strategy designed to
investigate an event in its real-life context. A
purposive sample of two case studies was selected
(one completed and one continuous), because the
two campaigns exemplify how mobile marketing
communications take place within a popular mobile
social network. These two case studies were then
analysed using the following evaluation criteria
(which were taken from the literature):
1. Which marketing communication tool (as
identified in MXit) was used?
2. Which aspects of mobile marketing
communications were adopted by using this tool?
In addition virtual ethnography was used which is
the practice of ethnography but only in an online
setting (Bosch 2009:187).
Various mobile social networks exist in South
Africa (for instance, The Grid and Ubyou), of which
the most popular, among the youth, is MXit.
4 MOBILE MARKETING
COMMUNICATION USING
THE MXIT PLATFORM
4.1 MXit Explained
According to Andrews (2008), MXit was introduced
into South Africa in 2005 by a company known as
MXit Lifestyle. It was introduced as a free mobile
instant messenger programme tailored specifically
for cellular phones – to provide users with instant
access to social networks and music downloads.
Chigona and Chigona (2008) explain that MXit is
“network-independent” and can operate between
users on any network provider; users do not have to
be on the same network. Some South African youths
also use other international MIMs (for instance,
mig33 and Fling).
MXit has since released a PC Beta version to
also include access to other features such as
information, the gallery, Joe Banker, and Tradepost
(see 4.3 below). MXit is available for virtually all
Java phones and has recently launched the new
MXit Elite for smart-phones, an MXit client for
Blackberry, and is looking to launch an iphone
application. This means that users can chat to other
MXit users on their cellular phones or PCs anywhere
in the world via the internet through GPRS or 3G,
rather than through standard SMS technology. Users
can chat using up to 1 000 characters at a time, at a
fraction of the cost of a standard SMS. In addition to
basic chat services, MXit offers users the chance to
meet people, play games and customise their phones.
The latest MXit version, V5.6.3, allows users to tab
control for chat screens, make calls using MXit, and
includes more text mark-ups and a faster start up and
log in. MXit now has (2009) more than 14 million
users worldwide (Andrews, 2008) (since its
expansion into the international market).
MXit users send approximately 35 000 messages
per second during peak times and also has a
MOBILE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS TO THE YOUTH - An Analysis of the MXit Platform
7

community that visits the system more than 20
million times a day
(http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/410/78/379
52.html). This allows users to chat individually or in
chat rooms, the only charge being the cost of the
data sent, which makes it far cheaper to send
messages via MXit than SMS) (Pasquinelli, 2009).
As from September 2009, MXit was also
integrated with Facebook, allowing users to interact
with their Facebook contacts via MXit’s platform.
MXit users can already access Yahoo! Windows
Live Messenger, G Talk, AIM and ICQ
(http://www.mobilemarketingmagazine.co.uk/2009/
09/mxit-adds-facebook-integration.html).
Ramachandran (2009) explains that MXit’s
popularity can also be attributed to the fact that it
accelerates social change and does not merely
concentrate on music and games. For example, users
can download books at a very low cost; there are
education tools available for children (making it an
ideal e-learning platform), and real-time drug
counselling can also be done. It also provides
inexpensive access to online services to people who
do not have internet access. Additional services that
make the service valuable to young people are a
mathematics programme that provides online
tutoring and quizzes (in partnership with the
Department of Education, Nokia and a Finnish
funding agency) and an application that helps young
people to prepare for their driver’s licence test
(Ramachandran, 2009).
Other tutoring services on MXit are called Imfundo
Yami Imfundo Yethu (which also provides assistance
with mathematics) and Angel (health, AIDS, drugs)
(Pasquinelli, 2009).
4.2 Popularity of the MXit Platform
Among the Youth
MXit is extremely popular among South Africa’s
youth and was judged the “coolest” website and
social networking service facility in 2008 and “the
most frequently-used platform in the social media
site” and website category in the Sunday Times 2009
Generation Next surveys, conducted by HDI Youth
Marketers in partnership with the Sunday Times, and
supported by Monash South Africa. The Sunday
Times Generation Next Survey surveyed more than 5
000 urbanites in the 8 to 22 year old age categories
(Andrews, 2008; HDI Youth Marketers, 2009).
A pilot study by Chigona, Chigona, Ngqokelela
and Mpofu (2009), who conducted interviews with
12 young MXit users and nine parents, indicate that
the young people who were interviewed use MXit
mainly for social networking. The MXit system also
allows them to sustain and/or nurture networks of
friends and associates. A quantitative study by
Kreutzer (2009) of 500 grade 11 students in a low-
income area of Cape Town confirms that 47% of the
respondents use MXit on a typical day, making it the
most frequently used social networking application
in the sample. Reliable figures for mobile internet
use in South Africa by the research company World
Wide Worx indicate that there were 50 million
mobile connections by the end of 2008, of which
68% represent individual users (Goldstuck, 2009).
Research was completed in South Africa in 2009
by the Bureau of Market Research’s Youth Research
Unit (YRU) (based at the University of South
Africa) on new media usage among adolescents in
selected schools in Tshwane (Pretoria). Findings
reveal that tools such as the internet and cellular
phones are constantly being used by youths to not
only satisfy their own personal needs, but that they
are willing to adjust to a new lifestyle where they
use the latest media to their advantage. It also seems
that 80% of cellular phone users in the sample use
MXit for entertainment purposes, for help with their
homework, to send interpersonal messages, and to
make appointments. Of the 500 respondents in the
study, 80% have access to the internet, while all
have access to a cellular phone (Rapport, 2009).
4.3 Mobile Marketing Communications
to the Youth using MXit
Because of its popularity among the youth, MXit has
become a major advertising platform for reaching
the South African youth market, some of whom have
money of their own; it also exerts an influence on
their parents in terms of how they spend their
money. The primary target market for MXit is all
males and females aged 16 to 25, while the
secondary target market comprises all males and
females aged 26 to 35. The 18 to 25 age bracket hold
the lion’s share (60%) of the MXit user market
(http://www.marketingweb.co.za/marketingweb/vie
w/marketingweb/en/page72308?oid=119872&sn=M
arketingweb+detail).
The following types of mobile marketing
communication tools are available on MXit:
4.3.1 Splash Screen Advertising
All MXit users have to register (for free), which
provides advertisers with clear demographics in
terms of the age, gender and location of their target
ICE-B 2010 - International Conference on e-Business
8

market. Splash screen advertisements are popular
among advertisers. Full colour advertisements
display for five seconds every time a user logs in.
Users can only receive one splash advertisement at a
time – similar to radio or television commercials.
Splash screen advertisements are used to promote a
particular portal to MXit’s existing community,
create brand awareness within the MXit community,
and to complement an existing advertising
campaign. Users can be targeted according to
gender and age. Successful advertisers make use of
striking graphics and send out a clear call to action
(Fulford, 2008).
4.3.2 Hosted Brand Portals
According to Andrews (2008), part of the
effectiveness and likeability of MXit’s advertising is
that it is all entirely opt-in or permission marketing,
meaning users are not spammed with unnecessary,
irrelevant advertising. If MXit users want
information and services, they become part of the
MXit world, since they then choose to add a brand
as a personal contact on MXit. MXit users can
become part of the advertiser’s world, in which case
they can interact directly with the marketer.
Users will add hosted brand portals listed under
MXit Mix as a personal contact. The organisation
then provides information and content via this
contact (in XML format). Content is structured to
complement existing media and also to increase
traffic to existing media (Fulford, 2008). Various
brands that are popular among the youth have hosted
brand portals (for instance, Billabong and Samsung).
4.3.3 Hosted Chat Zone
Marketers can also create a virtual world where
users can “live a brand”. Branded and non-branded
virtual items are made available for sale in the chat
rooms. Users have the opportunity to chat with
popular personalities. A competition can also be run
to win an invitation to chat to a celebrity at a
particular time. Treasure hunts can be created where
users have to visit other media to receive clues for
the chat rooms. A chat zone can have up to 100 chat
rooms, with a maximum of seven users per room at
any time. The advertiser has moderator status to
initiate conversation and persuade users to chat
about the brand. The chat rooms can be named to
suit a particular brand, product, or campaign. The
creator can also create his own virtual commands
and enter any chat room (even if it is full), since he
has ”moderator” status for the rooms he creates
(Fulford, 2008).
4.3.4 Targeted Two-way Communication
By using the database of users who subscribe to a
particular service or chat room, organisations can
engage in targeted, two-way communication by
sending out questionnaires to a specific target
market (Fulford, 2008).
4.3.5 Tradepost
Tradepost is a default contact on MXit. Users visit
Tradepost to trade Moola (MXit’s virtual currency)
for chat rooms, skinz, contacts and premium services
and content etc. Listing a contact on Tradepost
makes it easy for users to add this contact. MXit
provides one free Tradepost message to notify users
that a new contact is available. Any person who adds
a contact can be selected to win a sponsored prize.
Additional messages can be purchased. The skinz
are listed on Tradepost for sale to users, which
enhances the advertiser’s corporate identity and
recognition. Advertisers can also sponsor Tradepost
Treasure competitions, where MXit sends out a
Tradepost message every day for up to seven days
(where the advertiser is acknowledged as the
sponsor of the competition). MXit’s Skinz functions
as personalised themes for MXit users. They can
also be designed according to specific graphics,
based on a brand’s logo or a specific promotional
campaign, and should be relevant and current
(Andrews, 2008 & Fulford, 2008).
The trader keeps in regular contact with the user,
providing information about the latest goodies and
competitions available on MXit. Tradepost provides
a list of available services, ranging from news
reviews (both local and international) to movie
reviews and times; horoscopes and more. Services
are paid for in moola – one moola is equivalent to
one cent, which can be purchased in partnership with
Standard Bank by directly exchanging money for
virtual currency. Tradepost also offers users
emoticards, skinz, MXit games and role-playing
games, Trivit (a general knowledge test), chat rooms
and grown up chat rooms, geographical, topical,
flirt, teen and celebrity chat zones as well as a dating
game, weather updates and career tips (Andrews,
2008).
MOBILE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS TO THE YOUTH - An Analysis of the MXit Platform
9

5 MOBILE MARKETING
COMMUNICATION
CAMPAIGNS USING MXIT AS
AN ADDITIONAL CHANNEL
5.1 The Engen Endless Summer
Campaign
The most successful mobile marketing
communications campaign up to date using MXit is
no doubt the energy company Engen’s Endless
summer campaign, which was launched in
December 2006 for the duration of the summer
holidays. Engen is an Africa-based energy company
with a focus on the downstream refined petroleum
products market and related businesses. Engen’s
core business is the refining of crude oil and
marketing of their primary refined petroleum
products, and the provision of convenience services
through an extensive retail network (Engen
Corporate Report, 2009).
5.1.1 Types of MXit Marketing
Communications Tools used
The aim of the Endless Summer campaign was to
entertain young people sitting on the back seat of
their parents’ cars en route to holiday destinations
and to get parents to stop at the next Engen
convenience store. The target market was teenagers
aged 11 to 18. Splash screen advertising was used
as well as a hosted chat zone. Keywords were
placed on billboards throughout the summer
holidays along all the main holiday routes. Each
keyword entitled users to a different download from
mobile wallpapers to ringtones and games by using
virtual money. These keywords needed to be
entered into the Endless Summer chat zone or
mobile site. The only mention of what to do with the
keywords was on MXit, the mobile chat service and
not on the billboards. This spread the viral element:
young people knew what the keywords meant, but
their parents did not. Chat room moderators spoke to
young people in the chat rooms, motivating them to
do more downloads. Secret keywords were also
provided at certain times.
The success of the Engen campaign reiterates the
findings of the Nielsen 2008 study, namely, that
young mobile users can be considered open to
mobile advertising (Nielsen, 2008). Given that all
marketing communications were brand related and
integrated into Engen’s brand strategy (see Jenkins
2006), the target market could personalise the Engen
brand experience.
See table 1 below for the types of MXit marketing
communication tools used:
Table 1: Types of MXit marketing communication tools
used for the Engen Endless Summer campaign.
Type of MXit
marketing
communication tool
Aspects of mobile
marketing communications
adopted
Splash screen advertising
Integration with Engen’s brand
strategy to get young people to
visit other portals in MXit;
targeted tailor-made
communication.
Tradepost
Personalisation of the Engen
brand; strengthened the value of
the sponsoring brand and, at the
same time, generated business
value by the revenue earned from
the sales of rich media content.
Hosted chat zone
Engagement with the Engen
brand; increased brand loyalty;
opportunity for subscribers to
“live” the brand.
Hosted brand portal
Engaged with consumers on a
deeper level, increased brand
loyalty and enhanced consumer
retention.
5.1.2 Results of the Engen Endless Summer
Campaign
Ten thousand young people added the
EndlessSummer contact as a branded channel
contact in the MXit platform. Over three million
messages were posted in the chat zone. More than
12 000 downloads were done in six weeks. This
campaign also won gold in the annual Loerie awards
for best advertising in the category digital mixed
media campaign in 2007.
5.2 CAR Magazine
Published by Ramsay media automotive, CAR
magazine is Southern Africa’s foremost multi-media
automotive consumer brand with a readership of 1
022 000 for the printed magazine by the end of
2009. In addition to this, by the end of 2009, the
cartoday.com website had a readership of 59 585
unique visitors, mobile.cartoday.com had a
readership of 5 850, the CAR branded channel on
MXit already had 99 203 subscribers, its Facebook
profile had 2 259 friends and it had 559 followers on
Twitter. Rich content can also be watched on
YouTube and myvideo
ICE-B 2010 - International Conference on e-Business
10

(http://www.ramsaymedia.co.za/sections/brands/car/
index.asp).
Sixty percent of its readers are young males under
the age of 35. The magazine has also been
nominated as the winner in the Coolest Magazine
and Coolest Male Magazine categories 2009 in the
Sunday Times Generation Next Survey (http://
www.mediaupdate.co.za/?IDStory=16423).
5.2.1 Types of MXit Marketing
Communications Tools used
A key objective of the marketing strategy of CAR
magazine is to ensure that its content stays relevant
to its young readers, who are also technologically
well-informed. Apart from the magazine’s mobi-site,
which has an average of 70 000 page views and
10 000 unique users per month, it has a hosted brand
portal on MXit, where users can add them as a
contact by paying a minute fee (http://
www.ramsaymedia.co.za/sections/brands/car/index.a
sp).
Within the hosted brand portal, CAR magazine uses
its own rich media content to supplement content in
other media, or runs a mobile campaign for a client
that will simultaneously benefit the CAR brand. For
instance, in June 2009, it developed content for the
Golf 6 launch campaign. During this campaign CAR
magazine distributed branded Golf 6 videos,
ringtones and wallpapers to thousands of subscribers
across CAR's mobile platforms, including the CAR
mobi-site and the magazine's branded channels on
MXit, MTN Loaded, as well as the Samsung
Fanclub and Nokia WAP portals (http://
www.mediaupdate.co.za/?IDStory=18632). The
magazine also ran an integrated campaign for a top
South African band known as the Parlotones. In
October 2009 CAR magazine teamed up with the
Parlotones to record a viral video of the band's hit
Push Me to the Floor, which was made available on
MXit and on the CAR website. Mobile content
subscribers could then enter a competition in the
October issue of the CAR magazine where they had
to identify the mystery driver in the video to win
amazing Parlotones prizes (http://
www.marketingmix.co.za/pebble.asp?relid=8403).
See table 2 below for the types of MXit marketing
communications tools used:
Table 2: Types of MXit marketing communications tools
used for CAR magazine.
Type of MXit marketing
communications tool
Aspects of mobile marketing
communications adopted
Tradepost
Personalisation of the CAR
brand; strengthens the value of
its brand and, at the same time,
generates business value by
revenue earned from sales of
rich media content.
Hosted brand portal
Strengthens the CAR brand by
integrating traditional media
with that of mobile media.
Constantly engages with
consumers on a deeper level,
increases brand loyalty and
enhances consumer retention.
Runs mobile campaigns for
clients that create better brand
awareness.
CAR magazine continuously uses mobile marketing
communications as a supplementary channel
primarily to strengthen its brand (Okazaki 2009:
168). By getting its consumers to subscribe to a
branded mobile channel in MXit – where they can
access various offerings such as exclusive content as
well as applications, games, special opportunities,
incentives, and having emotional experiences
through brand interaction – the value of the CAR
brand is enhanced and business value is also
generated (Friedrich et al 2009: 54).
5.2.2 Some Results of the CAR Magazine
MXit Campaigns
By the end of 2009, subscribers to CAR’s hosted
brand portal on MXit was fast approaching the 100
000 mark (a 400% growth since its launch in
October 2008). In addition, more than 250 000 units
of CAR’s rich media content (ranging from
wallpapers to ring tones) have been sold since the
launch. This clearly indicates that MXit can be a
profitable marketing communications tool for
advertisers who produce MXit friendly content.
In June 2009, during the launch of the Golf 6
campaign, a total number of 98 765 subscribers to
the CAR hosted brand portal on MXit had access to
the Golf 6 videos, exhaust tones and wallpapers.
Other media exposure included 15 560 unique users
on mobile.cartoday.com, while content was also
available on CAR’s channels – on MTN Loaded,
Samsung Fanclub and Nokia WAP portals. There
were some 2890 views of the branded Golf 6 video
MOBILE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS TO THE YOUTH - An Analysis of the MXit Platform
11

on CAR’s YouTube channel, which includes a link
to the CARtoday site, and 1 289 views of the clip on
myvideo (http://www.marketingmix.co.za/
pebble.asp?relid=8403).
6 CONCLUSIONS
A successful mobile social networking site among
the youth, known as MXit, has become a powerful
advertising medium in South Africa owing to its
simple, accessible and affordable technology. By
providing inexpensive, accessible and relevant
content, MXit has succeeded in increasing the
number of its subscribers, by the end of 2009, to
more than 14 million.
The findings indicate that more South African youth
are using mobile phones to connect with their
friends or peers and to access digital content
repeatedly. Although mobile marketing
communication that specifically targets the youth in
South Africa is still in its formative years, marketers
are gradually beginning to tap into this lucrative
market. By keeping access to mobile content
relatively inexpensive, both audience reach and
repeat purchases are encouraged. A mobile
campaign needs to be both topical and interesting t
young MXit users in order to be successful.
The two case studies explained in this paper differ in
terms of MXit tools used. In the completed Engen
case study the marketers focused on all the MXit
tools available because of the high percentage of
young people who are using MXit in South Africa.
They could reach their young target audience
instantly by keeping them interested in the tailor-
made marketing communication messages. In the
case of the continuous CAR magazine mobile
campaign, the marketing strategy is rather to direct
the reader to the print publication. In this case MXit
is only used as a complementary tool to traditional
media and only the most suitable tools for this
purpose are being used for brand building purposes.
While the aspects described in this paper have
been practiced in Europe and other countries for
some period of time now, mobile marketing in South
Africa, a third world country, has only augmented in
recent years. Future studies could therefore include
how South Africa currently compares with first
world countries in terms of mobile marketing or how
mobile marketing using MXit as a platform differs
from marketing using other social media platforms.
South African marketers use various MXit
marketing communications tools primarily to
strengthen their brands and to earn revenue through
selling rich-media content to loyal users, which
personalises the brand experience.
REFERENCES
Andrews, L., 2008. MXit as a mobile media advertising
platform.Homepage: http://www.mediaupdate.co.za/
?IDStory=13405#.
Bosch, T., E., 2009. Using online social networking for
teaching and learning: Facebook use at the University
of Cape Town. Communicatio 35(2): 185-200.
Carroll, A., Barnes, SJ., Scornavacca, E., Fletcher, K.,
2007. Consumer perceptions and attitudes towards
SMS advertising: recent evidence from New Zealand.
International Journal of Advertising. 26(1): 79 -98.
Chigona, W., Chigona., A, Ngqokelela., B & Mpofu S.,
2009. MXIT: Uses, Perceptions and Self-justifications.
Journal of Information, Information Technology, and
Organizations. Homepage: http://jiito.org/articles/
JIITOv4p001-016Chigona369.pdf.
Chigona, A., & Chigano W., 2008. MXit it up in the
media. Media discourse analysis on a mobile instant
messaging system. The Southern African Journal of
information and Communication. 9: 42- 57.
Engen Limited corporate report, 2009. Homepage:
http://www.engen.co.za/downloads/media_centre/publ
ications/Engen%20Corporate%20Report%202009.pdf.
Friedrich, R., Gröne, B, Hölbling., K, Peterson., M. 2009.
The March of Mobile Marketing: New Chances for
Consumer Companies, New Opportunities for Mobile
Operators. Journal of Advertising Research. March.
54 – 61.
Fulford, S., 2008. MXit Business Presentation. Homepage:
http://www.alphabetsoup.co.za/intestestingcontent/Bus
iness%20PresentationJune%202008%20%5BCompati
bility%20Mode%5D.pdf.
Goldstuck, A., 2009. Mobility survey. Homepage:
http://www.worldwideworx.com/archives/204.
Grant, I., 2007. Why young consumers are not open to
mobile marketing communication. International
Journal of Advertising, 26(2): 223–246.
HDI Youth Marketeers. 2009. Generation Next: A new
style of cool. 1 June. Homepage: http://
www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/347/36512html.
Jenkins, F., 2006. Mobile marketing. Young Consumers.
Quarter 1: 60-63.
Kleijnen, M., Lievens, A., de Ruyter, K & Wetzels, M.,
2009. Mobile Services: Knowledge Creation Through
Mobile Social Networks and Its Impact on Intentions
to Use Innovative. Journal of Service Research.
August 12(1): 15-35.
Kreutzer, T., 2009. Internet and online media usage on
mobile phones in low-income urban youth in Cape
Town, Paper submitted to the pre-conference
workshop of the 2009.
Lee, TM., Korea, C & Jun, JK., 2007. Contextual
perceived value? Investigating the role of contextual
ICE-B 2010 - International Conference on e-Business
12

marketing for customer relationship management in a
mobile commerce context. Business Process
Management Journal. 13(6): 798-814.
Leung, L., & Wei, R., 2000. More than just talk on the
move: uses and gratifications of the cellular phone.
Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly,
77(2):308–320.
Ling, R., 2007. Children, youth, and mobile
communication. Journal of Children and Media. 1(1).
Nielsen, 2009. How Teens Use Media. A Nielsen report
on the myths and realities of teen media trends. June
Homepage: http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/reports/
nielsen_howteensusemedia_june09.pdf. , Accessed on
4 September 2009.
Nielsen. 2008. Critical mass. The worldwide state of the
mobile web. Homepage: http://www.nielsenmobile.
com/documents/CriticalMass.pdf.
Okazaki, S., 2009. The Tactical Use of Mobile Marketing:
How Adolescents' Social Networking Can Best Shape
Brand Extensions. Journal of Advertising Research.
March: 12 – 26.
Pasquinelli, E., 2009. MXIT as a case study: educational
purposes colonize non-educational practices, and
technologies. 18 September. Homepage:
http://www.interdisciplines.org/mobilea2k/papers/3/3.
Pousttchi, K., Wiedemann, DG., 2006. A Contribution to
Theory Building for Mobile Marketing: Categorizing
Mobile Marketing Campaigns through Case
Study Research. 20 November. Homepage:
http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/2925/1/MPRA_paper
_2925.pdf.
Ramachandran, S., 2009. MXit Mixes Mobile Networks
with Social Conscience. 18 September 2009.
Homepage:http://www.businessweek.com/technology/
content/aug2009/tc20090820_669558.htm.
Rowley, J., 2002. Using case studies in research.
Management research news, 25(1): 16 -27.
Sinisalo, J., Salo, J., Karjaluoto, H & Leppa¨niemi, M.,
2007. Mobile customer relationship management:
underlying issues and challenges. Business Process
Management Journal. 13(6):771-787.
Sigala, M., 2006. Mass customisation implementation
models and customer value in mobile phones services.
Preliminary findings from Greece. Managing Service
Quality. 16(4):395-420.
Technology is a powerful tool in marketing aimed at the
youth. Rapport newspaper. 31 May 2009.
Timpson, S., & Troutman, M., 2009. The importance of a
layered privacy policy on all mobile internet sites and
mobile marketing campaigns. International Journal of
Mobile Marketing. June. 4(1): 57 -61.
MOBILE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS TO THE YOUTH - An Analysis of the MXit Platform
13