The Essential Guide to Using MMS

MMS6 essential points you need to know - now and
going forward - about integrating MMS into a
robust digital communication strategy.
A Waterfall Quick6 eBook

1 So You Think You Can MMS 
A Multimedia Messaging Service overview
2 How MMS Stats Up 
Statistics analyzing MMS as a mobile marketing channel
3 MM-Yes! 
The MMS value proposition
4 Look Ma, MMS! 
Useful specifications to ensure MMS delivery
5 Case Closed 
MMS case studies
6 Do Your Best 
Essential MMS best practices
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1So You Think You Can MMS

What is MMS?
MMS stands for “Multimedia Messaging Service.” By utilizing
MMS, marketers can extend the core functionality of MMS’s
closely-related mobile messaging cousin, SMS. Whereas SMS lets
marketers deliver a text message of up to 160 characters in
length, MMS enables the distribution of multimedia content such
as pictures, music or video. When executed well, the enhanced
richness increases customer engagement, as campaigns can
draw on combinations of various branded elements.
!
Though MMS has been around for a while, technological
limitations previously prevented widespread adoption for brand-
to-consumer communication. At present, telecommunication
networks have sufficient bandwidth and the average consumer’s
cell phone has sufficient technology to make MMS an easy-to-use
standard for brand-consumer mobile dialogues.
1
Factoid — Consumers have used MMS enabled phones since
2002. In 2012, U.S. citizens consumed 2.241 trillion cell phone
minutes, 2.052 trillion SMS and 56.6 billion MMS.

Best of all, just like SMS, MMS messages go to a customer’s
messaging inbox. This high importance placement on a
mobile phone makes for extremely efficient and interactive
communication. Customers read every MMS they receive –
usually within minutes after receipt – and respond
accordingly. Plus, MMS can go beyond standard pictures,
audio or video. Marketers can launch campaigns that use
GIFs, scannable coupons and any other type of rich media.
!
Like all direct marketing channels, marketers’ biggest
challenge with MMS is execution. Understanding key best
practices and specifications before launching a campaign
will result in much more compelling and actionable results.
This eBook contains everything a marketer needs to know
in order to create MMS mobile marketing campaigns that
customers love.
!
!
*For those new to mobile marketing, MMS draws on the same short code
and keyword infrastructure as its cousin SMS. For a quick refresher, be
sure to review the SMS Marketing eBook, available for download here.
Having Good Character — Whereas an SMS has a
limit of 160 characters, MMS can have up to 1,000.
A Multimedia Messaging Service overview1

How Does MMS Work?
Software platform encodes message
into an MMS-capable format.
Server determines whether phone is MMS-enabled or not.
Message is forwarded to the
individual carrier’s MMS store.
If MMS-enabled, content sent to a temporary
storage server.
If not MMS-enabled, content delivered to
a web-based service from where customer
can view via a normal Internet browser.
MMS pushed to the customer’s device. When
devices are turned off or out of range, network
providers store the content and retry delivery until
successful (or the number of retries exceeds
corporate policy).
SMS control message containing the URL
of the content sent to recipient’s handset.
This triggers the cell phone’s Internet
browser to open and access the content
from the web URL.
Step 2 
Routing
Step 1 
Origin
Step 4  
Loading
Step 3 
Identification
Step 5 
Delivery
A Multimedia Messaging Service overview1

2How MMS Stats Up
Statistics analyzing MMS as a mobile marketing channel

MMS Has Enormous Revenue Potential
U.S. consumers sent and received 207 billion MMS messages in 2011. This volume projects to increase 182% to 387.5
billion by 2016. This level of MMS, representing ~1.7% of global messaging traffic, will equal 10.6% of global messaging
revenues (for numbers heads out there, MMS will generate ~$20.7 billion USD by 2016).
GROWTH OF MMS - WORLDWIDE (IN BILLIONS) 2005 - 2016 F
VOLUME-BILLIONS
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
YEAR
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014F
2015F
2016F
Trendline
Actuals
Source: Portio Research
MMS Has Grown Rapidly Since 2005
The stats behind MMS reveal a rapidly growing channel that has enormous potential for revenue generation and
customer engagement. For more stats and insight into MMS, feel free to reach out.
Statistics analyzing MMS as a mobile marketing channel2

MMS Maximizes Customer Reach and Engagement
Source: Wired; GoMoNews
redemption rate compared
to traditional coupons.
10x
Mobile coupons have a
of all U.S. customers can
use MMS.
98%
MMS works non-natively on
95% of mobile devices in the
U.S. – a figure that constantly
grows. When including non-
native accessibility,
of Americans send MMS
on Christmas, New
Year’s & Valentine’s Day.
57%
The personal nature of
video and picture
messaging make it
popular during festive
times, as
87% of U.S. customers
trust MMS as a
communication channel to
share updates with their
nearest and dearest.
87%
higher than email for
redemptions and
purchases in retail.
10x
MMS provides ROI
of MMS messages,
with 87% of those
opens occurring
within the first hour.
97%
Customers read
30%
MMS messages
conversion rates average
as much as
for SMS & MMS.
~4min
Average time for
a customer to
open an email is
48 hours, versus

Source: Archer; Iris Mobile
watching an MMS
video that explains
brand value
2.79 minutes
Customers are
willing to spend
up to of customers feel more
engaged with a retailer
after watching a video.
50%
of consumers are more
likely to return to a retailer
after seeing a video.
45%
of shoppers use mobile
for coupons and 47%
want retailers to send
coupons when they are
in or near a store.
34%
Consumers show a
higher preference for
MMS, as
MMS Content Incites A Customer Response

3MM-Yes!
The MMS value proposition

Immediacy and Interactivity
Thanks to the short code infrastructure, marketers
can send an MMS to a large database of customers
relatively quickly (file size differences mandate that
MMS throughput < SMS throughput of course).
Since MMS goes directly to customers’ mobile
messaging inbox, response time is far less than any
other channels like email and social media. As a
result, marketers using MMS should generate timely
interactions geared toward inciting action. In doing
so, they can take advantage of MMS’s key benefit of
interactivity.
!
Flexibility For Cost Savings
Marketers can use the fact that MMS and SMS go
to the same inbox to their advantage. Due to MMS’s
large file size, per message costs will be higher than
SMS. Thus, use SMS when multimedia
communication does not need to be part of the
exchange. Customers will receive a seamless
experience while marketers will be able to maximize
cost efficiency for their business.
Targeting and Personalization
Like email and SMS, marketers should deploy MMS as a  
data-focused CRM strategy. By targeting relevant content to
specific customers and customer groups, marketers will
immediately impact ROI. Personalized content produces a
more pronounced customer response, which leads to
increased purchase values and more frequent visits. In
addition, targeting reduces the number of messages sent that
miss the mark, which decreases cost. Any number of data
fields can govern which customers receive what content,
including behavioral, demographic and transactional
information. Take advantage and reap the benefits.
!
Interest And Engagement
MMS gives marketers the power to craft a messaging strategy
that weaves all types of rich media, including text, pictures,
GIFs, audio, video and redeemable coupons. Compare and
contrast different media types using A/B split testing to
discover how and why customers react to branded content.
This not only results in higher MMS open and redemption
rates, but also produces an ideal forum to test what will incite
action online and across social.
The numbers behind MMS paint the picture of a powerful opportunity for customer engagement. That
said, reaching MMS’s potential for success comes down to understanding how to execute well – just like
any direct marketing channel. Effective execution requires grasping the core principles of how to
smartly implement MMS. Let’s explore them now:
The MMS value proposition3

4Look Ma, MMS!
Useful specifications to ensure MMS delivery

Aspect Ratio
The Mobile Marketing Association recommends a
16:9 and a 4:3 ratio for the average MMS
rectangle image. Marketers can also use a 1:1 ratio
to produce good results.
!
Dimensions
In addition to aspect ratio, the Mobile Marketing
Association advises the following width
recommendations for different-sized images:
• X-large: 300 pixels
• Large: 216 pixels*
• Medium: 168 pixels
• Small: 120 pixels
*The Large format is the one most recommended
for best quality MMS campaigns; it has shown the
most success across today’s myriad of mobile
device types.
Like any technology, MMS has a few technical specifications that marketers need to keep in mind in
order to optimize customer experience. The two most important are content sizing and presentation.
Sizing
When sending MMS messaging, the content should be perfect. Don’t let any messages fall prey to unattractive photo ratios or
blurry pixelated text. Here’s the basic information needed to ensure MMS delivers the most effective multimedia content to
customers.
Useful specifications to ensure MMS delivery4

Presentation
With the proper sizing nailed, keep these presentation details
in mind to ensure MMS delivers the highest quality content.
!
• Avoid tiny text and graphical details. An MMS message
goes through a lot of steps before it’s finally perfectly
formatted for the end-user’s device. Once the image is
sized down and compressed, you don’t want to risk it
becoming blurry on a lower-resolution mobile phone.
Remember to test and retest your images.
• On video MMS, avoid fast-moving videos and rapid scene
changes. You want to make sure that messages stick with
your customers.
• If you’re sending a video, be sure to take a look at the fixed
frame. You don’t want to have the video’s one frozen frame
be ineffectively used. You have a limited amount of space,
so use that space wisely.
• While an MMS is technically unlimited in size, the MMA’s
recommended MMS message size is 300KB—this should
be enough for a high quality rectangular ad and even
animated images.
In these examples, note how the fixed frame image for a video
campaign brands the customer experience to incite engagement.

MMS SMS
Definition Multimedia Messaging Service: text + rich media
messaging.
Short Message Service: text messaging.
Transmission Messages sent to a message center. Recipient
receives content via their messaging inbox if the
phone supports MMS. If not, customer views the MMS
in a browser.
Messages centers send and receive texts. All
messages retried in case of intermittent delivery
failure.
Use Cases Rich content results in high engagement rates. Ideal
for creating higher touch interactivity.
Smaller file size results in speedy delivery. Ideal for
instantaneous, interactive communication.
Size 1,000 characters with 3MB attachments. 160 Characters.
Technical Requires content adaptation for different devices.
Handset fragmentation and increased likelihood of
user error requires more customer service
expenditure.
Received on all phone types. No rich media
available, unless executed through a link to an
online site.
Cost Higher volumes decrease variable cost. At scale,
expect to pay pennies per message. This rate will
decrease as the industry matures.
Higher volumes decrease variable cost. At scale,
expect to pay fractions of pennies per message.
This rate will decrease as the industry matures.
Infrastructure Both SMS and MMS delivered via short codes (5-6 digits). Though long code delivery possible (10 digits), no
regulation or support exists. Throughput for SMS is higher than MMS given the larger file size.
SMS & MMS Breakdown
In addition, marketers should grasp the differences between SMS and MMS. The two channels overlap considerably,
so interplay becomes a way to optimize cost and customer experience.

MMS’s rapid growth among customers and clear value
proposition for marketers make it an extremely attractive method
for communication. But what does an actual deployment look
like? Glad you asked.
!
Here are four case studies from brands across industries that
demonstrate how to implement an MMS campaign. Read through
each to understand the do’s and don’ts that will result in an
increased customer lifetime value.
MMS case studies5

BMW Takes Advantages Of MMS Hyper-Targeting
BMW, to promote a winter tires initiative, reminded customers via mobile
messaging that better tread in the snow was a necessity, not a luxury.
Instead of sending a vague, anonymous, mass-mailed print advertisement,
BMW personalized a mobile message to each customer depending on the
specifications of their owned car. Each message included a link to BMW’s
website where customers could discover alternate tires, compare prices
and view different styles for their vehicle. BMW supplemented this MMS
content with a mobile app that customers could download to further their
experience. Interestingly, the BMW marketing team decided to optimize
content for only ~20% of cell phone types. The campaign focused on
delivery to the high-end smartphone market, rather than attempting to
support every single phone type.
Results
• 1,200 messages sent
• 30% Conversion Rate
• $45MM In Revenue
• Cost $60K
Key Takeaways
BMW displays how to use multiple engagement channels, including SMS, MMS, Mobile Web
and Mobile Apps, to created targeted customer outreach. By delivering a message
according to a customer’s specific BMW model, as well as following up with numerous
access points for personalized customer interaction, the campaign generated a high ROI.
!
On the other hand, disregarding a portion of the market was unnecessary. Any customers
without MMS/app-enabled phones should receive a text message with a link to where they
could learn more about the promotion. By implementing SMS, given its ubiquity and
correspondingly low cost, BMW could have increased conversion rate with minimal
additional investment.
MMS Case Study — BMW5

Express used mobile to launch a digital
version of the company’s annual “Passbook
of Savings” campaign. Customers opted in
via a landing page to receive up to 8 MMS
messages throughout the promotion.
Express’s marketing team promoted this
digital marketing initiative in stores and
online with calls-to-action directing
customers to subscribe with their
smartphones.
Key Takeaways
This Express campaign demonstrates a key benefit of SMS and
MMS: the opt-in. By driving customers to subscribe, Express
can use the scope and immediacy of mobile coupons to drive
customers into stores, redeem promotions and buy additional
apparel. Note also the importance of launching a promotion
across a brand’s portfolio of marketing assets. By promoting
mobile across online, print and social, customers will see value
and develop trust, which greatly increases ROI.
35%
16%
SMS MMS
Results
Percent of Customers Who
Went On To Purchase After
Receiving a Message:
MMS Case Study — Express5

Results
• 8 million impressions in 24 hours
• Broke an all-time record with the highest
number of first-time guests in the history of
theater
• Show extended for an extra week due to
the high demand for tickets
• 14% who opted in shared content on
Facebook
• 17% who opted in chose to receive
future messages from the Chicago
Shakespeare Theater
Takeaways
This well-crafted campaign shows how to use MMS to create an exciting, active conversation that conveys a
compelling message to customers. Particular kudos go to the use of timing and relevancy, as the Chicago
Shakespeare Theater quickly reached millions of viewers and built a sizable database of opted-in customers
from scratch.
In order to kick off the Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s production of “Sunday in the Park with George,” actors made a surprise
live performance at the Art Institute in Chicago. The play took place in front of a life-sized reimagining of George Seurat’s
Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, from which was absent certain key elements from the original work of art.
After the show, the cast and crew invited the audience to opt in to a mobile campaign to discover the secrets of the missing
characters. Those customers who texted in received an MMS video message explaining how the missing characters had come
to life in a play, as well as where to buy tickets to see the new show at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
MMS Case Study — Chicago Shakespeare Theater5

Takeaways
Starbucks demonstrates an excellent tactic for customer loyalty. By promoting a new
initiative to existing customers, Starbucks puts its mobile program top of mind. This
incentivizes referrals and viral sharing. In addition, the first message lets Starbucks gather
information on whether to send the promotional video as an SMS link or MMS attachment.
Thanks to mobile messaging’s flexibility, marketers can deliver a message to any
smartphone type in order to maximize reach and engagement.
Starbucks Summer Promotion
Opted-in Starbucks customers received an SMS
alert about an upcoming mobile trivia contest
where they could enter for a chance to win a prize
and receive summer deal alerts. Upon
participating, Starbucks sent MMS compatible
smartphones a multimedia message that
contained a short video and information about in-
store Happy Hour specials.
!
Those customers without MMS capabilities
received a link to Starbucks social media, which
allowed the company to track click-through rates
across channels.
MMS Case Study — Starbucks5

6Do Your Best
Essential MMS Best Practices

The previous MMS case studies show how various
companies have succeeded using multimedia to drive
customer engagement and increase lifetime value.
!
That said, just like any marketing channel, MMS success
comes down to understanding the opportunities available
and how to take advantage of them. Here are the most
important best practices to ensure MMS campaigns drive
monetary results.
Essential MMS best practices6

Strategy & Insight
Experiment using MMS to deliver all types of media, including
animated GIFs, images, audio and video.
If you could only send images with MMS, marketers would have to call it
IMS (image messaging service). As MMS encompasses all “multimedia,”
marketers should set out to test all types of content. To do so effectively,
track response rates for each campaign and collect data to understand
how your customers interact with various content types. From there,
implement A/B split testing to pinpoint the exact content that creates
the desired response for specific customer segments.
Opportunity
Customer
preferences result in
certain types of rich
media producing
better response
rates than others
Strategy & Insight
Use a self-service platform that allows for changes on the fly.
Legacy MMS platforms require that marketers have all campaigns created at
the beginning of a contract so that the vendor can format and input campaigns
into a blackbox-type system. This arrangement not only burdens the MMS
vendor with manual processes, but also hinders marketers who need to
commit to initial campaign settings that may change in the future. By using a
self-service platform, marketers can build new or adjust existing campaigns any
time they choose. This increased flexibility ensures an optimal customer
experience, as distributed information remains relevant and contextual.
Opportunity
Maintaining MMS
campaign flexibility
allows marketers to
react to changing
market conditions

Strategy & Insight
Mind the details when sending pictures and video
Just like email marketing, there are a few best practices that will help ensure
that customers receive content they can access on their phone. With photos,
avoid sending panoramic photo, basic photo ratios or ones that are overly long /
big / wide. The conversion through the telephone network makes these types of
images difficult to deliver. Second, expect compression to occur. Any image with
tiny text will probably show up jagged. With videos, remember that the first
frame of your video appears as a thumbnail for customers to view. Make sure
this first frame has a logo or image so that it does not show up as blank in the
customer’s message inbox.
Opportunity
Delight customers
with engaging
content
Strategy & Insight
Track MMS performance and input metrics to measure ROI.
Marketers can measure ROI in a number of ways. Some companies have
sufficient data systems to measure ROI by tangible metrics such as an increase
in revenue (e.g. the BMW case study). For those that have difficulty quantifying
a direct increase in sales, start by embedding data tracking tools in campaigns.
For instance, just like the aforementioned Starbucks campaign, multimedia
images can contain an offer that allows customer to click/tap through to a
website link. Here, marketers can track data on who actually participated in the
campaign. Marketers can also measure redemption rates of coupons and
messages. No matter where marketers stand in their ability to track your ROI,
focus on gathering data. More data equals more flexibility to integrate systems
and generate a true closed loop in the future.
Opportunity
Ensure success
begets more and
more success

Strategy & Insight
Manage channels from a customer-centric point of view to eliminate
redundancy and double contacting.
Since modern consumers have access to a number of channels, they have become
very proficient at ignoring unwanted content. Anybody today surfing the Internet
undoubtedly comes into contact with advertisements constantly, but maintains an
effortless ability to hone in on what’s needed or desired. Mobile, as a customer’s most
personal device, creates brand/consumer intimacy, as marketers can literally reach
the back pocket of their target audience–instantly. Too many marketers focus on all
these channels as individual goals. What makes for better marketing is to view
customers as a focal point, where the channels simply provide the means to convey a
single conversation. This approach ensures that customers don’t feel inundated with
content, rather motivated by a positive brand experience.
Opportunity
Deliver an ongoing
conversation to
customers
Strategy & Insight
Ensure that customers with all types of phones receive mobile content.
Find a strong provider that understands not all phones operate exactly the same.
Marketers shouldn’t hesitate to implement MMS because they’re wary of device
compatibility. This is the provider’s job—a good platform will handle device
compatibility issues behind the scenes on a white glove basis. Strong vendors’
software will validate content upon the initial file upload, instantly creating specific
versions of the file for the various handset models. Think of this capability like
writing a post on Facebook—you simply attach the file and then the platform does
the rest of the work in distributing the information. This allow marketers to focus on
their customer and content, which will produce much better customer results..
Opportunity
Maximize reach to
all customers

Thanks for reading the MMS Waterfall eBook. Published Fall
2014. For additional insight, visit waterfall.com or say
hello@waterfall.com.

The Essential Guide to Using MMS

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