[Editor's note: A story that ran in the June 28 edition of the Daily News contained numerous errors. To fix the errors, the Daily News worked with Michelle Prieb and Patricia Hogan to produce this piece.]
Ball State University has begun using mFinity, a new mobile application platform to conduct research as part of its mobile media research initiative, said Michelle Prieb, project manager for research and communications at the Center for Media Design.
"Using the mFinity platform we will be able to easily design and launch projects exploring consumer interaction with mobile content as well as the efficacy and reach of different approaches to mobile communications," Prieb said.
The iLoop Mobile mFinity platform allows users to control text message-based initiatives, mobile Internet and content delivery, Michael Becker, executive vice president of business development at iLoop Mobile, said. The platform can be used by business and content owners worldwide to create and administer mobile initiatives, Becker said.
The CMD began using mFinity to conduct a weather alert service in late April, Prieb said. Through the platform, daily forecasts are sent to about 50 members of the Muncie community who opted in to the service. The service can also be used to notify users of severe weather warnings but has not been used for that function yet.
"The same concept can be used to send weather alerts, traffic alerts or emergency alerts," she said.
Although mobile marketing platforms such as mFinity offer new means of interaction between businesses and consumers, they are not designed to replace traditional media such as TV and radio, Mike Hanley, assistant professor of journalism, said. Mobile marketing is a supported medium that can be used to reach consumers when they are not using traditional mediums, he said.
In an example of cross-media application, the CMD plans to use text-based initiatives in conjunction with Second Life, a program in which users create a user avatar and interact with other characters in a 3-D virtual world, Prieb said. No date has been set for the project, and the CMD hasn't yet revealed communication campaign details, she said.
In many ways, the mFinity platform will help enhance communication between consumers and various companies and organizations, Becker said.
"Ball State wants to be one of the leading marketing research firms in the country and they've recognized our platform as a key aspect to that," Becker said.
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