Barrett Sparks a Conversation about the Power of Mobile Messaging with Attentive

Advertising agency Barrett has launched a national B2B campaign for text message marketing platform Attentive. “Start the Conversation” is Attentive’s first integrated brand awareness campaign and Barrett’s first for the client after winning the assignment in January 2022.

Barrett uses familiar and traditional advertising mediums to focus attention on what is different—and much more engaging and effective—about text message marketing. Traditional mediums, such as digital, out-of-home, video, and print, cannot be replied back to and mobile provides a way for marketers to speak directly to, and with, their consumers.

“Over 81% of consumers in a recent consumer survey said they are opted into text messages from at least one of their favorite brands,” said Brooke Burdge, SVP of brand marketing at Attentive. “Consumers are ready to connect with brands via text, and that's where Attentive comes in to empower these interactions. Our first major brand campaign champions text conversations as the most meaningful way for customers and brands to communicate, in a witty and playful manner.” 

“You can’t have a conversation with this ad,” states one execution. “But if this ad was sent through a text, right onto your phone—you could.” The ad explains how text ads can be personalized and that Attentive customers see $55 in sales for every $1 spent.

Throughout the integrated campaign, a text bubble appears on a bright yellow branded background challenging marketers to rethink the way they drive meaningful conversations with their customers. Viewers can interact with the ads via QR codes to experience personalised text messages in action.  

"As marketers, we all stress the importance of creating a dialogue with consumers. The goal is to talk with them, not at them. But only text message marketing really delivers on that goal. We thought it would be interesting to use the less effective mediums to highlight that fact," said Jamie Barrett, executive creative director at Barrett.

Attentive is placing its ads in traditional advertising mediums—digital, out of home (Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York including Times Square), print (The Wall Street Journal, LA Times, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, and Inc.) and podcasts—to educate marketers how to grow their text messaging subscriber lists, interact with customers in real-time, and drive more sales.