After launching a sweepstakes that caused a 400-plus percent increase in consumers signing up for its SMS alerts program, Yamaha Watercraft Group is back at work on mobile initiatives.

The company just revamped its Yamaha WaveRunner and Boat WAP sites with an all new design including a video tab, more product information, a calendar of events and accessory photos streamed in from Flickr.

Mobile Marketer?s Chris Harnick spoke with Kennesaw, GA-based Bryan Seti, national marketing manager for Yamaha WaterCraft Group, about the company?s work in the mobile space. Here is what he had to say:

What were the results for the WaveRunner SMS sweepstakes campaign (see story)? How many people signed up?
In 10 weeks we had about 6,000 people sign up for the sweepstakes.

Were these results surprising to Yamaha?
We thought the results were very good, particularly because the sweepstakes occurred during our slowest time of the year, with little else driving interest than our own grassroots marketing.

How important is mobile to Yamaha WaterCraft?s overall marketing strategy?
Mobile is very important to us now, and I expect it will continue to be more important to us moving forward.

We eliminated traditional print and TV advertising altogether in 2009, yet through our mobile and Internet marketing, we were able to still have the No. 1 selling model across all of our product lines, including 21 foot boats, 23 foot boats and personal watercraft. 

Can you share results from the boat show sweepstakes you have been doing where attendees can text in for a chance to win  prizes?
We like to gauge our success based on sales, and I can say that we did almost double the sales at each of the early boat shows in 2010 than we did at the same show last year, which is a very encouraging sign. 

In addition, we launched regional SMS campaigns to drive traffic to the shows and our dealers?  booth.

What was the strategy behind these sweepstakes?
The strategy behind the sweepstakes was to generate interest for the mobile campaigns, drive sign-ups and get people connected to the Yamaha brand on their mobile device. 

The fall/winter sweepstakes worked out so well we are launching a new sweepstakes right now that runs through the national boat show season and ends in April.

What challenges does mobile address overall for Yamaha?
Two major challenges that any marketing organization faces are immediacy and relevance. 

Mobile allows you to instantly reach the consumer, targeted by area codes, with rich-media content on a device that is probably in their pocket or purse.  There are no other marketing tools that can offer this combination.

Does Yamaha have a mobile commerce presence?
Right now we are focused on the engagement with the customer and the extension of the Yamaha brand into the mobile environment. 

There are many killer mobile apps for us and for our national dealer base down the line.  And I wouldn?t rule out mobile commerce being one of these when the time is right

What mobile best practices can you recommend to other companies?
Listen to your customers and make sure you are building a compelling and exciting experience for them. Don?t do mobile just to do mobile.  Do mobile because it makes sense as a part of, and strengthens, your larger marketing strategy.

What are Yamaha WaterCraft?s mobile plans for the future?
We are redesigning and building out our WAP sites right now to make them more user friendly and more robust with photos, additional product info, and video components. 

We have started utilizing the regional ability of mobile to target specific areas. And I think you?ll see continued promotions that tie in our physical activities, like boat shows, with mobile. 

Our recent Free BlackBerry promo is one example of how we are helping consumers get a smartphone so they access and engage with WAP content, including the Yamaha properties. 

The widespread adoption of smartphones will obviously be huge in 2010 and that will benefit everyone involved in this industry