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Justin Bieber invites fans to call him for remix of Hotline Bling

Def Jam Recordings is spinning mobile marketing with a traditional twist, plugging Justin Bieber?s album through a hotline number that enables fans to hear his remix of the popular song Hotline Bling on their smartphones. 

Justin Bieber released his version of Drake?s Hotline Bling song through a number users can call to listen, starting with a short skit and ending with an album promo. The innovation is tapping into the songs? subject matter and hyping up awareness for the album through a unique marketing tactic, setting it apart from the rest. 

"The tactic will certainly help promote Bieber?s upcoming album Purpose," said Shuli Lowy, marketing director at Ping Mobile. "Releasing the song through an a-typical format is a great way to give people a limited, controlled preview of the song. 

"Having the format micmic the song theme is a clever way to generate enthusiasm and buzz," she said. "The campaign also strategically leverages the hotline to build an opted in SMS database for Bieber to remarket to. 

"SMS is a powerful marketing channel with incredibly high read and redemption rates. About 97 percent of text messages are opened, almost all of which are read within several minutes of receipt." 

Hotline bling

Users call the number as normal but upon hitting the send, music immediately starts with Mr. Bieber speaking ?oh you are sorry, but where are you now that I need, girl let me just say something,? and then launches into the remix. After the clip of the song is over, an announcer is heard plugging Mr. Bieber?s album, Purpose, which launches on November 13. 

The voice then prompts users to click one to ?stay in touch with Justin?s bling bling,? which subscribes fans to the SMS service, sending updates on the album and other Justin Bieber-related content. The first message sent encourages subscribers to preorder the album through a mobile link, while also advertising its curated hashtag #PurposeAlert. 
Music artist Drake released the original version of Hotline Bling in July, and recently has gone viral for its music video, which features the musician dances in which social media users find comedic. Many versions of the video have been edited in various humorous ways, making the song a trending topic in social media making Mr. Bieber smart to leverage the hype.

Justin Bieber's fan base consists typically of younger consumers who are known for texting more than calling, but by engaging with them this way, it generates are personalized connection on a device that young consumers have with them at all times. 

Music and mobile
Singer Carly Rae Jepsen's also created an interesting take on her latest music video, which featured an interactive experience through a new mobile application, bringing fans closer to the action and heightening the impact in a category that has lacked mobile innovation of late (see more). 

Universal Studios also took a conversational route to marketing and hoped to drive sales for the 30th-anniversary edition of the Back to the Future film through an interactive Facebook messaging campaign in which users can converse with the Doc Brown character from the franchise (see more). 

The hotline is also a particularly good way to create an opted in list because SMS opt-ins require phone initiated verifications," Ms. Shuli said. "An SMS opt-in always needs to be verified through the opted in phone number. 

"For example, a brand can include an API on their website which allows a consumer on a desktop to input a phone number to opt-in," she said. "Once entered that phone number would still have to be verified through a text. 

"The reason for that is because a consumer can theoretically put in somebody else?s phone number, leading to non-consensual SMS communications. Since the hotline is interacting with people through their phones we already know that the opt-in is coming from whoever has the phone, cutting out the extra verification step."

Final take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer