New technology changes the way we do everything. Marketing is not immune from this. New methods have arisen over the years to reach as many people as possible and generate interest in products and services. Mobile phones have become common accessories for most Americans. Tapping into this form of communication is an effective means of reaching consumers. While smart phones have not yet penetrated one fifth of the market, mobile phones capable of receiving text messages are currently in the hands of 82% of Americans.

With the evolution of mobile services, the Short Messaging System, or SMS, was created and utilised by mobile carriers as a value-added service. This has become one of the most widely used and most accessible forms of digital communication and reaches the end user at a far more personal level than many other methods of contact. SMS uses a "push" model, or a system that delivers messages to the user terminal rather than the user requesting the contents of his or her inbox.

Text messaging traffic is indigenous to mobile networks and is under the control of wireless network providers. SMS messages enter a carrier's network through SMS gateways and are then routed to the appropriate handset. Mobile phone companies often make a public SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, or email) to the SMS gateway available for limited amounts of traffic. These public gateways can be accessed as an email address that includes the customer's phone number.

SMS aggregators act as middle men between the mobile companies and entities desiring access to send text messages to customers. Aggregators pay mobile carriers for access to their networks through SMS gateways. The control the carriers hold over this traffic, coupled with anti-spam laws, protects the consumer's inbox from being crowded with clutter, and maintains a high read rate by allowing the consumer to expect only relevant information to be delivered.

Using SMS short codes, aggregators make it possible for companies to broadcast SMS content to a wide base of users. Using bulk SMS methods, everything from alerts and web links to multimedia content is delivered to thousands of mobile phones daily. SMS broadcasting technology allows direct and personal contact to be made between businesses and potential customers easily and quickly.

SMS broadcasting is an important strategy to include in marketing and customer service models. This direct route of informing customers avoids roadblocks of consumer apathy to passive advertising through traditional media and banner ads, the hurdle of bulk email filters, and the intrusiveness of direct calling.