Suzuki and CBS are among the first brands to drive interactions with Zoove?s StarStar Numbers, a national directory of vanity mobile phone numbers that lets consumers engage with brands through their mobile phones.

With StarStar Numbers such as **BRAND (**27263), users call the StarStar Number of the brand being promoted or advertised. Instantly, they are pushed that brand?s mobile application, Web page, coupon or video directly to their mobile phones ? without the need to use 2D bar code readers or cross-carrier text messaging short codes.

?StarStar Numbers let brands push assets, whether they be coupons video or apps, directly to consumers? mobile phones,? said Jim Stanley, vice president of products and marketing at Zoove, Palo Alto. ?It is just a call, a click and a download, which gives marketers a much more effective way to understand the efficacy of their media, whether it be print, billboards or digital creative.

?Marketers look at these StarStar numbers as branded assets,? he said. ?We?re leveraging what we think is the most common and familiar user interface, the dial pad.

?Everyone knows how to make a phone call?not everyone knows how to scan a bar code or text gobbledegook to gobbledegunk.?

Zoove, currently in its D round of funding, has raised $37.5 million to date.

Call for apps and other mobile content
Zoove is the exclusive national administrator of StarStar Numbers for the top four carriers in the United States?Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile USA?potentially serving more than 250 million subscribers.

StarStar Numbers are branded mobile phone numbers between 2-12 digits. They provide brands with a new direct response marketing tool for reaching mobile phones, aimed at increasing response rates through a simple user experience.

The numbers are compatible with both feature phones and smartphones, across all major mobile operating systems.

Advertisers and brands are beginning to promote StarStar Numbers as part of their existing marketing campaigns such as billboards, print and online ads, TV and radio commercials, and consumer packaged goods. 

For example, viewers of CBS? ?The Early Show? have been calling StarStar Numbers in recent weeks to interact with the show.

Part of the "Chef on a Shoestring" series, the CBS Early Show is using StarStar Numbers as a voting mechanism so viewers can vote on what the chef should cook on the next episode.

The call-to-action is ?Vote via your mobile phone for your preferred dish. The one with the most votes will be prepared next week!?

Suzuki is currently using **SUZUKI (*789854) to promote its 2011 GSX-R sports bike.

The call-to-action is ?simply call **Suzuki (**789854) to get a sneak video preview of the Suzuki 2011 GSX-R sports bike.?

Those who dial Suzuki's StarStar number are give the option of either watching a video or following the brand on Facebook.

The Suzuki mobile video

Florist 1800FLOWERS.com INC. has licensed **FLOWERS (**3569377) as part of an upcoming Mother?s Day campaign.

Chapters of the Girl Scouts of the USA are now encouraging people to call **GSCOOKIES (**472665437) in order to get the mobile application that searches for local Girl Scout Cookies sales locations, gives details about the different cookies, and even lets users find their "Cookie Personality.?

In addition, consumers should expect to see promotions and commercials for ?generic? StarStar Numbers, such as **LAW (**529), in the coming months.

In this case, consumers will be encouraged to simply call **LAW (**529) to connect to information from law firms.

Brand engagement model
For users, there is no extra charge to call a StarStar Number.

After the initial phone call, users will receive a text message or voice mail prompting them to engage further, and at that point they can opt in, based on their phone?s capabilities, to view Web sites, download apps or watch a video.

Standard voice, data and/or text charges based on the user?s plan will apply at that time.

For brands, StarStar Numbers provide a customizable mobile ?name space,? which Mr. Stanley said is similar to the name spaces provided by their URLs on computers.

Brands or advertisers seeking to create or use a StarStar Number must register with Zoove, which administers the national directory of available mobile vanity numbers across wireless carriers.

Zoove has exclusive technical integrations across carriers? networks that enable networks to recognize and process StarStar Numbers properly.

The company also provides content review and oversight on behalf of wireless carriers to ensure that brands? marketing campaigns adhere to applicable carrier guidelines and policies.

Brands pay Zoove an annual fee for their StarStar Number. Fees vary based on the length and scarcity of the number.

Advertisers also receive access to Zoove?s cloud-based content management system. This Web-based console helps brands to plan and schedule their StarStar number campaigns by uploading, managing, and publishing their multimedia content to callers ? along with real-time reports and analytics.

?StarStar numbers are a great way to engage consumers and provide direct response,? Mr. Stanley said.