Identify and manage contacts that opted-in and opted-out of SMS programs by creating a query for SMS consent. You can import a list of contacts into your Acoustic Campaign database. Consent works when the SMS user enables the database for SMS.

If the end-user is opted-in or opted-out of the program using the SMS Campaign Manager, the SMS Campaign Source field does not contain any values.

Manage SMS consent

Edit Contact - View Consent Summary

This page shows the SMS Consent status on a per-contact basis. It also allows the user with access to an SMS-enabled database to view the consent for a specific contact record.

View the SMS Consent Summary page that shows the contacts who opted-in or opted-out of Text-to-Join programs.

1. In Campaign, go to Data > Database > View Data.
2. Select your SMS-enabled database.
3. Click the Search tab.
4. Search and select the contact that you would like to see on the SMS Consent Summary page. The Edit Contact page opens.
5. Click the SMS Consent Summary button and find the SMS consent where the contact is currently enrolled.

On the SMS Consent Summary page, if the contact's status is 'OPTED-IN', then the contact has given consent to receive SMS messages.

Contact merge

When you perform a merge contact action in the SMS-enabled database, the system retains the SMS consent status of a contact.

You can currently merge up to three contact records into one, and if the master record has the same SMS-enabled phone number as a losing record, the consent state from the losing record to be merged into the winning record. In all variations of merging up to three recipients, if the SMS phone number is in the winning record, we will retain its consent status on the Text-to-Join programs that the SMS phone number is opted-in or opted-out.

Before you can view a contact's SMS consent status, there are some requirements:

• Your Campaign organization must be SMS-enabled.
• You must be SMS-enabled.
• Your organization is using a flexible database that is SMS-enabled and has an SMS Phone custom field. See Set up SMS for details.
• SMS Campaign Manager Text-to-Join programs must exist. See SMS Program: Text to Join for details.
• There are multiple contacts entered into the database with a consent status.

1. In Campaign, go to Data > Database > View Data
2. Select your SMS-enabled database.
3. Click the Search tab.
4. Click the Find Duplicate Contacts button.
5. Choose how you want to find your duplicate records. For example, if you use the SMS Phone field, the SMS-enabled field is selected.
6. Click Find.
7. Check the boxes to select the contact records you would like to merge together. Then click the Merge link to review how these records merge together.
8. After the data job completes, all consent data that was with the losing records is deleted.

The following scenarios may occur when merging contacts together.

Scenario 1

The master record has to include the SMS phone number with an OPTED-IN or OPTED-OUT status to a Text to join Program X for consent to follow it.

Using the example below, if Contact 2 or Contact 3 have the same SMS Phone number, but are OPTED-IN or OPTED-OUT of different Text to Join Programs, then the consent for the Text to Join Programs is added or merged into the master record and vice versa for Opted-OUT status. Note that the phone numbers in the SMS Phone fields are the same. The Email fields may contain different email addresses.

Scenario 2

If the master record does not contain the SMS phone number with consent, then the consent data is not merged into the master record.

Using the example below, when the records that are being merged together have different phone numbers and the winning phone number is selected, if it is the SMS Phone field then consent follows. Notice that the phone numbers in the SMS Phone fields are different. The Email fields contain the same email addresses.

List (Database) Purge

When purging two databases and one is an SMS-enabled database, SMS consent will not be carried into the newly created merged database. The original SMS-enabled database will stay intact and SMS consent will remain the same.

The Purge button is located in Data > View Data.

Select the SMS-enabled database to purge against another database.

List (Database) Merge

When merging two databases and one is an SMS-enabled database, SMS consent will not be carried into the newly created merged database. The original SMS-enabled database will stay intact and SMS consent will remain the same.

The Merge button is located in Data > View Data.

Select the SMS-enabled database as a Contact Source to merge against another database.

Create a query for SMS consent

Use Acoustic Campaign's query feature to capture contacts who have consented to receive SMS messages.

1. Log in to Acoustic Campaign.
2. Go to Data > Queries and then click Create.
3. Complete the fields in the Save Query As dialog box:
   1. Choose Database to Query: Click Browse and select your SMS-enabled database.
   2. Save Query As: Name the query.
   3. Location: Save the query in a Shared folder so all users in your organization can access the query.
   4. Type: Select Query.
   5. Click OK to open the Query builder.
4. Build the query:
   1. Click Profile and select Channel.
   2. Contact: In the Choose Channel Behavior list, select Is Opted-In to Channel.
   3. Channel: Select SMS.
   4. Text to Join Program(s): Click Choose and select one or more Text to Join programs.
   5. Click Done.
5. Click Save and Calculate.
6. Review the query details on the Calculate Query Size Data Job page and then click Submit.

What to do next

When the data job is complete, you can click the Query Name to view the Query Summary page. Click the Search tab to see the consent status for individual contacts.

Import contacts with consent using the List Import wizard

Use the List Import wizard to import multiple contacts with SMS consent data into your SMS database. When using SMS Consent Contact Source update type, the SMS Consent field must be present in the imported file. If a contact record's SMS Consent field is blank, we do not import the contact. If you want to add new contacts into your SMS enabled database without consent, use the normal list import Contact Source update type.

Step 1: Select file

1. In Acoustic Campaign, go to Data > Database > Import Update to open the Import Update Existing page.
2. Complete the template and then click Next.
   1. Add New Contacts: In SMS context, this option in List Import looks only for new contacts in the imported file with SMS OPTED-IN or OPTED-OUT consent data, for a specified Text-to-Join program. If one of the contact records exists in the SMS-enabled database and also in the data file, even with consent data, they are ignored as this list import action is only for new contacts.
   2. Update Field Values in the Contact Source:
      1. This option looks for updated contacts data in the data file that matches to existing contacts.
      2. We update only the contacts' consent state if it is opposite their current state in the database. For example, if someone performs an update and in the imported file they are OPTED-IN and in the database they are OPTED-IN we do not update their record. (Specific to Text to Join Programs). Additionally new contacts are ignored as this List Import action only updates.
      3. If they do not have any consent data, List Import Update also adds new consent data for existing contacts.
   3. Add New Contacts and Update Existing Field Values in the Contact Source:
      1. This option imports new and looks for updating contacts data in the data file and the database.
      2. List Import Add and Update adds in new contacts with consent data and update the contacts consent state if it is opposite the current state of the contact in the database and add new consent data for the existing contacts if they don’t have any consent data.
      3. Choose Import Update Type: Select SMS Consent Contact Source.
   4. Select the Contact Source You Wish to Update: Choose an option:
      1. Consent Manager: Import contacts and consent data to a specific Text to join Program. Select a Text to Join program.
      2. Contact Lists: Imports contacts into a certain contact list and adds consent. Select to import either a .csv, .tsv, or.psv file through the user interface.

Step 2: Define data format

Import multiple contacts into your SMS database and specify consent for one or more SMS OPTED-IN programs using Acoustic Campaign's List Import wizard.

Define Data Format presents the data according to the delimiter selected (CSV, TSV, or PSV). Only the first four rows and four columns of the file being imported display.

1. Verify that the data has been processed correctly.
2. Click Next.

Valid Data Formats

Valid Date and Time Values

Note: ALL date and time values must be in Greenwich Mean Time as this is the absolute time and reference that is used so we can convert sends to the Campaign user’s time zone.​

Valid values for Month:

• mm (e.g. 01)
• m (e.g. 1)
• mon (e.g. Jan)
• month (e.g. January)

Valid values for Day:

• dd (e.g. 02)
• d (e.g. 2)

Valid values for Year:

• yyyy (e.g. 1999)
• yy (e.g. 99) 
• Valid Date and Time Value:
• 2014-02-28  HH:mm:ss  (hour in a day 0 – 23)
• 2014-02-28  hh:mm a  (hour in am/pm)
•  02-28-2014 HH:mm
• 2014/07/24 12:00:00 AM
• Jan 24, 2014 14:00
• January 24, 2014 13:00:00

Valid Consent Status record format are as follows:

• OPTED-IN
• OPTED-OUT

SMS phone number: All numbers (both USA and non-USA) must include a country code. The number must conform to E.164 format. The number must not include any prefix such "00" or "+', etc.

• 14043214567
• 447701231234

Note: For non-U.S. numbers, all numbers must include a country code.

Step 3: Map fields

There are specific SMS consent fields that you must map so SMS consent can be added to your contacts mobile phone number records. Before you begin, make sure that the SMS Phone Number field is listed and displays as the SMS Phone Number Field Type. See Step 1: Create a Database in the article Set up SMS for details.

Map the import fields to the following Consent fields and then click Next:

• SMS Consent Status (required)
• SMS Consent Date
• SMS Consent Source

If SMS Consent Date or SMS Consent Source is left blank in the imported file and is not mapped, the system defaults will go into place, as this information must also be recorded for historical purposes when the information hits the system.

• SMS Consent Date (uses system default SysDate)
• SMS Consent Source (uses system default "List Import")

Step 4: Edit field settings

The SMS Consent Fields are listed in a separate table. Note the Default Values that will be used if the SMS Consent Date and SMS Consent Source are left blank in your imported file.

Review the information and then click Next.

Step 5: Select sync fields

The system automatically selects the option that you will sync the SMS Consent records by the required SMS Phone Number field. Consent records will follow the SMS Phone Number field.

Click Next.

Step 6: Submit the data job

1. Confirm the information is correct.
2. To receive an email notification when the job's status is complete, enter your email address. You may check the status at any time on the Data Jobs page.
3. Click Submit.

When an SMS contact's consent date/time is updated

Table 1. SMS consent updated
Condition	Is the contact's SMS consent date/time updated
A given contact has an unknown SMS consent status before the API call	Yes. The contact's consent date/time is updated after the API call if the following conditions are met. You use the importlist API to update the database and include the SMS Consent field in the API request The API request is to opt-in the contact to the SMS program
A given contact is opted-out of the SMS program before the API call was received	Yes. The contact's consent date/time is updated after the API call if the following conditions are met. You use the importlist API to update the database and include the SMS Consent field in the API request The API request is to opt-in the contact to the SMS program
A given contact was opted-in to an SMS program before the API call was received	If the SMS consent date is not provided during the import process, the system uses the import date/time as the consent date. The system updates the existing consent date if the following conditions are met: You use the importlist API to update the database and include the SMS Consent field in the API request The API request is to opt-in the contact to the SMS program

 

Update Campaign with the correct Acoustic Campaign SMS opt-out consent status

SMS consent is handled by Acoustic Campaign's Consent table and is considered the database of record. You must keep SMS opt-in and opt-out statuses up to date.

Complete the following steps:

1. In Acoustic Campaign, go to Data and create a query to find contacts who have opted-in or opted-out of a Text to Join program. Use one query per Text to Join program to ensure accuracy. When you create your query, use these query parameters:
   1. Click Profile and select Channel.
   2. Contact: In the Choose Channel Behavior list, select Is Opted-Out of Channel.
   3. Channel: Select SMS.
   4. Text to Join Program(s): Click Choose and select one or more Text to Join programs.
2. In Unica Campaign, schedule the Campaign flowcharts that trigger the contactUpload and contactDownload scripts to run automatically. The contactDownload script exports the query data when you specify the Query ID. You can also automate this within Campaign. To update SMS consent status, you must use the custom SMS mapping file that is provided as part of the Campaign integration with Acoustic Campaign download package. For details, refer to Chapter 6. Contact data download - Acoustic Campaign to Campaign in the Campaign Acoustic Campaign Integration Guide or SMS text messaging: using HCL Unica Campaign and Acoustic Campaign.