I just received a text message (1:28pm), from a number I don’t recognize. The message is from 1-705-###-####. It reads:

“Hey, slight change. And an update. 1- the Systema is still at Bodyworks in the downtown mall. 2- starts at 7pm. Not 6pm. Oops. My bad. 3- Tonight is a FREE trial. I love free trials. 4-It is at our own intensity. EX: so push ourselves as it is suggested. 5- lets see how well you recognize me in casual clothing. Lol. Let me know if you can make it or not. ###-####.”

First, I have no plans tonight, and have never been a member of the above-mentioned gym. Second, when did text-message marketing start? Third, is it illegal for a company to text message someone, posing as a friend, in order to try and get you out to their event? Fourth, marketing professionals should use decent grammar and have a respectable grasp on the English language (in my opinion). This marketer clearly does not have either of these traits.

Is membership at this gym so bad they need to text message random people to come? Has anyone else been marketed at directly through text messages? What’s the legal policy on this?