Come 2 R ball - CMS turns to SMS for new trainees

City firm CMS Cameron McKenna has turned to text messaging to keep in touch with its next generation of trainees.

In what is believed to be a first for a UK law firm, Camerons used SMS text messaging to invite its future trainee solicitors to the firm's annual trainee ball.

The initial message had an 88% response rate.

Follow-up messages were also sent, either giving further details about the ball or expressing disappointment at the fact they could not attend.

CMS Cameron McKenna's graduate recruitment manager Michelle Mason said: 'Because the graduate recruitment marketplace is so competitive at the moment, we are always looking for new and innovative marketing tools, and SMS messaging is very popular at the moment with our target audience.'

The high response rate to the messages has made Ms Mason 'very keen' to use it again.

'We will be sending out a questionnaire by text message asking the future trainees if they like receiving information this way.

If we get a positive response to that, then we will use it more,' she said.

Victoria MacCallum