Wireless communication companies are now using text messages to "give young customers a feeling of privilege," according to a new piece in Business Week.

Cingular Wireless, for instance, sends messages to invite fans to have exclusive local encounters with media stars and hip-hop performers -- something they value immensely. "If you've got a Cingular phone, you use it as an entry to meet and greet," says David B. Garver, Cingular's director of marketing.

As the article explains: "Promotions generate a flurry of text mail, as customers resend the message to their friends. The more phone traffic, the more revenue Cingular can rake in. More important, those messages spread word about the benefits of Cingular membership, and they amount to a viral marketing campaign for the carrier."

I was skeptical about cell-phones and text messaging as a widely useful marketing vehicle. Too demographically confined, I thought. Too faddish. Too intrusive. But now I am starting to see this more from the perspective of all who would join customer clubs, communities and loyalty programs.

Teens have special parties and hip-hop events they can attend. But business people have American Express, which gives them all sorts of rewards for their loyalty. Harrah's now has Diamond Lounges at its casinos -- meant not for high rollers, but rather, loyal ones.

Once permission has been granted, there is no reason that a cell phone might not deliver you a valued message -- one that recognizes your preferences and priorities, even your location on the road or in the mall. As the offers become personalized and more personally valuable, the urge to join (and selectively surrender one's anonymity) will become increasingly irresistible. Membership has its privileges -- and who would dare forgo them?