Ohio operator innovates with “idle screen” advertising
Like many of you, I’ve closely followed the current mobile advertising craze. I’ve heard numerous vendor pitches and listened to debates about the pros and cons of delivering ads to consumers via their mobile phones.
The Mobile Marketing Association, of course, is developing industry best practices guidelines to make sure that customers aren’t offended or alienated by ads. And today the GSM Association launched a mobile advertising program it says will drive the development and success of mobile advertising by determining how to deliver and measure mobile advertising. Those carriers participating in the GSMA efforts include such key operators as AT&T, 3, KTF, Orange, T-Mobile and Telefonica O2 Europe.
But while all these industry groups debate and strategize, there’s a small Ohio operator that’s already steps ahead of the crowd. Revol Wireless, which uses the tagline “Welcome to the Revolution,” is a small regional flat-rate operator that is working with mobile ad firm Mobile Posse to deliver advertising messages to the idle screen of cell phone users. Called Revol Perks, the application was introduced in March. Customers that want to join Revol Perks can download a software application to their phones and receive a one-time $10 discount. This serves as their opt-in to receive idle screen advertisements, and the subscribers also provide some demographic information such as age, gender and ZIP code. This information is then used to tailor the ads to the users.
The ads appear on the screen of the subscriber’s phone when it isn’t in use. The customer can click on the message to read more or cancel it.
So far this initiative has attracted quite a few advertisers including firms such as Panera Bread and Pizza Hut. Revol subscribers, meanwhile, seem fairly accepting of the idle screen ads. Although the carrier hasn’t revealed how many subscribers are using the service, Jon Jackson, CEO of Mobile Posse, says that 75 percent of Revol subscribers that were offered Revol Perks have signed up for it and only a handful–less than 1 percent– have opted out.
Revol’s idle screen advertising model is still in its early stages but I find it interesting that a small regional operator is leading the way in mobile advertising instead of following in the footsteps of the large Tier 1 operators. Innovation is alive and well in the wireless industry–you just may have to look to the Tier 2 and Tier 3 operators to find it.
