Mobile network operator Everything Everywhere has announced the roll out of a new interactive mobile advertising service titled ‘You Choose’ for T-Mobile customers. According to company reports, the new service, modeled on the ‘Orange Shots’ strategy, will be launched for certain segments of T-Mobile’s customer base and will provide brands with a platform for engaging and interacting with consumers.

As per sources, ‘You Choose’ will enable brands to deliver fun and creative content specifically tailored to T-Mobile’s prepaid and postpaid customer preferences. Further, the service which is powered by SMS and MMS advertising specialist Blyk, will allow customers to send back a free message to the advertiser, enabling them to give views and opinions on the content they receive.

Company reports reveal that Gerry McQuade,Chief Marketing Officer (Non Consumer Mobile), Everything Everywhere has said that they are pleased tobe rolling out their interactive mobile advertising service on T-Mobile for the first time. He added that only Everything Everywhere customers get to benefit from receiving great content and offers via SMS & MMS which they can interact with enhancing their mobile experience whilst at the same time providing a great opportunity for relevant advertisers.

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Mobile advertising company Blyk, operating on a subscription model, now has over half a million users in the UK, against 400 thousand in January, and 300 thousand users in India.

These results appear to confirm the steady progress made by the firm since it abandoned its MVNO model to focus on running programs on behalf of operators.

It launched the Orange Shots project in the UK in February 2010 (aimed at the age segment 16-34) and Blyk on Aircel India in November 2010 (age segment 16-29). It’s also launched with Vodafone Netherlands.

In all services, users are invited to subscribe to receive advertising and promotional messages from brands. It is interesting that Blyk has revealed critical differences between services in the UK and India. The company stated that subscribers Aircel applies to messages from brands as to the content. Thus, the operator uses the program more as a tool of differentiation and retain users, and not for advertising sales.

According to Aircel, after 90 days of retention levels Blyk customers using the service, reached 89%, compared to 60% on average.

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Nexit invests US$21.9 Million in Blyk

Mobile media company Blyk secured a $21.9 million financing round from a group of investors led by mobile venture capital firm Nexit Ventures.

Blyk was founded in 2006 in Helsinki. It is a messaging mobile media that works with mobile operators to link young people with brands and other stuff they like. Blyk has offices in Finland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom and in Delhi.

The company is in partnership with other established operators like Orange in the UK and Vodafone in the Netherlands and is planning to launch its business in India.

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www.WirelessFederation.com/news: With the roll out of Orange Shots on February 1, the brand will get a chance to target 100,000 opted in customers, initially Orange’s Pay As You Go Monkey customer base. Blyk Media, the original pioneer of the ad-funded mobile model, will power the mobile advertising service that enables brands to engage and interact directly with targeted segments of Orange’s customer base

The service will offer free music and texts to users when they top up their mobile. With the passage of time, the Orange Shots service will be offered to entire (opted in) mobile customer base.

SMS and MMS mobile platforms are used by Orange Shots to encourage customers to message back and give views and opinions. A number of other benefits like news and gossip, content, film and games previews, and sports information are also available.

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