Everything Everywhere announces ‘You Choose’ for T-Mobile customers (UK)
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.
AOL to increase revenue from mobile-advertising (USA)
American global internet services and media company, AOL, is working towards increasing the revenue share from mobile advertising in the next 18 months. According to reports, Tim Armstrong, CEO, AOL has said that currently advertising on mobile devices accounts for a tiny percentage of sales which he hopes to increase to 10 percent or more of overall ad sales.
As per sources, the company’s revenue from advertising went up from 52 percent in the previous year to 60 percent this year. The CEO also said that with increasing number of users switching to smartphones and companies focusing on mobile advertising as a source of revenue, the M&A activity in this sphere is expected to rise.
Further, strong competition from Google and Facebook have caused a decline in the internet business of AOL, which reported a net loss of US$ 782.5 million in the last year, causing the CEO to look for better ways to target customers.
NAVTEQ Destination Maps to enable orientation, guidance and routing for interior spaces
NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of maps, traffic and location data enabling navigation, location-based services and mobile advertising around the world, today announced the launch of NAVTEQ Destination Maps. Destination Maps feature a unique set of interior map attributes (e.g., escalators) with detailed place data to enable users to more efficiently navigate and explore interior spaces. With NAVTEQ Destination Maps, location-based applications can extend beyond streets and sidewalks and into complex interior spaces.
NAVTEQ Destination Maps moves the industry beyond the interactive floor plan maps available today and into a three-dimensional data model essential to a more advanced exploration and guidance experience. It does this by providing pedestrian-specific attributes unique to interior requirements like stairs and elevators as well as recognizing different floor levels (called Z-levels) that are essential for applications to “understand” movement between floors once inside a venue and generate routes and guidance. NAVTEQ Destination Maps also include a Virtual Connections feature that enables more intuitive guidance by recognizing how pedestrians “cut across” open areas.
The product even includes access restrictions to avoid being guided to an “emergency exit” as well as precise locations of important points like the nearest public bathroom. Additional POI detail such as meta-tag data enables search to be associated not just with a POI (e.g., a department store) but with specific sub-information (e.g., perfume) within those categories.
NAVTEQ is the first global map provider to offer this type of indoor mapping product. Initially, the company will focus on mapping large shopping centers in the U.S. but plans to extend the product to include other types of complex destinations in the future.
NAVTEQ’s own research* indicates consumers are ready for this holistic navigation experience: 74% of U.S. consumers are very likely to use interior mapping functionality when outside of their local area, and roughly 40% when local.
NAVTEQ Destination Maps also allows for seamless integration with other NAVTEQ products and services; for instance, dynamic POI content – such as Movie and Event Listings – can keep users abreast of entertainment options within and near each venue. Additionally, NAVTEQ LocationPointâ„¢ Advertising services can deliver location-aware mobile ads and special offers to users as they shop, while helping to monetize high-value content.
“The concept of interior mapping and navigation is still relatively new,” said Tom Fox, vice president, Maps and Content Americas, NAVTEQ. “And we recognize that the interior of shopping centers is just the beginning: as future indoor positioning technologies are deployed, NAVTEQ Destination Maps will support even more sophisticated applications like seeing where your friend is in the mall or how crowded a restaurant is in real-time. NAVTEQ is actively working with its customers to help shape future indoor mapping applications.”
NAVTEQ Destination Maps currently covers more than 200 of the largest shopping centers in the U.S. (e.g., average of over 750,000 square feet) with expansion plans for more shopping centers and more types of destinations throughout North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.
Tigo Ghana expands mobile advertising service
Millicom Ghana (Tigo) has expanded an existing mobile advertising management contract with Alcatel-Lucent.
The service called Tigo Ads, is based on the Alcatel-Lucent Optism mobile marketing solution and enables Tigo’s customers to receive targeted promotions on their mobile phones. Subscribers can share information with Tigo about their preferences and receive interactive text messages containing news, promotions, discounts and exclusive offers from their preferred brands.
During a limited initial launch, more than 40,000 subscribers opted for Tigo Ads and took advantage of the coupons and other offers from the advertisers. Advertising campaigns for local and international brands including Nestle, Nissan and Volkswagen saw response rates ranging from over 18% up to 45%. Tigo has now opened up its mobile advertising service to all its subscribers.
The Optism solution is fully managed and hosted by Alcatel-Lucent and did not require any capital investment by Tigo.
According to Amr El-Leithy, head of Alcatel-Lucent business in the Middle East & Africa, this partnership strengthens their relationship with Millicom and confirms their ability to offer the operators innovative ways to build new revenue opportunities out of existing infrastructure. In Ghana, the Alcatel-Lucent Optism solution delivers text-based services with the potential to unlock a range of economic benefits to users of even the most basic mobile phones. They provide a key business driver that brings service providers and leading consumer brands together for personalized mobile marketing.
Sprint Wins Frost & Sullivan Award for Value Enhancement in Mobile Advertising
Sprint announced that it continues to receive accolades for the value and service it provides customers.
Now Frost & Sullivan has awarded Sprint the 2010 North American Customer Value Enhancement of the Year Award in On-deck Mobile Advertising.
Based on Frost & Sullivan’s independent analysis of the Mobile Advertising market, Sprint said the award recognizes the strategic advantages of Sprint’s mobile advertising service:
-Customer relevancy and privacy, including an opt-out service, in which customers are given choices around receiving targeted ads
-Open approach
-Strategic roadmap
“Sprint has been a pioneer in mobile advertising, delivering effective advertising options for brands while protecting our customers’ privacy,” said Mathew Oommen, vice president-Product and Technology Development for Sprint. “Our opt-out service for customers and our ad-mediation platform, which allows us to partner with additional ad networks, are two of our latest examples of that. We’re pleased to be recognized by Frost & Sullivan for the value our mobile advertising service provides.”
“Sprint has clearly demonstrated its ability to add value to the mobile advertising experience to help deliver the right ads to the right user at the right time,” said Vikrant Gandhi, senior industry analyst, Frost & Sullivan. “Sprint recently introduced an opt-out service for mobile advertising, which Frost & Sullivan feels is a highly differentiating approach that will continue to support Sprint’s industry-leading, on-deck mobile advertising performance. This award recognizes Sprint’s continued focus on both ends of the spectrum: maintaining customer privacy and relevancy and expanding its mobile advertising offerings to deliver tangible value to advertising customers, publisher partners and, ultimately, Sprint customers.”
According to a release, ad relevancy and customer privacy have been the core focus of Sprint’s mobile advertising service. As part of its ongoing efforts to work closely with its customer base and serve the most relevant ads, Sprint recently introduced an opt-out service for mobile advertising that enables customers access to provide their choice in delivering any sort of targeted ads. In addition, Sprint customers can specify their interests as well as convey their preference for “family friendly” ads.
Sprint has established several strategic relationships with mobile advertising solution providers. Sprint has implemented an ad-mediation platform, which enables a more open approach in partnering with additional ad networks and enhances the ability to provide relevant ad content. This allows the “best” ad to be served to Sprint’s customers in real-time. As a result, advertisers on Sprint’s mobile advertising network consistently achieve higher than average performance for their mobile advertising and mobile marketing campaigns.
Sprint noted that it has helped develop the on-deck mobile advertising ecosystem in the United States and continues to evolve its offerings. On-deck advertising refers to the mobile ads displayed at the top and bottom of Sprint-branded mobile Web pages. Sprint’s mobile advertising service enables marketers and advertisers to reach millions of wireless data subscribers through strategically targeted mobile Web-based advertising programs while protecting customer privacy. It offers several interactive ad mechanics, including click to call, click to promotion, and click to locate, that encourage effective user engagement and provide quantifiable results. Several high-performance mobile advertising campaigns have been completed with brands and mobile application partners across Sprint’s on-deck mobile advertising inventory.
Sprint Nextel offers a range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users.
US Mobile Advertising to Reach $2.9 Billion in 2014
A study conducted by BIA/Kelsey reveals that U.S mobile advertising revenues will grow from US$491 million in 2009 to US$2.9 billion in 2014, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 43%.
The forecast comprises advertising placed in mobile search (text advertising applied to search queries on mobile devices), display (display advertising applied to app and mobile Web inventory) and SMS (commercial SMS messaging).
During the forecast period, BIA/Kelsey expects that the U.S. mobile search ad revenues to grow from $59 million to $1.6 billion (93% CAGR); U.S. mobile display ad revenues to grow from $206 million to $803 million (31% CAGR); and U.S. mobile SMS ad revenues to grow from $226 million to $562 million (20% CAGR).
BIA/Kelsey also expects U.S. mobile local advertising revenues to grow from $213 million in 2009 to $2.03 billion in 2014 (57% CAGR). This represents 44% of total U.S. mobile ad revenues in 2009, growing to 69% in 2014.
According to Michael Boland, Program Director, BIA/Kelsey, they expect to see more bundling of mobile advertising by digital and local media companies, in an effort to lower the barriers for adoption by small and medium-sized businesses. As a result, mobile advertising will move down market to SMB and mid-market segments, increasing the overall revenue opportunity and share of geo-targeted ads. This down-market shift will be coupled with large advertiser evolution and adoption of mobile local ad distribution.
Google AdMob versus Apple iAds- the battle begins
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Google’s purchase of AdMob got the regulatory green light after intense scrutiny to ensure the acquisition won’t make Google a de facto monopoly in mobile advertising. Google got extreme help from the upcoming launch of Apple iAds to clear the antitrust hurdle.
Diverse array of online services and moving parts is occupied by Google, hailed as just an emperor of online search engine. Advertising too act as a driving force for the company, reason why Google was so aggressive in outbidding Apple to acquire AdMob for $750 million.
Apple acquisition of Quattro for $275 million, less than half of what it had bid for AdMob also acted as spice as AdMob deal would have been blocked by the FTC out of fear that it gives Google too much of an advantage in the mobile advertising market.
According to FTC, the Commission has reason to believe that Apple quickly will become a strong mobile advertising network competitor as Apple not only has extensive relationships with application developers and users, but also is able to offer targeted ads (heretofore a strength of AdMob) by leveraging proprietary user data gleaned from users of Apple mobile devices.
Apple’s iPhone OS and Google’s Android OS are battling each other in the smartphone arena and the once allies against Microsoft have turned into biggest rivals with both the companies also fighting for the ad revenue generated on those mobile platforms. Click-to-call functionality will be included by Google in its mobile ads enabling advertisers to include a phone number directly in the ad text that users can simply click to contact the business directly via phone.
Apple on the other hand hopes to help developers monetize apps without the user having to leave the app to see the advertisement. Apple is structuring iAd with a revenue sharing model that pays 60 percent of ad revenue to the developer.
Telefonica O2 Germany launches ad- financed mobile service
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Launch of a free mobile service financed by advertisements has been announced by Telefonica O2 Germany and the company claims to be the first of its kind in Germany. It has been named as ‘Netzclub’ calling plan.
Under this plan, subscribers receive free mobile internet access, text messages and airtime if they agree to receive regular, personalized adverts on their mobile phones. Depending upon the users’ profile, the marketing areas are determined on an individual basis. Customers will have to respond once a month to one of the marketing offers by text message or on the internet to renew the subscription.
The pre-paid calling plans include- ‘Handy Internet Flat’ which offers unlimited internet surfing, and ‘Kombitarif 30′ with 30 free minutes, 30 text messages to any German network and 30MB of free mobile surfing.
Netzclub was developed in partnership with mobile marketing firm YOC and with a portfolio of more than 180 titles; it has the largest premium mobile advertising network in Europe.
Google, Verizon talk to develop tablet computer (USA)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: In order to compete with iPad, the super hit device of Apple, Google Inc. is in talks with Verizon Wireless to develop a tablet computer which will run on Google’s Android operating system.
Google and Apple war will be accelerated with this announcement as both the companies already compete in wireless software and mobile advertising. IPad was released by Apple in the USA market on April 3 and sold a million of them in 28 days.
The analysts feel that everyone is going to have a device that is going to compete with the iPad while according to Google, anyone can take the Android platform and add code or download it to create a mobile device without restrictions and the company is looking forward to see what contributions are made and how an open platform spurs innovation.
Maserati to launch the GranCabrio using its first mobile campaign
4th Screen Advertising agency has joined hands with Premium mobile advertising agency MEC for a mobile campaign for luxury car manufacturer Maserati, in order to support the launch of its latest model, the GranCabrio.
The mobile activity forms part of an integrated campaign to raise the profile of GranCabrio as it launches in the UK. It will run alongside online and press.
According to 4th Screen Account Manager, Will Rusack, detailed analysis of TGI and Comscore, which provides information on target demographic groups and mobile behaviour, showed that Maserati’s customer base correlates highly with Smartphone consumers.
In his opinion, more than this, new Smartphone demographics allow them to execute high-quality campaigns based on an array of campaign parameters and this is essential for Maserati’s brand.
