Vodafone launches mobile advertising
Today, Vodafone becomes the first mobile operator in Czech republic to start offering mobile advertising as part of its services. The operator is thus providing a totally unique service that is changing the fundamental principles of providing mobile services. This means substantial benefits for customers, who, when accepting mobile advertising on their handsets, can use selected mobile services free of charge. Mobile advertising is also making considerable changes on the advertising market because it not only brings new advertising channels, but it also offers advertisers precise targeting and an effective means of reaching target groups. First advertisers are insurance company AIG, company BWIN and selected advertisers of Mediatel.
Today, Vodafone becomes the first mobile operator in Czech republic to start offering mobile advertising as part of its services. The operator is thus providing a totally unique service that is changing the fundamental principles of providing mobile services. This means substantial benefits for customers, who, when accepting mobile advertising on their handsets, can use selected mobile services free of charge. Mobile advertising is also making considerable changes on the advertising market because it not only brings new advertising channels, but it also offers advertisers precise targeting and an effective means of reaching target groups. First advertisers are insurance company AIG, company BWIN and selected advertisers of Mediatel.
"In the future, customers will be able to chose to get selected services for free with advertising, or to chose paid services at the regular great value" says Chris Robbins, viceprezident of Marketing department Vodafone CZ and adds: "This is a great value for mobile customers as they will be able thanks to interactive advertisement easily find out informations about offers of their interests and advertisers also benefit from effective addressing of their target groups.“
Student SMS Grátis
The first offer that Vodafone CZ is making in terms of mobile advertising is the Student SMS Grátis service, which enables customers to send free SMS messages to numbers in all networks throughout the entire school year, i.e. until August 31, 2008. This service can be used by all students aged 15 to 26 that register for it. In exchange for free SMS messages, they receive advertisements to their mobiles. These advertisements appear on the displays of the mobile phones of the senders as the SMS messages are being delivered. Customers can send free SMS messages through the Vodafone live! WAP portal, or through a Java application that they can download to their mobiles.
The customer always has a choice between sending free SMS messages from a special application through which they will receive advertisements on their mobiles and sending classic paid SMS messages without advertisements.
n order to take advantage of the SMS Student Grátis service, the customer must register in one of three ways: through the Vodafone Internet shop (www.vodafone.cz), at any Vodafone shop, or by calling the customer care line at 800 77 77 77.
More information at www.vodafone.cz/kralici.
In the future, Vodafone customers can look forward to sponsored SMS news reports and sponsored Java games.
Vodafone offers advertisers a comprehensive advertising campaign, an individual approach, and introductory discounts. In addition to precise targeting, mobile advertising offers them the opportunity to address target groups that are generally difficult to reach (young people).
Opportunities for promotion through mobile advertising:
- Banner advertisements appear on the displays of students' phones when they send SMS messages from the Java application or the Vodafone live! portal (Student SMS GRÁTIS service)
- Banner advertising in the Vodafone live! portal
- Banner advertising in the Yourmode portal
- Banner advertising on the online Vodafone SMS Gateway
Even with the growing number of users and data transfers, banner advertising enables customers to continue browsing the Vodafone live! portal for free, to browse Yourmode at fixed prices (in accordance with the customer’s data tariff), and to send SMS messages from the Vodafone web site free of charge.
The supplier of the platform that enables advertisements to be displayed on mobiles is Amobee Media Systems, which specializes in comprehensive advertising solutions for mobile operators. The supplier of Java application is Frog2Frog.
Mobile advertising:
- Vodafone is a pioneer in this sector of the Czech market
- benefits for all parties
- customers get selected services for free
- the customer can choose between sponsored and paid services
- interaction with banners
- comprehensive offer for advertisers
- effective means of accessing target groups
- advertising also addresses target groups that do not use traditional media (young people)