Earlier this week, ad-funded mobile operator Blyk launched in the UK, offering free voice minyutes and texts for 16-24 year olds prepared to receive up to six marketing messages per day on their phone.
Oisin Lunny, Product Manager, Online Distribution & Media Services at Interoute, owner and operator of what the company claims is Europes most advanced and densely-connected voice and data network feels this could be the start of something huge and says we could be about to see an explosion in mobile content delivery beyond advertising:
The Blyk model gets really interesting when you tie in entertainment content and targeted advertising says Lunny. Essentially, it supplies people with the content they want and advertisers pay by having access to the targeted audience they need. The point is that most advertisers wont make the most of the media. It can be a win-win situation, but only if the advertisements are relevant and creative. But this is not a given and could easily contribute to negative feedback from users.
As handsets move from voice devices to portable entertainment portals, says Lunny, the impact of highly targeted advertising, and its value to advertisers can only increase. He says:
Such new advertising supported platforms can open up new and exciting ways for music and entertainment companies to extend their portfolio and provide personalised experiences. As a model, this supports IPTV or other streamed sports or movies. This is an area of growth and one that is starting to gain traction with consumers, thus providing enhanced revenue opportunities. Currently Blyk is targeting only one demographic, but one can imagine a richer demographic profiling and CRM systems are not far behind.