Newspaper publisher Johnston Press has appointed Velti to supply and manage premium mobile services, including SMS applications, following a competitive bid. It is the second major UK publisher to select Velti as a partner for premium mobile SMS services and other mobile campaigns designed to engender reader loyalty.

Johnston Press publishes 18 daily newspapers, 253 weekly newspapers, 297 local websites and a huge range of related specialist, locally-focused print publications. Velti will supply the technology to support mobile premium rate interactions across the publisher’s portfolio, including The Scotsman and The Yorkshire Post. These will include SMS applications for competitions, paid promotions, and opt-in information alerts such as local information bulletins.

Velti’s mobile CRM platform will enable Johnston Press to monetise these mobile interactions. The platform will manage all SMS traffic from promotions, puzzles and comments pages, and enable the publisher to add to its opt-in customer database. 
“Our readers are increasingly consuming their news across a diverse range of media platforms,” says Leila Palmer, head of enterprise revenue development at Johnston Press. “Our partnership with Velti will enable us to interact with our readers and build and develop new revenue streams.”

Stephen Upstone, VP sales and business development across Europe for Velti, says the firm’s work with Johnston Press will not only serve to provide benefits for the publisher’s readers, but also increase loyalty and generate new revenue streams for the publisher. “Velti has been operating in the mobile industry for over a decade, and this experience enables us to develop bespoke campaigns for our clients that benefit their bottom line,” says Upstone.