Vodafone has joined EE and O2 on the Weve platform, adding its opted-in mobile customers to the advertising and commerce joint venture. When Vodafones opt-ins are added to those from O2 and EE, it brings the total to 15m UK consumers, giving the platform considerable reach. Using anonymized first-party data, Weve offers tailored advertising and monetisation opportunities to brands using some of the richest available data on mobile engagement and usage.

Weve currently offers location-based, video and app discovery messaging, along with push SMS. Other products in development include display advertising, a loyalty wallet, vouchers, payments and data analysis. A recent Weve campaign for Odeon targeted over-18 film fans who were within half a mile of specified cinemas to drive awareness and uptake of special offers. 94 per cent of message recipients said they weren’t previously aware of the ‘Odeon special offers’ advertised in the messages. One in 10 visited an Odeon Cinema after receiving it.

“With the integration of Vodafone, we acquire the critical mass needed to become a serious mobile marketing force,” Nancy Cruickshank, launch CEO of Weve said. “We want to move the conversation and reframe the debate on mobile, not just a platform for one-off campaigns, but the launching point for the groundbreaking, innovative and long term campaigns of the future. Our aim is to ensure mobile is a mainstream media channel and a successful part of the media mix.”