Ad-funded mobile network - a sign of things to come?
September 24th, 2007 by Lloyd Gofton
It seems to good to be true, and in some ways it is, but Blyk, the brainchild of former Nokia president Pekka Ala-Pietila, is offering a free mobile network for students.
Free that is with advertising, a maximum of six advertising messages a day, and there is a limit to the free minutes - 217 free texts and 43 minutes of talktime every month. Then, when the free allocation runs out, the phone turns into an Orange pay-as-you-go tariff of 10p a text and 15p a minute calls.
That low amount of free talktime may be the big sticking point, but still, Blyk phones could become the ‘must have’ accessory for students if the comms are handled well.
Blyk bills itself as both a: ’new mobile network for 16 – 24s that’s funded by advertising’. As well as: a ‘new media channel for advertisers’. The advantage for advertisers being that it offers direct access to the all important 16-24 year old segment, as well as the opportunity to gather data on each user when they sign up, and through ongoing monitoring.
The company has already signed up 45 brands including McDonald’s, Adidas, Coca-Cola, Boots, NatWest, MasterCard and L’Oreal who are just busting to reach this important demographic.
It’s an interesting idea, and could form the blue print for any number of similar add-funded services if successful. As with all new launches the ‘buzz’ will be critical, and if Blyk can be positioned as a desirable object, rather than just a free phone, I think it could catch on. However, running a mobile network on ad revenue alone seems like a tall order.
Oh, and if you’re hoping to get hold of a Blyk phone it seems you maybe out of luck, unless you’re a first year student. Blyk is invitation only and will be distributed in Fresher’s Week packs at 30 UK universities and events aimed at the age group.
MediaGuardian has the full story.
