25 September 2007
The UK's first mobile phone operator to offer customers free phone calls in return for them being sent adverts to their handsets has announced it plans to move into European markets next year.
Blyk, which launched in the UK earlier this week, is unique in the way it offers customers 43 minutes of free calls and 217 text messages per month, in return for six advertising picture messages per day.
Some 44 companies including Adidas, Coca-Cola, MasterCard and L'Oreal are on board the advertising initiative that hopes to target 16 to 24-year-olds who are generally perceived to be a difficult demographic group to capture.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Jonathan Arber, analyst at telecoms consulting firm, Ovum, said: "The mobile industry has been debating the value of advertising as a method of supporting mobile services for some time, so many are looking to Blyk as a test case."
Google and Vodafone are reportedly also looking into using advertising as a money-making initiative.