Happy New Year

Alright; it’s time to do what my loyal readers (do I have any? ) would expect me to do at this point of time. So, here it goes. I wish each and everyone a very happy, safe, rocking New Year 2008.

In 2008, I promise to update you with all the latest happenings from the cellphone advertising industry as always and much more. You can also expect new features, contests, and other stuff which could make things a little more interesting.

Don’t want to waste your time any more; go out there and party like crazy. Wish you a very happy New Year again.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising.

1 comment.

Cellphone advertising in 2007 - A review

2007 is almost over and we’re eagerly expecting the arrival of the New Year. So, it’s that time of the year when people look back at their silly mistakes, achievements (if any), resolutions they made, and all other useless stuff. I’m not gonna do any of them; don’t worry. Instead, I’m gonna look back at the cellphone advertising and marketing industry and share some of my thoughts with you.

The single biggest event that changed the course of the cellphone advertising and marketing industry was the launch of the Apple iPhone. It was more than just a phone and the truckload of features made it a favorite with users instantly. At a time when cellphone advertisers were thinking about advertising via text messaging and banner ads, the Wi-Fi enabled iPhone offered them a hell lot of options. Interestingly, iPhone is not the only phone in the market with such features. Blackberry, AT & T and T-Mobile Network phones, and a few models from Nokia also have Wi-Fi facility and other features that the iPhone boasts of. But the most important difference was in the way Apple marketed their product. The enormous hype created before the launch of iPhone was simply never heard of in the market before and thankfully, it lived up to the hype.

The second biggest event, in fact the one that almost outshone Apple iPhone was the launch of Google Android. Google had been timing the market to take the plunge for a long time and speculations were running wild. A lot of market experts and market watchers (including yours truly) had predicted that Google would come up with Google Phone, which could be the fitting answer for the iPhone. But when Google announced that it will not develop its own phone, at least in the near future, they had their foot firmly in their mouth. But Google Android proved out to be a bigger success, considering the buzz it created in the market. With its Open Handset Alliance with 30 plus big names, Google simply stole the show from the iPhone. I’ve already explained why Google Android could lead to the undoing of iPhone and it remains to be seen whether I’ll be proven wrong in 2008.

2007 could possibly go down as the most eventful year as far as cellphone advertising industry is concerned, as the year saw some major names like Microsoft, New York Times, Coca Cola, Facebook, MySpace, Fox Interactive Media, and of course Google enter the market in full fledge. Most of the industry experts and research firms predicted a huge growth for cellphone marketing and advertising industry whose revenue was estimated at around $1 billion. Also, it is said that in just about five years, this revenue could increase tenfold.

Also, 2007 was the year of acquisitions. Big players in the market realized the enormous potential of cellphone advertising and marketing and started acquiring cellphone advertising firms. We saw Nokia acquire Enpocket, AOL acquire Third Screen Media, Microsoft acquire ScreenTonic, Publicis acquire Phonevalley, and so on. This definitely marked the arrival of cellphone marketing and advertising in a big way.

Though 2007 is undoubtedly the biggest year for cellphone advertising, there are still some unconquered territories within the industry. First of all, mobile internet facility should be within the reach of the majority of consumers for advertisers and marketers to be able to reach them fully. A lot of companies have realized the potential of mobile websites and for consumers to be able to make the most of it, the price of high-end mobile phones should be brought down. Already, Apple has started the process with a hefty price cut on its iPhone and we can expect other handset makers to follow suit, hopefully. Also, thanks to mobile advertisers, the price of premium services has come down drastically and in a lot of cases, these services are available free of cost, thanks to ad-funded services. With some operators even offering free talk time to customers who opt in for cellphone advertising, I really think cellphone advertising has hit the target big-time. Its continued success though, lies only in the hands of operators, advertisers, and handset makers for they are in a position to lead the industry in the right direction next year.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising.

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Make free international calls from your mobile phone

This is easily the most sensational news for mobile phone users all over the world in the recent times. You can make International group conference calls right on your mobile phone FREE OF COST. How about that? You couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas gift; right?

Talkster is a company renowned for their innovations in making long distance calling cheaper and simpler than ever. They have come up with a new mobile based service wherein you’ll be able to make international calls free of cost.

Apple iPhone Users:

Let’s face it; with all due respect to the iPhone, it’s really difficult to make group conference calls. You can add a second caller while you’re talking to one, but adding the third, fourth, fifth callers becomes very tedious, as you have to hold the call, merge the steps, and so on. Now, it has become easier than ever, thanks to Talkster.

1. Check out http://i.talkster.com from your iPhone and set up your group conference call.
2. Enter the name and the phone number of people that you want to call and click the Invite option available there. You can add up to five people for the call.
3. Immediately, a local phone number is generated by Talkster and it’s distributed to the people you’ve mentioned in your call setup via a text message.
4. Call your friends through the Talkster number and ask them to call you back on your Talkster number and wait on the line till they call you back. Once they call you, you can talk to him as long as you wish, without spending a penny for the call rates.

Mind you, this is a one-time process and you don’t have to go through this process every time you want to make a call. You and your friends can simply store the number in your phone book and use it whenever you want to place a group conference call among you. And here comes the most important news – you can even add international numbers to this group conference call and talk to them for free. So, you get to hit two birds in a single shot – your group conference call process gets simplified to a great extent and you get to talk to each other for free. Doesn’t it sound simply great?

Other Mobile Phone Users:

1. The process is almost the same but for the fact that you have to check out the site http://free.talkster.com/ from your mobile phone.
2. You’ll have to enter the name and phone number of people that you want to call and click the Invite button. You can add up to five people.
3. Once you do, a local Talkster number will be generated immediately and sent to you and your friends.
4. If you want to talk to them, you have to dial the Talkster number and ask your friends to call you back on your Talkster number, and wait on the line without hanging up. Once they call you, you can talk to them for as long as you wish without spending a penny for the call charges.

As I already mentioned in the case of the iPhone, this is a one-time process and you can store the local number that you get from Talkster for future use and use it whenever you want to, free of cost. Not just that, the service can be accessed from your mobile phone, computer, and text messaging.

NOW THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF ‘EM ALL

You must be wondering how these guys are able to afford this; right? Well; isn’t the answer too obvious? Yep; you guessed it right; it’s the good old cell phone advertising. All you have to do is, listen to a ten second targeted audio ad and voila; you’re good to go. This ad helps Talkster break even and provide you with the free international calling service.

What are you waiting for? I think this is the best gift you can get at this time of the year. Pick up your mobile phone and convey your Christmas and New Year wishes for friends and family around the globe. Let the party start.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising.

4 comments.