New advertising solution for mobile media

Open Networks has launched an innovative marketing tool that exploits the personal nature of mobile communication in the Maltese islands.

"Mobile advertising can be as personal as face to face selling. It provides a direct route to consumers, opening up a whole new approach of communication between brands and potential customers," explained Aaron Busuttil, marketing and sales manager at Open Networks Ltd.

"For the first time in Malta, we have achieved the above by using a unique advertising model and using the latest existing technologies on the market. We have taken this kind of advertising to a whole new level by having permission based on rich media adverts delivered in selected high traffic zones over the island."

The company came up with a system that is not only oriented towards marketers but which also gives great value to the consumers. So-called advertising zones have been created in areas served by wireless high speed internet the public can use for free. Consumers log into this wireless internet through their mobile devices such as laptops, mobile phones, PDAs, portable consoles and others. When they log in they land into a webpage which highlights that the service is provided free of charge by advertisers in return for experiencing their video message.

The system created by Open Networks will detect the specifications of the consumers' device and launch a rich content advertisement optimised for the users' device. This optimisation will guarantee that the advert will be viewed using the full potential of the device, thus creating an uncluttered and enjoyable user experience. After this short video, the consumer is granted access to enjoy and make use of the internet infrastructure for as long as he/she wishes.

Malta International Airport is the first of a number of strategically located hotspots to be set-up with this system. The company is also working on smaller, more specific locations such as hotels, marinas and other places with a high potential for traffic of foreign consumers. Large urban areas are also being considered.

Asked about the potential of such as system in Malta, Mr Busuttil admitted that while it is becoming popular abroad, Malta is not moving as fast.

"There seems to be an initial slight hesitation towards innovation but this does not apply to all companies. In fact, our product has been very well received by local marketing executives who understand the enormous importance of having an unobtrusive way of reaching to the consumer through the most personal medium on the market. The local mobile phone culture on the Maltese islands is also very rampant and statistics show that compared to other countries we have a very high mobile phone penetration of over 94 per cent. These figures, along with a myriad of unique advantages, offer a palatable opportunity to local brands.

"Local marketers need to become aware of the trends, which are transpiring on the international scene, and most importantly they need to realise that consumers have already moved to mobile and they are definitely staying."

www.open.com.mt