MyScreen Mobile Inc. [1], Toronto-based global provider of interactive mobile advertising services, has secured $5 million from Global Financial Enterprises LLC, a private company with capital resources in Turkey, the Middle East, and Europe, to launch its products in Turkey, the Middle East and other markets beginning in the first quarter of 2010.
MyScreen’s patent-pending technology platform delivers full-screen advertisements to the mobile phones of opt-in subscribers and provides them with rewards such as free services, special offers and discounts.
The investment follows MyScreen’s successful Aug./09 product trial in Turkey with Turkcell, the country’s largest mobile network operator.
“MyScreen’s successful trial with Turkcell confirms it provides the best platform for consumers to interact with their favorite brands and for advertisers to deliver highly targeted ads to subscribers,” says Yilmaz Kalkavan, a GFE member-owner.
Seraf Akin, another GFE member/owner, says, “MyScreen has great potential in these markets and offers a unique advertising platform.”
Maurizio Angelone, CEO of MyScreen, says that Global Financial Enterprises is an ideal investment partner for MyScreen, based on its financial and intellectual capital.
“Its intimate knowledge of the Turkish market will be invaluable for our success there,” says Angelone. “We look forward to expanding our partnership in other regions.”
Angelone said MyScreen differs from the other mobile advertising vehicles. Its ads are full-screen, visually engaging graphics that convey the advertisers’ brand image. They are delivered in a non-shared advertising environment that provides brand exclusivity. MyScreen ads are delivered at the end of every call, creating much better visibility than SMS texts or banner ads.
Designed to enable consumers to respond directly to the ads with MyScreen’s proprietary ‘ad value hot keys’ functionality. MyScreen ads have generated click through rates that exceeded 20%. (Internet click through rates are understood to average less than 1%.) Individually targeted to match each subscriber’s self-created demographic and psychographic profiles, the ads are highly relevant to their unique interests and lifestyles.
Incentive-based, subscribers accumulatie reward points for every ad they view on their phones. Points are redeemed in the form of free and bonus telecom services. Exclusive ‘made-for-MyScreen’ offers, such as free trial products or special promotional pricing, are provided by participating advertisers.
Moreover, MyScreen’s mobile advertising solution is designed to integrate seamlessly without interrupting users’ regular call behaviors. Subscribers choose the type of content and ads they receive from categories such as sports, entertainment, lifestyle and health. Advertisers can use MyScreen’s unique ‘ad value hot keys’ to raise brand awareness, launch products and services, promote special offers, generate traffic to retail locations, improve customer loyalty and drive sales.
Earlier this month, Unilever [2] and Grupo Bimbo [3] agreed to deliver advertisements to millions of mobile customers in Mexico and throughout Latin America via MyScreen’s interactive mobile advertising solution. The company has recently been making a major push in the Latin American market.