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"Orange Shots": Mobile Marketing For Orange Monkey Customers

Mobile operator Orange UK has launched a new advertising program called Orange Shots, which lets advertisers communicate directly with Orange subscribers using mobile messaging. This service is the first result of the partnership between Orange and Blyk.

The full service includes consulting and creative support, the use of the interactive marketing platform, plus a full suite of reporting and analysis tools.

Blyk was the ad-funded, youth focused MVNO that was launched in several countries and pioneered the “conversational messaging” approach to mobile advertising. (see Designing Blyk – The First Ad-Funded Mobile Operator; An Interview with Marko Ahtisaari). About a year ago Blyk announced that they would halt their MVNO activity, but would still work with mobile operators on developing advertising offers.

The interactive Orange Shots service utilizes both SMS and MMS, and sets up messaging conversations which encourage customers to message back and give views and opinions. This type of interactivity can lead to very high levels of consumer engagement. In addition to special offers, customers will also receive other benefits from Orange Shots, including news, gossip, entertaining content, game previews, and sports information.

Orange has been testing Orange Shots since September 2009 with brands including 4Music, Ubisoft, COI and Snickers, and has seen response rates of between 21-39%.

Orange Shots is intended to let brands communicate with selected segments of Orange’s Pay-as-you-go, opted-in Monkey subscribers. (for those of you who don’t live in the UK, “Monkey” is the name of an Orange customer offer that is focused on users who like music content.)

Minimum segment size is 100,000 subscribers, and Orange says that additional customer segments and profiles will be following shortly. Eventually the program will be available to its entire mobile customer base, giving brands the opportunity to engage with a variety of specific demographic segments.

Marc Overton, VP of Wholesale, Business Development and Partnerships, Orange UK said “Orange Shots… is a win-win for brands, as well as our customers, with advertisers continually seeking new and innovative ways to engage with consumers, and our customers getting rewarded with access to exclusive, interactive content and offers, knowing that they’re tailored specifically to them and their interests.”