Asia’s first ad-funded mobile network, UMobile, was recently launched in a grand coming-out party at Vudu Bar. Grand, and I can say that again, since guests during the launch immediately got a foretaste of this experience as UMobile raffled off 150 3G phone units, allowing guests to explore right away the mobile service features. And can you imagine the reaction of the 150 guests, which was composed of the metro’s “younger set” as their names were flashed on the big screen as winners? They went crazy! Well, almost all of them...and I wasn’t an exception!
UMobile’s unique ad-funded mobile platform partners with corporations who wish to advertise or create mobile-based marketing campaigns for a particular brand. A portion of the revenues generated from a brand’s campaigns will be given back to the subscribers or make transactions for UMobile services or avail of a brand’s product offer. The most exciting part is, free load for voice calls, SMS, MMS and broadband internet are just a few of the perks that UMobile subscribers can enjoy through this ad-funded platform, which is the first in Asia.
According to Mr. Ardie Valderama, UMobile Chief Marketing Officer, “Our ads will be 100 percent permission-based, which is a prerequisite for signing-up with UMobile. We will also ensure that our subscribers will only be forwarded mobile campaigns that will be relevant to them. UMobile ensures advertisers will get a mobile campaign especially designed for the target market through its detailed subscriber database. Instead of mass text to faceless subscribers, UMobile will help develop customize mobile marketing campaigns with information from its customer profiles.”
Subscribers get free P100 load each month for the first six months, UMobile will make pre-paid load available to subscribers whenever they want to add-on to their existing load. Load purchases are available through their website as well as traditional sources like convenience stores.
The Cebu launch or coming-out party was definitely a successful one which ended way past my bedtime. Everyone had a blast that night. Well, who wouldn’t especially for those 150 lucky ones?
For more details, visit www.umobile.com.ph.