Orange Rolls Out Interactive Mobile Advertising Services in a European First

    BARCELONA, February 14 /PRNewswire/ --

    - Orange is the First Operator to Launch Interactive SMS and MMS
      Advertising in Multiple Markets, Helping Brands Transform How They
      Communicate With Customers

    - New Service Brings Benefits to Customers and Gives Advertisers Highly
      Targeted, Interactive Engagement With Thousands of Orange Mobile
      Customers in Europe

    - Innovative Strategy Extends Orange's Multi-Platform Advertising
      Offering Across Mobile, TV and PC - All Supported by Orange's Global
      Ad-Sales Network

Orange today announces it will roll-out interactive SMS and MMS advertising across its European footprint in 2010. Following the launch of ad-supported tariffs and interactive mobile advertising in the UK, Orange is making this a European first, bringing interactive SMS and MMS advertising into new markets and tailoring offers locally to give advertisers new and targeted ways to engage with customers.

Paul Francois Fournier, Executive vice president in charge of audience and advertising says: "Orange is at the forefront of giving advertisers exactly what they need - direct, targeted dialogue with customers. Supported by our global ad-sales network and combined with our unique multi-screen reach, our new mobile ad-models go beyond display advertising to create more value for advertisers, create a richer experience for customers and maximise the use of our networks with clever innovation."

All interactive mobile advertising with Orange is "opt-in" for customers, giving people the freedom to choose. Depending on which market, each offer is tailored to incentivise customers with localised, relevant rewards such as exclusive content, film and games reviews, celebrity gossip, free texts, prizes and other benefits like up-to-date sports information.

Building on its UK success, Orange is sharing innovation across its footprint, starting in Spain this month with new interactive ad-supported service, Mio. Orange is taking a different approach with Mio, offering all mobile customers in Spain the chance to opt-in, reaching beyond youth audiences. Mio customers will receive gifts, content and the opportunity to win monthly and annual prizes. Interactive SMS and MMS advertising campaigns will roll-out to other Orange markets in 2010. Other mobile advertising trials are also taking place in Egypt and Jordan in the first half of this year, allowing for expansion into emerging markets, as well as mature markets.

David Fieldhouse, Head of Mobile Mediacom adds: "Highly targeted messaging campaigns have shown good results for our clients. Innovative models like these, that allow audience feedback, let campaign planners better understand how their campaigns resonate with consumers. Orange's ability to tightly segment audiences will also result in a better consumer experience and deeper engagement with an advertiser's message."

To help localise interactive offers in different markets Orange has formed strategic partnerships with various providers, including Blyk in the UK and Velti in Spain. Last year in the UK, Orange launched a new prepaid tariff called Monkey for young pay-as-you-go customers. A free opt-in service, Monkey sends customers targeted messages based on their feedback in return for great offers from their favourite brands. Orange UK now has over 100,000 Monkey subscribers and has recently launched a targeted SMS and MMS offer called "Orange Shots" that lets advertisers specifically target Monkey customers.

Andy Wasef, Director of Emerging Platforms at MEC adds: "These new services from Orange allow us to interact immediately with highly targeted audiences via the Orange network. They also allow us to better analyse interaction with consumers, enabling more intelligent campaign planning."

Images of the service are available on request.

For more information: http://www.orange.com, http://www.francetelecom.com , http://www.orange-business.com

SOURCE Orange