Marketron Becomes the Mobile Platform Standard for Radio in the Broadcast Industry

HAILEY, Idaho, Feb. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Marketron, the leading provider of business software solutions and services for the media industry, today announced that more than 1,200 new radio stations have licensed to use Marketron Mobile over the past year, bringing the total number of stations that have licensed the Marketron Mobile Platform to 1,950. Launched in October 2010, Marketron Mobile now runs more than 18,000 campaigns per month and boasts clients such as Beasley Broadcast Group, Cumulus Media, ESPN, Harley Davidson, Heineken, Lincoln Financial Media, Mapleton Communications, Maverick Media, Microsoft and Radio One.

Marketron Mobile provides broadcasters a highly scalable programming platform and advertising service designed to reinvigorate traditional media, make broadcast programming more interactive and grow traditional spot and new advertising revenue. Key to this phenomenal growth is the popularity and adoption of Marketron's Mediascape Program – an open ecosystem platform, next generation traffic solution and value-added services for media groups – and the rapid expansion of mobile as a critical and proven medium for broadcasters to connect with listeners to grow ratings, audience engagement and advertising revenue. 

"Few things rank as high in importance as the role mobile will play in ESPN Local's development," said Jim Pastor, Senior Vice President of ESPN Local. "As it becomes an increasingly important touchpoint to both sports fans and marketers alike, our responsibility to provide compelling content to users and accurate data tracking to our partners increases as well. It's impossible to think of an effective local marketing mix without recognizing the potential that mobile offers."

Radio groups find Marketron Mobile particularly attractive due to its:

• Ability to immediately turn mobile into a profit center.  Stations can offer advertisers mobile integrated into all channels including traditional spot, web display, social media and more, increasing the reach and effectiveness of campaigns and driving new revenue.
• Comprehensive onboarding program.  In the first ninety days, the Marketron Mobile team works closely with clients to ensure their success with mobile – including training, scheduling of ongoing campaigns and implementing a playbook of best practices. 
• Experienced selling partner at the station's side.  Marketron's Monetizing Mobile Workshops give station sales personnel and local advertisers a forum to meet and better understand each group's opportunities to work together. These co-marketing events have yielded strong close rates from advertisers attending workshops, generating significant new revenue for stations.
• Affordability.  Marketron Mobile is offered to clients along with the Marketron Mediascape Platform, making it highly affordable for stations to adopt and immediately integrate mobile into programming activities to increase brand, loyalty and audience engagement.
• Highly intuitive, self-service solution.  Marketron Mobile is very easy to use.  Once activated, programming is able to immediately start engaging with audiences, creating participatory programming including text to win contests, dedications, requests, mobile communities and loyalty programs.  This ease of use has helped drive the widespread adoption of the platform among broadcasters.

"Marketron Mobile was a good choice for Maverick Media.  The solution enables our stations to produce highly targeted, fast and flexible mobile campaigns for our advertisers," said Gary Rozynek, CEO of Maverick Media.  "In addition, through Marketron's Mobile Workshops we have been able to institute new sales approaches, ensuring our account executives are trained and able to sell integrated solutions that include mobile to advertisers.  Using Marketron Mobile we have been able to extend mobile from a programming tool to a new revenue generation tool that has accelerated our digital revenue growth."

"Having a mobile solution and strategy has become a necessity for broadcasters to connect with their audiences and provide advertisers superior engagement and accountability," said Martin Kristiseter, Vice President of Mobile Solutions at Marketron. "We are very excited that over 1,950 stations have chosen to license Marketron for their mobile initiatives and that we have become the standard in the broadcast industry. With this unique position, we will continue to innovate and offer our clients additional mobile products and services to drive greater adoption and revenue.  Earlier this year we released a mobile website builder, ad-creator, social media connectors and APIs for deeper integration with existing systems."

About Marketron
Marketron is the leading provider of business software solutions and services for the media industry. The Marketron Mediascape Platform, Traffic and Suite of Services drive innovation to create new growth opportunities that produce the maximum value for our clients and facilitate their evolution into digital. Relied on by more than 7,000 stations, Marketron solutions are the most widely-used media solutions in the world, managing an estimated $15 billion dollars of annual advertising revenue. Marketron is an affiliate of The Wicks Group of Companies, LLC of New York, which specializes in communications, information and media businesses.

Media Contact:
Brynn Moynihan
Horn Group for Marketron
(646) 202-9753
[email protected]

SOURCE Marketron