Wireless Watch for December 11, 2003

FTS Wireless Launches Mobile Marketing Firm

FTS Wireless is preparing to launch a mobile marketing subsidiary. Called Mobile Media and beginning operations during the first half of 2004, the new venture will build on the company’s current offering of cellular, satellite and Wi-Fi services for retail and business clients.

“The mobile media space is the next logical step in the evolution of our company and a great opportunity for FTS to expand our revenue base and leverage our current resources,” said FTS Wireless CEO Scott Gallagher.

Gallagher said the firm will be uniquely positioned to deliver mobile media campaigns to both large and small companies by leveraging the existing customer base of FTS Wireless.

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Panasonic Deploys MMS Campaign in U.K.

[December 11, 2003] Flytxt recently launched a multimedia messaging service (MMS) direct marketing campaign for Panasonic in the U.K. The campaign, which sent out a total of 4,500 messages, supported the launch of Panasonic’s X70 camera phone, a high-end bluetooth-enabled device with 4 Megabytes of memory.

The opt-in recipients had all previously registered on a Web site, expressing an interest in receiving information about new mobile products and confirming that they had an MMS-enabled handset. Flytxt said it was the first time the industry has witnessed a pure direct marketing push via MMS.

MMS campaigns have been heralded as a potential leap ahead for the branding impact of mobile marketing, which has so far largely been relegated to SMS.

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m-Qube Hires Clements to Lead Canadian Charge

m-Qube has named Louise Clements to head its initial mobile marketing efforts in Canada. Most recently the general manager of custom networks for Corus Entertainment, Clements has also held posts with Globemedia, Sympatico, Lycos and AOL Services.

“Louise’s successful track-record in developing new revenue streams and experience working with the world’s leading consumer brands and media companies make her a natural fit for this important new role,” said Jeffrey Glass, m-Qube’s CEO.