Blyk
Encyclopedia
Blyk is a "free" ad-supported mobile phone network that offers text messages and customer-to-customer calls. It targets young people (16-29) has offices in Finland
, the Netherlands
, the United Kingdom
and in India
.
Blyk was first launched in the UK. It was the first mobile network funded by advertising
, and was targeted at 16- to 24-year-olds. Users signing up to the network received advertising messages on their mobiles
, and in return were given a monthly allowance of free top-up.
(formerly president of Nokia
) and Antti Öhrling (ex-chairman and founder of the Contra advertising group). Its headquarters were in Helsinki
but it also had an office in London
. In October 2007, Shaun Gregory
was appointed UK CEO and resigned on January 9, 2009 due to personal reasons. Following Gregory's resignation, Antti Ohrling took over as UK CEO.
Before February 2009, the network offered 43 free minutes and 217 free texts
to be used each month. Balances were reset after 30 days, so unused credit did not roll over. If the balance was used up before the monthly reset, users could pay 15p/min and 10p/text; thus, the free credit was worth £28.15.
In February 2009, the rates were changed to 24p/min and 8p/text. At this level, the free balance would have been worth £27.68/month. However, the system was also altered so that users' balances now reset to £15.00 every month. This can be spent on any combination of calls, texts, picture messages and data. Some people think this was because the company was making cutbacks due to the recession.
In July 2009, Blyk announced that they were ending their service in the UK at the end of August, to become a partner for other established operators, including Orange in the UK and Vodafone in the Netherlands. http://www.blyk.com/2009/07/
The Blyk service in the UK ended for all members on 26 August 2009.
on websites or spam email. The Guardian
commented that "advertisers will have to be careful not to annoy their new users with the mobile equivalent of spam", with Channel 4
stating that the fact that "you have to suffer the ads" was the network's downside. Tech Digest also noted that if advertisers don't embrace the interactivity offered by the network, they may have to resort to spam.
Channel 4's technology correspondent Benjamin Cohen also raised the issue that targeting individuals with advertising for brands such as McDonalds and Coca-Cola
could open up a debate about childhood obesity
.
Other sources, however, praised the network's approach to its adverts, whereby users can respond to messages they receive free-of-charge to receive a more personal service. SMS Text News stated that this aspect of the network "may well be extremely welcome", and The Times
reported that certain analysts believed that Blyk "could provide a boost to the nascent market in mobile marketing".
Membership was by invitation only, available via special promotions and from existing members. Potential members joined the network via its website. As part of the process they were asked a range of profiling questions. Blyk used the information it gathered to target them with relevant advertising messages at a rate of up to 6 a day. On 25 Sep 2007 it was reported by telegraph.co.uk that the company had secured 44 brands for its service, including Coca-Cola
, NatWest, Boots Group and Mastercard
.
On April 24, 2008 Blyk announced that they had reached their twelve month target of 100,000 clients six months ahead of schedule.
According to their website, they are working with Vodafone in the Netherlands
, Aircel
in India
and with Orange in the UK.
, and it gives targeted ads and content to the young (16- to 29-year-olds) and monthly 1000 free Blyk-to-Blyk calls and 1000 free texts to any networks. http://www.blyk.com/2010/05/07/blyk-live-in-the-netherlands/. The launch advertisers include Beachmasters, Universal Pictures, McDonald’s, Pearle and Electronic Arts.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Blyk was first launched in the UK. It was the first mobile network funded by advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
, and was targeted at 16- to 24-year-olds. Users signing up to the network received advertising messages on their mobiles
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
, and in return were given a monthly allowance of free top-up.
History
Blyk was founded by two Finns, Pekka Ala-PietiläPekka Ala-Pietilä
Pekka Ala-Pietilä is CEO and co-founder of Blyk. He was also President of Nokia Corporation and President of Nokia Mobile Phones . He holds an honorary Doctor in Technology from University of Tampere and in Science from the University of Helsinki, and is a Knight 1st Class of the Order of the...
(formerly president of Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
) and Antti Öhrling (ex-chairman and founder of the Contra advertising group). Its headquarters were in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
but it also had an office in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In October 2007, Shaun Gregory
Shaun Gregory
Shaun Gregory is Managing Director of Media for Telefonica O2 UK. He is responsible for building and developing the advertising business in the UK. Prior to joining O2 in March 2009 he was UK chief executive of Blyk. Gregory worked alongside Pekka Ala-Pietilä, the former president of Nokia, and...
was appointed UK CEO and resigned on January 9, 2009 due to personal reasons. Following Gregory's resignation, Antti Ohrling took over as UK CEO.
Before February 2009, the network offered 43 free minutes and 217 free texts
Text messaging
Text messaging, or texting, refers to the exchange of brief written text messages between fixed-line phone or mobile phone and fixed or portable devices over a network...
to be used each month. Balances were reset after 30 days, so unused credit did not roll over. If the balance was used up before the monthly reset, users could pay 15p/min and 10p/text; thus, the free credit was worth £28.15.
In February 2009, the rates were changed to 24p/min and 8p/text. At this level, the free balance would have been worth £27.68/month. However, the system was also altered so that users' balances now reset to £15.00 every month. This can be spent on any combination of calls, texts, picture messages and data. Some people think this was because the company was making cutbacks due to the recession.
In July 2009, Blyk announced that they were ending their service in the UK at the end of August, to become a partner for other established operators, including Orange in the UK and Vodafone in the Netherlands. http://www.blyk.com/2009/07/
The Blyk service in the UK ended for all members on 26 August 2009.
Reaction
The response from the British press towards Blyk placed its emphasis on debating the potential effectiveness of mobile-based advertising, with concerns that it may prove intrusive in a similar manner to pop-upsPop-up ad
Pop-up ads or pop-ups are a form of online advertising on the World Wide Web intended to attract web traffic or capture email addresses. Pop-ups are generally new web browser windows to display advertisements...
on websites or spam email. The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
commented that "advertisers will have to be careful not to annoy their new users with the mobile equivalent of spam", with Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
stating that the fact that "you have to suffer the ads" was the network's downside. Tech Digest also noted that if advertisers don't embrace the interactivity offered by the network, they may have to resort to spam.
Channel 4's technology correspondent Benjamin Cohen also raised the issue that targeting individuals with advertising for brands such as McDonalds and Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
could open up a debate about childhood obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
.
Other sources, however, praised the network's approach to its adverts, whereby users can respond to messages they receive free-of-charge to receive a more personal service. SMS Text News stated that this aspect of the network "may well be extremely welcome", and The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
reported that certain analysts believed that Blyk "could provide a boost to the nascent market in mobile marketing".
Market
Blyk was distinguished by the age restriction that it operated for its membership. The 16-24 age range is exclusive and was applied by means of ID checks with several national databases during sign up. Members who joined before turning 25 were not removed from the network on their 25th birthday, but were unable to rejoin if they left.Membership was by invitation only, available via special promotions and from existing members. Potential members joined the network via its website. As part of the process they were asked a range of profiling questions. Blyk used the information it gathered to target them with relevant advertising messages at a rate of up to 6 a day. On 25 Sep 2007 it was reported by telegraph.co.uk that the company had secured 44 brands for its service, including Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
, NatWest, Boots Group and Mastercard
MasterCard
Mastercard Incorporated or MasterCard Worldwide is an American multinational financial services corporation with its headquarters in the MasterCard International Global Headquarters, Purchase, Harrison, New York, United States...
.
On April 24, 2008 Blyk announced that they had reached their twelve month target of 100,000 clients six months ahead of schedule.
Ending UK service
On July 27, 2009 Blyk UK announced that the service was to end on August 26, 2009 due to the company deciding to change the way the business is run globally. Blyk UK is changing from being an independent mobile operator to become a partner to other established operators to bring the benefits of mobile advertising to their customers. In this way, Blyk claims it will be able to reach more people and share the "Blyk experience" not just in the UK, but globally.According to their website, they are working with Vodafone in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Aircel
Aircel
Aircel group is a mobile phone service provider in India. It offers both prepaid and postpaid GSM cellular phone coverage throughout India. The Aircel group is a joint venture between Maxis Communications Berhad of Malaysia and Sindya Securities & Investments Private Limited, whose current...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and with Orange in the UK.
Blyk re-launches
In May 2010, Blyk launched its service to the young people in the Netherlands. The service is created in partnership with VodafoneVodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
, and it gives targeted ads and content to the young (16- to 29-year-olds) and monthly 1000 free Blyk-to-Blyk calls and 1000 free texts to any networks. http://www.blyk.com/2010/05/07/blyk-live-in-the-netherlands/. The launch advertisers include Beachmasters, Universal Pictures, McDonald’s, Pearle and Electronic Arts.