Mobile marketing in Russia | MMA Global

Mobile marketing in Russia

October 9, 2005

Mobile marketing in Russia

At present the Russian mobile marketing is on the rise. As compared to 2000, the number of mobile users has increased by more than 10 times. According to iKS Consulting (http://www.iksconsulting.ru), in July 2005 the number of mobile subscribers exceeded 102 mln persons. This upward mobile trend is being maintained: the country penetration level amounts to 70.8%. In May 2005 the RF cellular operators subscribed over 3.95 million persons.

Russia is a country of a vast range of operators where some regions have two or five parallel mobile networks. The mobile penetration is several times deeper than that of the Internet. The most common mobile communications standard in Russia is GSM 900/1800. According to iKS-Consulting, the share of this standard in the general subscriber base totals 98.2%.

SMS is the most commonly used technology used by 70% of mobile phone owners, according to statistics. In Russia MMS is not regarded as a widely used service. However, Promo Interactive Agency proactively cooperates with certain mobile operators and manufacturers to promote this technology. As of now, the Agency and the LG company are conducting the first national mobile photo contest «PhotoWOW» (http://www.fotowow.ru). Another summer 2005 contest called “My moment of fame” was held together with Megafon, one of the «Big Three» largest federal operators (click here).

Apart from typical SMS-solutions Promo Interactive Agency offers unique and popular services: Bluetooth (Bluetooth is used mostly in BTL-campaigns), WAP (the Agency was the first to commence large-scale advertising WAP campaigns in Russia).

Promo Interactive Agency is incorporated into a multi-media holding Next Media Group (http://www.nextmedia.ru); thus, it has a unique opportunity to offer their clients development of brand-name Java-applications and Java-games. The “Dom-2” (produced for the popular Russian TV reality-show) and “Night Watch” (based on a well-known movie and novel) games released by Next Media Group are especially popular in Russia.

Though mobile marketing is relatively new for Russia, it has attracted its own target audience. The first Russian mobile marketing campaign was conducted by Coca-Cola in 2001. Within the following years the different types of mobile marketing have been applied just by the large international brands.

The actual rise of the mobile marketing services was made in 2004 due to tremendous growth of the mobile penetration and the rise of interest on the part of FMCGs (mainly Russian brands). In 2004 the total mobile content market turnover (including a part of the mobile marketing) amounted to USD 310 million.

At present the Russian mobile marketing is booming with 5-6 large market players (apart from providers and aggregators). In general, over 100 companies offer some types of mobile marketing services. The most typical projects are: instant-win (package code registration), SMS-lotteries, SMS-contests, on-line services for the mass media (polls and contests for TV, radio and print press). The main technology applied is SMS.

Promo Interactive Agency forms part of the Next Media Group holding (http://www.nextmedia.ru) that ranks among first five market leaders of content services provided in the Russian Federation 1 . Besides, the Next Media Group operates everywhere in the RF and covers over 98% mobile subscribers.

 

Besides Promo Interactive innovation marketing agency, the holding includes:

Technology and connectivity provider of new mobile technologies, covering 95% mobile subscribers.

Next Media Entertainment – a production center specializing in creation of online projects for TV, radio, printed press and certain events.

The largest Russian mobile entertainment products retailer (java games and applications, logos and ring tones).

The leading producer of mobile games and other entertainment content and services.

First mobile publisher.

Contacts
Promo Interactive Agency
Address: 13/2 Zubovsky blvd., Moscow, 119021, Russia
Tel.: +7 (095) 775-42-55
www.promo.ru
[email protected]
[email protected]