November 15, 2005
Brand: The Hockey News
Company: g8wave
Objective:
The Hockey News is a leading consumer publication, focused on the National Hockey League (NHL). In the aftermath of the year long NHL lockout The Hockey News was looking for ways to revitalize itself, by increasing its visibility, driving new subscriptions and reaching out to a younger audience, particularly in the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />United States.
Solution:
For years, The Hockey News has prompted prospective readers to call or go online to subscribe. Often, these appeals are made directly to the biggest hockey fans, on-site at NHL games. A hockey fan is not always willing to make a call on the spot and not always able to go online when they see a subscription offer – particularly when attending a National Hockey League game. What’s more, if they don’t act when they see the marketing in print or in an arena, they may not remember to do so. g8wave saw an opportunity to use SMS as a way to give interested consumers the ability to act on their impulse to subscribe immediately, as opposed to making a call or waiting to go online when they got home. In printed marketing materials (such as The Boston Bruins official yearbook) and in arenas around the NHL (such as Nassau Coliseum, home of the New York Islanders) consumers are being prompted to text in to subscribe. For doing so, they are being offered special discounts, free issues, special gifts and even autographed player items at arenas. Bounce back messages included information on how to subscribe and/ or how to receive their special offer or gift.
Results:
The Hockey News has opened up a completely new channel through which to market its subscription offers and given interested consumers a new way to interact with The Hockey News. This is a first step in gauging reader interest in mobile campaigns, and a springboard to more and different mobile services from The Hockey News.
About g8wave:
g8wave (“gatewave”) is a mobile marketing and m-commerce company and a new division of the forty year-old Phoenix Media/Communications Group. The company operates both domestically and overseas, with offices in Boston and London. The company has grown at a rapid pace by building technology and services that respond and adjust to the public’s evolving demand for mobile content, and delivering it via the mobile gateways effectively and efficiently.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
g8wave has already introduced various mobile services in the US, Canada and Europe through its network of media partnerships. For more on g8wave, visit www.g8wave.com.
