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Helsinki, Finland and London, UK, 27 July 2009 – Today Blyk, the mobile engagement media announces Orange as its exclusive partner in the UK and confirms that it will move from its UK MVNO operation at the end of August.
This announcement follows on from Blyk’s recent news related to its partnership with Vodafone to bring the Blyk brand and media model to consumers and advertisers in the Netherlands.

“For Blyk, the MVNO enabled us to build an optimal user experience for young people while at the same time providing an engaged audience, accountability and overall media effectiveness for advertisers. The Blyk media model is now proven and we are accelerating Blyk’s growth through operator partnerships.” says Pekka Ala-Pietilä, Blyk co-founder and CEO. “We’ve had an excellent relationship with Orange UK in our capacity as an MVNO and our move to operator partnering naturally served to propel the evolution of this relationship. We see this as a major building block for Blyk’s international expansion and continued growth.”

Blyk members will continue to enjoy all the benefits of the service until 26th August, at which point Blyk’s MVNO operation ends in the UK. Since Blyk’s inception its members have freely aired their opinions and demonstrated their independence and individuality. Thus, as young people do, Blyk members will select the best alternative on the market to meet their individual needs. At the same time, Blyk and Orange are in the final stages of integrating Blyk’s media capabilities and expertise, allowing Orange to enhance their own media initiatives by launching across a variety of mobile propositions in the UK.

Blyk has proven that sending timely, interesting and relevant messages to young people from brands builds high levels of engagement and illicits high response and action rates. Going forward Orange will continue to offer brands this direct communication but on a far larger scale.

Marc Overton, VP of Wholesale, Business Development & Partnerships, Orange UK says, “Orange has enjoyed a close working relationship with Blyk since it first entered the market in 2007. It is a progressive, innovative, and exciting company and one which matches a proven capability with Orange’s ambition to grow its media business in order to offer a portfolio of opportunities for consumers and media houses alike. Integrating Blyk’s capabilities into our own will allow Orange customers access to great brand offers, benefits and promotions in a timely fashion which are specifically tailored and relevant to them.”

Aligned to its global expansion strategy, the mobile engagement media will launch its brand in the Netherlands in partnership with Vodafone

Helsinki, London and Amsterdam, 23 July 2009 – Blyk, the mobile engagement media, today announces Vodafone as its exclusive partner in the Netherlands.

The partnership between Blyk and Vodafone builds upon a relationship between the two companies, which started in 2008, with a view to expanding the Blyk brand. The partnership will bring the Blyk brand and media model to the Netherlands and it is aligned to both companies’ strategies for growth and leadership in mobile advertising.

“We’re extremely pleased to be extending our relationship with Vodafone. For Blyk, the partnership is part of a global strategy to bring scale and speed to our operations, while continuing to provide an innovative and valuable proposition for both consumers and advertisers. Together with Vodafone, we intend to build a game changing engagement media in the Dutch market.” says Blyk co-founder and CEO, Pekka Ala-Pietilä. “Our relationship will include a co-development of the consumer proposition for the Netherlands and audience management. Blyk will have responsibility for the advertising sales and technology.”

Eric Kip, Managing Director Blyk Netherlands, says: “The Netherlands has the third highest advertising spend per capita in Europe and is a hub for many global companies and ad agencies, so it is an obvious territory for Blyk’s expansion. The advertising market, whilst both creative and dynamic, is also cluttered and we believe youth brands will welcome a highly engaging communication channel like Blyk. We are confident that both Dutch advertisers and global advertisers will make use of Blyk’s unique ability to connect them with an important consumer segment.”

ENDS

London, UK, 1 April 2009 – Blyk, the free mobile network for young people funded by advertising, has announced that PUMA will be using Blyk media, as part of a 360 campaign to launch  one of it’s most innovative lifestyle trainers in history.

The campaign on Blyk will centre around a competition mechanic. PUMA will be giving away 100 pairs of the new shoe to Blyk members who respond to questions about their levels of physical activity.  Engagement will be assessed by click through and activity on a WAP site about the new product, PUMA L.I.F.T.

Additionally, since Blyk has detailed profile information about its members, PUMA will be able to measure interest and engagement across different lifestyle categories.   This type of insight is something that no other media can provide.

“This is a great brand fit for both PUMA and Blyk – we know from our member profiles that they love to hear about exciting new brands and are certain to engage with this very creative mechanic.”  said Chris Bennett, Blyk’s Commercial Director.

Sean Casey, PUMA Lifestyle Marketing Manager adds: “We chose Blyk as our mobile partner due to the ability to interact directly with our target group and assess in real time their engagement with the brand.  Our new product, PUMA L.I.F.T, gives us a great opportunity to assess the effectiveness of mobile through Blyk and we are looking forward to the results.”

Constructed with Lite Injected Foam Technology; PUMA L.I.F.T launches this month at select JD stores Nationwide- www.jdsports.co.uk/ www.puma.com.

On Blyk gives greater control and flexibility to content providers

MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS 2009, Barcelona – Velti, a leading mobile marketing
and content services technology provider, and Blyk have partnered to launch the mobile
operator’s new content portal – On Blyk. The new service is built primarily on messaging
and is now available to all Blyk users in the UK.

Currently most mobile content services are built on the assumption that users will find
what they want by browsing to it. On Blyk is based on the insight that messaging is the
simple dominant mobile behaviour for 16-24 year olds and that messaging can drive the
discovery of relevant content.

The new portal acts as a conduit for Blyk members interested in content from relevant
brands or lifestyle choices; which moves away from the traditional mobile portal
business model.

On Blyk enables content providers to host their content and then align pricing and
promotional activities in line with their objectives. Content spanning areas such as video,
chat, wallpapers, games and ringtones are delivered through On Blyk, from established
providers including Player X, Saffron Digital and Jumbuck, amongst others.
“We liked the proposition On Blyk offered us and joined the service when we realised the
flexibility of the Blyk network. We can control price points, promotional activities and the
discovery of our content, in a more efficient way than other operator offerings,” said
Tony Pearce, Player X CEO.

On Blyk was developed in partnership with Velti, using elements of its Mobile Marketing
Platform (MMP) to deliver highly targeted content to the network’s 16-24 year old
members.

“On Blyk is a great illustration of how Velti’s technology can ensure the relevance of
mobile communications, based on lifestyle or brand choices made by individuals. As Blyk
members use the portal we will be able to use this behavioural insight to deliver the
most compelling, relevant and timely content to them,” said Velti CEO, Alex Moukas. “On
Blyk’s use of our personalisation technology is a key element in determining what
content members will be receptive to and delivering a valued experience.”

Pekka Ala-Pietilä, global CEO drives international expansion

Helsinki, Finland and London, UK, 9 January, 2009 – Blyk, the free mobile network for young people funded by advertising today announced that as part of the company’s recent organizational realignment, Antti Öhrling, the co-founder and current executive director of Blyk will take the helm in the UK as Shaun Gregory, Blyk’s current UK CEO, resigns for personal reasons.

“In 2008 Blyk achieved milestones in member and advertiser growth in the UK and it was a pivotal year for Blyk in demonstrating that the model works for both young people and advertisers alike. We thank Shaun for his contribution to this success.” said Antti Öhrling.

Antti Öhrling co-founded Blyk in 2006 with former Nokia president, Pekka Ala-Pietilä, and has been a driving force in the company’s strategic direction. Öhrling’s move to the top spot in the UK will ensure that the company’s innovative model continues to be a leading force in UK youth media.

At the same time Pekka Ala-Pietilä will lead Blyk’s international media partnering approach through which the company will gain greater flexibility and speed to capitalize on new growth opportunities and global demand for its media model.

This announcement follows the company’s recent news of an additional €40 million in funding to support it’s ongoing operations and accelerated international expansion.

By Antti Öhrling

Yesterday, I had the pleasure to speak at the Marketing Society Annual Conference “Winning in the Downturn”. The organisers assembled a very interesting group of people for the day… and the topic? What could be more on the pulse. And yet, still, we all hate downturns, or do we? Is there an opportunity, when the scared ones stop spending in their brands, for newer and braver ones to gain market share and build long-term brand equity?

Although in the current world where everything is driven by quarterly results, most of the decision makers that make these big cuts in their marketing spend today, don’t have to see the havoc they caused in the years to come. They take the short-term gains and future CEOs will pay the price.

Blyk really fits the market today. I shared the story of Blyk starting from the business idea – uniting young people and brands with free communication. With our 200,000 members, member-get-member (being the fastest growing channel), high Net Advocacy level (on par with Facebook and MySpace), 25 percent unparalleled response level in the more than 2,000 campaigns we’ve run and nearly 200 brand on board already – it’s all working, and working really, really well. And the audience seemed to agree. If you can get a 25 percent response and spend 50 pence per response (much lower than any other digital or direct media), why wouldn’t you agree? It’s all about the 100 percent opt-in audience and engagement. Advertising is good, when it is relevant.

Key highlights from the day include:

David Taylor from Brandgym opened the session by addressing the audience with 5 tips to survive in the current economic situation: 1) Brand everything 2) Stand out 3) Kill the small line extensions 4) Cut the costs, not corners 5) Never mind the “emotional” advertising.

Les Binet and Peter Field gave 10 tips (we’re improving) on the same issue:
Don’t panic
Cut the right costs (not marketing)
Cutting Share of voice cuts your future
Cutting SOV causes long term damage
Cutting SOV outs your brand at risk
A recession is a marketing opportunity
Promotions are not the solution
Emotions are the key, even when times are tough
Aim for the fame
Harness the power of multi-channel media approach.

Gayle Troberman from Microsoft shared her experience from the “I’m a PC” campaign. Ordinary people are interesting… also for other people. That was their learning. You must ask, listen and continuously adapt in your campaign whilst you are running it. And create a lot of digital assets.

Will Whitehorn from Virgin Galactic was sharing the exciting prospect of space tourism and the revolutionary opportunities associated with it. They have built a solid business case around an innovative idea.

Nick Vermont shared some lessons learned from McCain Foods over the recent years, namely how to recover from a “health scare” driven by tabloids. They have done a brilliant job by becoming open, approachable and doing the good thing.

Sir Keith Mills talked about how an integrated media solution is the most efficient one – a very important point. The era of TV as a mass medium is over. You have to be clever by combining media to achieve the best results. And you need the ability to pick yourself up when the times are tough, the same way the best athletes can do.

Levi Roots took us through his extraordinary story of Reggae Reggae sauce – the big success of the year – and his passion to bring Jamaican food to a wider audience. And he sung and the Reggae Reggae song which really delighted the audience.

Sir Matthew Pinsent was talking about winning margins and shared his story when preparing for the Athens Olympics – a true thriller! No wonder he has become one of the UK’s most successful and highest profile athletes of all time.

Simon Clift from Unilever gave interesting viewpoints of building real brands for real people. He claims that environmental sustainability will be the centre of consumer behaviour. He made us think about all the millions of kids dying from diarrhea every year due to poor hygiene which put the current recession in the right perspective.

Jill McDonald from McDonald’s shared with us how they have made a complete brand turnaround which was a good description on how to improve your position during hard market conditions.

Tony Juniper / Kelvin MacKenzie / Jo Kenrick had an interesting discussion about various aspects of morality and brands. In hard economic times, will consumers go ‘more green’ or will they just go ‘more mean’? A nice juxtaposition from viewpoints resulted a vivid and interesting discussion.

Big thanks to chair Andrew McGuinness, host Krishnan Guru-Murthy and entire Marketing Society for the interesting day!

New media partnering approach with operators is the core of expansion strategy

Helsinki, Finland and London, UK, 18 November 2008 – Blyk, the free mobile network for young people funded by advertising today announced an additional €40 million investment to support its ongoing operations and international expansion.

“The advertising industry and operators have expressed a strong interest in bringing Blyk into new countries and €40 million in additional funding demonstrates the commitment by investors to the Blyk media model.” said Pekka Ala-Pietilä, Blyk’s CEO and Co-founder. “However, we like everyone else are feeling the impact of the world’s financial situation. As a result, in parallel to securing the new investment, we’ve taken decisive steps to cut costs and streamline our organization.”

By launching a new media partnership strategy, alongside organizational realignment, Blyk will gain greater flexibility and speed to capitalize on new growth opportunities and global demand for its media model.

Blyk launched in the UK in September 2007 where it has achieved major successes both in member growth and advertiser usage. In its first year, Blyk achieved a milestone of over 200,000 members and has run over 2000 campaigns with an average response rate of over 25%. With 180 brands on board today, Blyk is well on track to hit its goal of 200 brands using the service by year-end.

“We have a winning formula which makes Blyk attractive globally. The Blyk media model, which is based on highly relevant messaging, has proven to be an extremely effective form of advertising to the youth audience.” said Antti Öhrling, Blyk’s Co-founder and Executive Director. “Blyk’s new partnering strategy will make this powerful model available for operators, brands and young people around the world.”

Blyk was in great company at Ad:Tech – Mark Cridge (CEO, Glue London), George Bryant (Founding Partner, The Brooklyn Brothers) and Anthony Lukom (MD, MySpace UK) – at a panel moderated by Alistair Duncan (CEO, MRM Worldwide) entitled ‘Can brands be friends?’

The panel touched on the many challenges for brands wanting to be ‘friends’ with their target audience. Our conclusion? Brands must embrace the power of social media and understand how it can engage them into a direct dialogue and build a long-term relationships (or friendships) – ‘earned media’ as Mark put it.

Furthermore, as Anthony pointed out, social media can be used in multiple ways. It’s not just about above the line; it’s about selling products, engagement, long-term relationships, seeding strategies, customer insight and research.

We’ve seen the power of advocacy driven media at Blyk. Our high net advocacy score coupled with the fact that more than half of our members heard about Blyk through a friend (as a result, we’re calling our members ‘The Recommenders’), validates mobile marketing to young people and illustrates the power of advocacy driven media.

‘It’s the new emerging landscape’ as Alistair said – a new landscape where brands create a relationship over time which achieves much more than just a campaign.

The thorny issue of measurement and price came up; however, there was universal agreement in the power of this media versus traditional forms despite the currently hard-to-define ROI. But for Blyk, it’s cost per engagement that matters and that’s worth a lot more. After all, traditional forms of media are mostly about one hit. Social media is about developing a relationship through an ongoing conversation. And, as Mark rightly reminded us, it’s important to keep that dialogue going and develop it over time. That’s what we’ve learned at Blyk and that’s why most brands come back for more.

And another important note, Ad:Tech marked our first birthday! We are through 200k members, we boast more than 1,000 campaigns and our response rates are amazingly high. But it’s not about the numbers, and it’s probably not even about whether brands can be friends… it’s all about the media environment your brand is in – the place where relationships can be built.

By Timo Ahopelto

“The Blyk concept works,” said Emeka Obiodu, senior analyst from Ovum, yesterday at Blyk’s second analyst roundtable where more than 30 media, telecoms and advertising analysts and experts attended.

Throughout the day we shared, discussed and debated some of Blyk’s recent developments including:

• Blyk marks its first year in the UK with 200,000 members, doubling the amount forecasted after 12 months in operation.

• Blyk connects brands with “The Recommenders” – young people who are first to try, talk and share new things, and then pass them on to their friends.

• Blyk members love the Blyk concept and are building Blyk through word-of-mouth. Overall, 6 out of 10 have joined because of a friend’s recommendation.

• As researched by Millward Brown, the “net advocacy score” – defined as those who would recommend the service minus those who would not – is the highest among most UK mobile networks (on par with 02) and just behind the likes of Facebook and Youtube. For us at Blyk, this is the most important metric because it shows that Blyk creates unique value to young people’s lives.

• Blyk media works for a broad range of communications needs including awareness (example: EFD Semi Pro), engagement (example: Living TV), sales (example: Lucozade) and insight (example: Brylcreem).

• Blyk media is effective: for example, Blyk spurred 35 percent of special offer redemptions with only a one percent investment for Lucozade.

• Blyk members are responsive. Response rates to advertising are maintained high across industries, a good example is the 64 percent response rate for the Penguin Books campaign to promote ‘Slam.’

And lastly, Blyk and attending analysts yesterday discussed a major question on the industry’s mind: when will mobile advertising take off? In our view, the industry will need to shift its focus from mobile and technology to media solutions that meet brands’ communications goals while creating real value for the consumer.

UK CEO, Blyk

The effects of the economic downturn are widespread. Companies have either already cut their marketing budgets or have a cut planned for 2008. According to a global study by Forrester research, marketing budgets are expected to be cut by 3% on average this year. But, it’s not all gloom. This opens up a window of opportunity for smart advertisers. Why? Well, it gives them the opportunity to assess their approach.

The first step when facing marketing cuts is to initiate a shift from mass advertising to targeted advertising. Channels that once delivered mass audiences are suffering from audience fragmentation, while digital convergence is providing more integrated platforms for communication on a one-to-one level. Consumer choice now determines what messages are seen and when.

The second step is to open up a direct dialogue between the brand and the consumer via innovative marketing channels. The only personalised media channel that allows this is the mobile phone. And, since the mobile phone is an indispensable part of people’s lives, mobile advertising offers a viable and unique channel in reaching consumers in an economic downturn.

Contrary to the stigma among advertisers and marketers that push strategies used with mobile advertising are interruptive and ineffective; 71% of young people admitted that they would like to receive advertising messages on their mobile phones that were targeted to their particular interests. At Blyk, where ad formats based on the most dominant communications pattern among 16-24 year olds – messaging – we believe that push strategies, used as an initial conversation point, are an effective way of opening a dialogue between brands and consumers.

Finally, the third phase is about getting creative minds going. Why not create interesting new campaigns tailored for mobile advertising? It’s about engagement, it’s about relevance. A brand will send a text message, users respond and then the brand sends an answer back. Blyk members – who are fully authenticated upon joining Blyk – react well to this level of engagement, offering high response rates. For example, Penguin’s campaign to promote Nick Hornby’s new novel saw 7 out of 10 members engage with the publisher in dialogue.

And when ROI is even more crucial during a credit crunch, being able to achieve significantly higher response rates than other channels is critical. Blyk has run over 900 mobile advertising campaigns for brands such as EMI, Boots, Penguin, Brylcreem, L’Oreal and NatWest, with industry leading response rates.

Mobile advertising, when executed correctly, is not advertising in its traditional sense; instead it effectively provides useful and relevant information, and a personal mode of communication. When it works – and Blyk does – mobile communication helps protect and build brands by opening dialogue with consumers.

The world of mobile is all about dialogue, relevance and openness. When it is treated as such with a targeted campaign, it can help combat any budget challenge.

Amsterdam/Helsinki, 30 June 2008 – Blyk, the new mobile network for 16 to 24 year olds funded by advertising, is a step closer to launch in the Netherlands. Eric Kip (44), currently Planning Director EMEA at MediaCom, will be the Managing Director of this new company.

Blyk links young people to brands they like and gives them free minutes and text messages every month – upfront and without a contract. For brands, Blyk is an innovative media channel providing direct access to 16-24 year olds who have opted-in to the service and have provided in-depth profiles on themselves so that brands can deliver them relevant communication.

From September 2008, Eric Kip will lead this company in the Netherlands. His view on this new challenge: “Blyk is a great concept for which I have a big passion. With this new communication channel companies can perfectly reach and contact a target group that is usually hard to reach. At the same time we are offering a unique mobile communication concept to young people. I am very excited to start with Blyk and introduce the company to the Dutch youth and advertisers.”

Currently, Eric Kip is Planning Director EMEA at MediaCom, where he is responsible for revenue growth and the quality of planning output of the European network. In the past he was CEO of media agency Initiative Group Netherlands, he worked as Marketing Director at Coca-Cola and held several Marketing positions at Danone and Sara Lee.

Blyk’s co-founder Pekka Ala-Pietilä about the Dutch CEO: “Eric Kip has more than 20 years of experience in marketing. He has worked with many youth brands and has an excellent network with advertisers. We are convinced that with Eric on board, Blyk will succeed in becoming the new Dutch communication channel for young people.

Blyk was launched in September 2007 in the United Kingdom, where the milestone of 100,000 members was reached in April this year. Additional details on Blyk’s launch in the Netherlands will be announced in the coming months.

Blyk, the new mobile network for 16-24 year olds funded by advertising, announces its next wave of European expansion into Germany, Spain and Belgium in 2009, following its announcement to enter the Dutch market earlier this year. Blyk’s rapid expansion is subsequent to its UK success where members embraced the Blyk concept so quickly that its annual member targets of 100,000 were reached six months ahead of schedule, establishing it as a powerful new media for connecting advertisers with young people.

Blyk’s CEO and Co-founder, Pekka Ala-Pietilä said, “There is a great opportunity for Blyk in these markets. Our research shows that young people in Germany, Spain and Belgium are interested in the Blyk proposition because they want to interact with brands they like in exchange for free communication. Our success in the UK, illustrated by robust member adoption, has proven that Blyk is a youth media that works and we hope to replicate this success as we enter new countries. We are also working to attract local talent who share our enthusiasm and can help build Blyk into a significant youth media in other countries.”

To date, Blyk has run over 900 campaigns in the UK for brands such as Coca Cola, STA Travel, Penguin, Buena Vista, L’Oreal and music artists The Kooks and Alphabeat with an average response rate of 29 percent, an extremely high level for any media platform. For example, Penguin’s campaign to promote Nick Hornby’s new novel, saw 7 out of 10 members engage with the publisher in a dialogue.

Blyk will make further announcements related to activities in each of these countries in the near future.

In addition to Blyk’s European expansion plans, the company will continue to strengthen its services in the UK through more members and brands. By the end of the year, Blyk’s aim is to boost the number of brands using Blyk to 200 by the end of 2008. In doing this, Blyk wants to deliver on their driving idea to unite young people and advertisers to free communication.

Multimedia Content:

Co-founder
Pekka Ala-Pietilä

Co-founder
Antti Öhrling

“The Future of Advertising”
APA’s conference at BAFTA

Marko Ahtisaari
Head of Brand & Design talks about all things Blyk

Related Links:

Media Site
Blyk in the Media Mix
Case Studies
^6
Blyk Music
Blyk Team

London, England
17 June 2008

Blyk, the new mobile network for 16-24 year olds funded by advertising, today announced its sponsorship of the D&AD New Blood 2008 Awards and an 18-month relationship with the D&AD 2009 Student Award programme.

Simon Waterfall, President of D&AD said: “D&AD is proud to have Blyk as a main sponsor at this year’s New Blood event. The collaboration embodies our shared value of supporting a new generation of creatives to enhance business performance now and in the future.”

Shaun Gregory, CEO Blyk UK said: “Blyk is committed to educating the industry and ensuring that any brand communications work well when they are executed through mobile. As such, we are delighted to be sponsoring the D&AD New Blood 2008 Awards and the D&AD Student Award programmes 2009.”

If you are attending D&AD New Blood 2008 Awards, Blyk would like to invite you to join the team at the Blyk stand where they will be showcasing the Blyk experience and the unique engagement they have with their members. Visitors will get the opportunity to view Blyk’s creative campaigns, learn more about Blyk’s connection with 16-24 year olds and pick up some goodies in their “chill-out” area.

WHO: Marko Ahtisaari, Blyk Brand and Design
Tom Gutteridge, Blyk UK Head of Creative

WHEN: Monday, 23rd June 2008 from 2 p.m.

WHERE: Earls Court

Blyk’s Marko Ahtisaari will also be participating in a debate entitled “Mobile advertising – A Fad or The Future?” on Tuesday 24th June 2008 at 2 p.m.

30 May 2008
London, England

Blyk, the new mobile network for 16-24 year olds funded by advertising, today launches its new media site as a comprehensive online information domain for advertisers and agencies – constantly updated with insights and case studies.

Go to http://media.blyk.co.uk/ for an explanation of Blyk as a youth media channel that works; insight into Blyk’s 16-24 year old member base; and how to start and maintain a Blyk campaign. Also, view tried and tested campaign results from brands including Penguin, COI, L’Oreal, Boots and Brylcreem.

Briefs can also be sent directly from this site to the Blyk team and a staff member will respond by the following working day.

In line with the media site, Blyk is offering Blyk Breakfasts for advertisers and agencies from 17th June. This will offer attendees a more detailed understanding of the highly targeted campaigns Blyk can deliver and useful insights into the 16-24 year old market.

Quotes:
Shaun Gregory, UK CEO, Blyk, said: “This site tells advertisers and agencies everything they need to know about Blyk as an effective youth media channel. Within the different sections of the site, readers can find out for themselves how to use Blyk as a stand-alone channel or complementary media within the rest of their communications mix.”

About Blyk
Blyk is the new mobile network for 16 – 24s that’s funded by advertising. Blyk links young people with brands they like and gives them free texts and minutes every month. Blyk was co-founded in 2006 by Pekka Ala-Pietilä and Antti Öhrling and has offices in Helsinki, Finland and London, UK. Blyk is now operating in the UK, with other European markets to follow. For more information visit http://media.blyk.co.uk/

Multimedia Content:
Blyk in the Media Mix
Products
Delivering the Best Results
Understanding 16-24 yr olds
Engaging Members
Profiling
Book a Campaign
Case Studies

Related Links:
Blyk Blog
^6
Press
Blyk Team

Recent Coverage:
Blyk hits target as young snap up free mobiles, Telegraph
Blyk appoints Vizeum for UK media, Mad.co.uk
Blyk hires Bennett to lead commercial effort, Brand Republic

For more information or to speak directly to a Blyk spokesperson contact:
Anna Loftin or Caryn Lobley or Suzanne Ellis at GCI: Tel: +44 (0) 207 072 4050 / +44 (0) 207 072 4223 / +44 (0) 207 072 4288 or aloftin@gciuk.com / clobley@gciuk.com / sellis@gciuk.com

I had the pleasure of chatting with Iain Graham from Mobile News and our conversation was featured on this week’s Mobile News podcast. We took a deep dive into the Blyk offering, opportunities for advertisers to engage with 16-24 year olds, future targets and how our member to member recruitment has been key to our growth.

In addition to the Blyk feature, Iain also covered some key issues for mobile Internet and search in general which are very interesting. Enjoy! http://www.thefonecast.com/Default.aspx?item=162

Today Blyk is setting the record straight – we have officially reached our 100,000 member target six months in advance of plan. This is a significant milestone for Blyk and demonstrates that both young people and advertisers have embraced the Blyk concept.

Put simply, young people like Blyk because it makes phone bills and contracts a thing of the past and connects them with relevant brands they like. As a result, advertisers and media buyers are able to directly communicate with 16-24 year olds in an interactive and cost-effective way.

In the six months we’ve been up and running, we have accumulated deep knowledge about our member base. Our high response rates (averaging 29 percent) show that this audience wants to engage with brands and issues that resonate with them. No other youth media channel offers this type of dialogue and relevancy for young people.

On a personal note, the last six months at Blyk have been an incredibly rewarding experience – the people, the momentum and energy create a dynamic environment and I am proud to be a part of this special place.

Press release 24 April 2008

GCI and Contra join the extended team to support growth in the UK and abroad

Helsinki, Finland and London, England, 11 April, 2008 – Blyk, the new mobile network for 16-24 year olds funded by advertising, has appointed GCI to build its brand reputation in the UK and internationally. This follows the appointment of Contra as international brand agency after its design of the Blyk brand and support of Blyk’s successful launch in the UK.

GCI won a wide ranging brief which includes corporate reputation management, building brand advocacy in the UK and mobilising its international agency network to support Blyk’s expansion plans in Europe. Blyk is launching in the Netherlands in the second half of 2008 followed by other European markets.

Marko Ahtisaari, responsible for brand and design at Blyk said: “Blyk is a unique youth media that combines free communication for young people and cost-effective communications opportunities for brands. We wanted partners that bring the same degree of innovation, excitement and execution to PR and Brand, as we’ve applied to building the Blyk service. The Blyk team is looking forward to working with GCI and Contra in what is going to be a big year.”

GCI will work with Contra to communicate the Blyk story to key trade and youth audiences. The PR programme will support Blyk’s brand advertiser sales, member acquisition and European expansion with a mix of direct communications and digital and off-line media activities.

GCI will commence work with Blyk from April 2008 with the PR being run out of the GCI London office and then expand in to GCI’s European network as Blyk enters new markets. Contra will continue to evolve the Blyk brand expression in the Contra London studio.

Steve Parker, Director, Technology & Digital Media commented: “Blyk is an innovative new media channel that has the potential to transform the communications industry and we are excited to have a stake in its success. We will be communicating the scale of the opportunity to the ad industry and the enormous benefits to members by extending the Blyk experience online and building brand advocacy through a variety of communication channels.”

Simon Parrott, Creative Partner at Contra said: “Contra has had great fun working with Blyk over the past two years here in London, and we’re extremely pleased to continue working together with Blyk both here and internationally. What really excites me is that we’re doing something truly innovative. We’re co-creating a different kind of brand that is genuinely involving young people. And what’s more, this is just the beginning.”

-ENDS-

About GCI
GCI Group was founded in 1984 and is part of the WPP family of communications companies. Its work is focused on high value disciplines ranging from consumer and sports marketing, digital media and technology, healthcare and corporate reputation. For more information visit www.gcigroup.com and www.gciuk.com.

About Contra
Contra is the world’s only global agency that comes from Finland. Our approach to business lies in the Finnish concept of ’sisu’ which roughly translates to ’sustained determination and perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.’ (Spend a winter’s day there and you’ll understand completely).
www.contra.net