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The Telecom Asia’s interview with Antti Öhrling on the Blyk story and evolution.

RELATED ARTICLE: Messaging: the future of mobile advertising

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.”

Company Selected as Technology Innovator in the Mobile Marketing and Advertising Category for 2009

Helsinki, Finland, January 28, 2009 — Blyk, the free mobile network for young people funded by advertising today announced that it has been selected to the 2009 OnMedia 100 List. The OnMedia 100 Award is given to private, emerging technology companies in the advertising, publishing, marketing, branding and public relations spaces. Blyk was selected by the AlwaysOn editorial team based on demonstration of growth, market opportunity, quality of innovation and customer traction.

“Blyk launched its service in the UK in September 2007 and by the end of 2008 over 200 brands were using Blyk Media against a wide range of marketing needs. We are pleased to be delivering great results for our advertisers and honoured to be recognized by AlwaysOn as a leader in mobile marketing and advertising.“ said Pekka Ala-Pietilä, Blyk’s CEO and co-founder.

Blyk and the other OnMedia 100 winners will be recognized at the OnMedia 100 Conference at the Ritz Carlton, New York City, on February 2-4. This two-and-a-half day executive conference is co-presented by Forbes and will feature presentations and high-level debates from CEOs, journalists, industry experts, investors and publishing and advertising executives.

“The 2009 OnMedia 100 companies have demonstrated their tenacity even in the toughest economic conditions that the technology world has ever encountered,” said Tony Perkins, founder and editor of AlwaysOn. “We applaud their success in pushing the boundaries of innovation, creating market opportunities and transforming the industry even in the earlier stages of their businesses.”
The OnMedia 100 winners were selected from among hundreds of other technology companies nominated by investors, bankers, journalists and industry insiders. The AlwaysOn editorial team conducted a rigorous three-month selection process to finalize the 2009 list.

A full list of all the OnMedia 100 winners can be found on the AlwaysOn website at http://alwayson.goingon.com/permalink/post/30893

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.

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.

PRESS RELEASE FROM CANNES INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING FESTIVAL

June 18, 2008

Global communications network, Leo Burnett Worldwide and Contagious magazine today challenged marketers and their agencies to put people at the heart of their work, rather than brands or the category, at their “Wildfire” seminar.

Suggesting how this year’s seminar differed from years previous, the presenters dubbed the session ‘Creativity, with a Human Touch’. Tom Bernardin, CEO and Chairman of Leo Burnett Worldwide said, “Everything that matters in the advertising business begins and ends with two things: People and Behaviour. Wildfire brands understand this better than any, and as a result thrive within today’s ‘People Era’ – an era when marketers have to be more human in their behaviour, insight and voice than ever before.”

PEOPLE CENTRIC

Fundamental to 2008’s Wildfire seminar was a new appreciation of the most important link in the chain that connects product with idea, and campaign with brand — people — as well as tips on just how to truly interact with those people.

‘This year, we wanted to showcase brands that boast what Leo Burnett calls a truly ‘Humankind’ of attitude to their audience, brands that are actually doing something to deserve a place in people’s lives. In a sense, brands that are about Acts, not just Ads,’ added Bernardin.

ADVERTISING, THAT’S NOT ADVERTISING

Paul Kemp-Robertson, Editorial Director of Contagious magazine dared the audience to let go and be proud of creating work that’s NOT advertising, ‘Because if you do, it might just be the best advertising you ever create,” he said. Continuing with this ‘Acts not Ads’ theme, the audience were advised to think in terms of producing work that’s:

# So well targeted and informative that it feels more like a dialogue or relationship.

# Such a useful service or application that it becomes effortlessly embedded into people’s daily lives.

# Content that is so entertaining that the brand stands on an equal footing with TV shows, newspapers or favourite websites.

“This is what Leo Burnett calls true Humankind territory,” concluded Kemp-Robertson.

WILDFIRE BRANDS WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS

Highlighting the key components of a people-focused Wildfire Brand, Kemp-Robertson and Burnett USA ECD, Reed Collins, treated delegates to a round-up of some of the best-practice examples currently out there. These included:

# Canon, Australia: establishing the brand’s creative credentials by providing a ‘little box of inspiration’ to get photographers out and about, snapping away

# Miles, the Nike+ widget: a cute application acting as a personal trainer and integrated RSS reader, extending the Nike+ experience for its dedicated community

# Coca-Cola, China: a fully interactive, state-of-the-art 15 m high digital Coke bottle to which user-generated content and SMS messages can be instantly uploaded and broadcast live from the bottle

# Samsung: smart placement of branded mobile phone charging stations at airports throughout the world, so travellers need never be incommunicado

# Blyk, UK: a UK mobile phone service proving wildly popular with its 16-24 year old target audience, who agree to receive promotions and marketing messages in exchange for free calls and texts

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

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

London, United Kingdom, March 10, 2008 – Blyk, the new mobile network for 16-24s that’s funded by advertising won the Mobile Marketing Award for ‘Best New Offering from a Mobile Services Provider’ at a ceremony held in London on March 6th 2008. The 4th annual Mobile Marketing Awards recognise excellence in mobile marketing and advertising with a focus on innovation, insight and strategic integration.

In a statement about the Mobile Service Provider category, the judges said: “For mobile service providers the need to continually extend the boundaries of how mobile can be used is a must, as their vision and creativity is a vital component for the future of mobile marketing. Each time they extend the boundaries through new developments, huge opportunities (creative and otherwise) open up for brands and their agencies. This award will recognise the providers who are pushing the boundaries to everyone’s benefit.”

Shaun Gregory, UK CEO said: “Blyk is indeed pushing the boundaries by creating a new and engaging way for brands and agencies across the UK to connect with the youth audience. As a media channel, our response rates have averaged 29% and we continue to lead the market in innovation. We are delighted to see this recognised by some of the most respected figures in the industry”

Judges included Claire Valoti, Business Director – Mindshare, Andrew Walmsley, Founding Partner – i-Level and Roisin Donnelly, Marketing Director – P&G. The Chairman of the Judges was David Wheldon, Global Brand Director – Vodafone

The full list of award winners can be viewed at: http://mobilemarketinguk.com

For the short-listed nominees and case study downloads (including the Blyk case study) visit: http://uk.media.yahoo.com/2007.html

Helsinki, Finland and London, England, 30 January, 2008 – Blyk, the new mobile network for 16-24 year olds funded by advertising, today announced its expansion to the Dutch market. Blyk will use Vodafone Netherlands as its host operator, which means that Blyk members in the Netherlands will be able to use voice, text and data services across the Vodafone network.

Blyk’s CEO and Co-founder, Pekka Ala-Pietilä said, “For advertisers Blyk is a pan-European youth medium and the Netherlands is among the three highest advertising spend per capita in Europe. It is also a key target market for those brands with international campaigns.”

“From an advertising perspective, the Netherlands is also an incredibly creative and dynamic market. The deal with Vodafone ensures that we can offer the highest quality service in the Netherlands for both our members and our advertisers.”

Anthony Hellegers, Director Strategy, Wholesale, Legal & Regulatory at Vodafone Netherlands said: “Last year we announced that we want to build a sustainable position in the Dutch MVNO market by offering a true partnership model and the best network quality. We are delighted that this has been recognized and that Blyk has chosen Vodafone Netherlands for their expansion into the Netherlands.”

Blyk will launch in the Netherlands in the second half of 2008. Other European markets are under discussions and details will be released later.

In a further statement, Blyk announced new investors Goldman Sachs and Industrial and Financial Investments Company (IFIC), who will join a roster that includes Sofinnova Partners and a number of private investors.

On the investment, Ala-Pietilä commented, “We are pleased to have two new and prominent investors. It reflects great confidence in the Blyk model.”

Blyk Appoints Shaun Gregory as UK Chief Executive

London, 2 October, 2007 – Blyk the pan-European free mobile operator, which went live in the UK 24th September 2007, today announced the appointment of Shaun Gregory as UK CEO.

Shaun will be responsible for the overall strategic direction of the company and lead the day to day running of the UK business.

Prior to joining Blyk, Shaun was the Director of New Media at the Telegraph Media Group, where he was responsible for shaping the new media strategy working with the Executive board.

Commenting on Shaun’s appointment, Blyk’s Co-founder and global CEO Pekka Ala-Pietilä said; “Shaun brings over twenty years experience and a proven track record in securing substantial revenue for a media company working within a new media format, we are delighted Shaun has decided to lead the UK team.”

Shaun Said: “Blyk has one of the most compelling advertising opportunities I have ever seen. It can reach, engage and build relationships with consumers on a very personal level. It’s also focused on the youth market which is notoriously difficult to reach.”

On leaving Telegraph Media Group, Shaun said: “We have achieved an awful lot in the last year at the Telegraph. The commercial side of the business is now completely integrated. This truly multi media offering means that both TMG’s audiences and revenues are growing faster than those of the competition.”

Shaun will take up his new position with Blyk imminently.

ENDS

For further information, please contact Karen Keany or Adam Rutherford at The PRactice on 0207 072 4184/ 07989 429 367 or karen at thepractice dot org dot uk/ adam at thepractice dot org dot uk

Here is the full video of the Blyk launch event on September 24th at the Vinyl Factory in London:

The world’s first advertising funded mobile network for 16-24 year olds launches in the UK

London, 24 September, 2007 – Blyk, the new mobile network for 16 to 24 year olds today announced the launch of its UK service. The announcement was made by the company founders Pekka Ala-Pietilä and Antti Öhrling at a press launch event in London this morning.

Blyk is an invitation-only mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that links young people with brands they like and gives them free texts and minutes every month.

For brands, Blyk is an innovative, new media channel, providing direct access to the 16-24 year old market; enabling them to create awareness, build relationships and drive sales to this hard to reach audience.

Since its conception early last year, Blyk has been undertaking extensive research in the UK with user group studies and live user trials. These have helped to make the offering extremely compelling for young people and advertisers alike.

Pekka Ala-Pietilä said: “We have spent the last year developing a unique, robust advertising content engine and whilst the technology we are using is incredibly advanced, the main premise of Blyk is driven by 3 basic principles – ease of use, interaction and relevance of the communications.”

Blyk understands the importance of relevancy in communication and has built its system to enable this. By means of profile questions at sign-up and ongoing SMS polling during membership Blyk Media enables brands to target messages like no other medium. Response rates have also been exceptionally high, with some testers reportedly missing the service at the end of the trial.

Further to this Öhrling said: “We found that what is 90% familiar and 10% new leads to the best user experience. So, the Blyk communications formats are based on the most dominant and most familiar pattern among 16-24s: Getting a message and responding to it. Both picture and text.”

Brands will be able to engage Blyk members in question/response type interactions. For members these interactions are free. For advertisers all responses and interactions by members are tracked, giving great accountability to the campaign.

“We found throughout our research that this simple, familiar type of interaction leads to tremendous response rates. “ says Öhrling.

Speaking at the network’s launch in London today, Pekka Ala-Pietilä said:

“Our free offer is 217 texts and 43 minutes every month and this could mean no more phone bills for up to 4.5 million young people in the UK – with no contract. We have the brands that want to speak to them too, with more than 40 already signed up for the launch. This group represents almost every industry sector there is.”

“It’s going to spread because, at the heart of it, it’s got a creative idea. A mobile phone network that’s funded by advertising; that’s something you want to tell people about. Fundamentally it’s the interaction that young people do most on their mobile phone: receiving and responding to a message.” says Antti Öhrling.

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 about.blyk.com.

ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS

Invitations to join Blyk will be sent out over the next few weeks via channels targeted to reach 16-24 year olds.

For further information, please contact:
UK Trade media:
Karen Keany
The PRactice, telephone +44 (0) 20 7812 0662 mobile +44 (0) 7989 429 367
karen@thepractice.org.uk

UK Consumer media:
Rax Lakhani
Splendid Communications, telephone +44 (0) 20 7324 7200
rax@splendidcomms.com

International media:
Irene Nyberg-Jarventaus
Blyk, +44 (0) 7747 844 854
irene@blyk.com

Blyk, the new mobile network for 16 – 24s, is delighted in the growing interest in its progress to create a service that links young people up with brands they like and gives them free texts and minutes, every month.

Jon Fisher, Consumer Marketing Director, said: “Blyk is dedicated to giving its members the best experience possible and in order to do that, we have always planned to launch at a time that delivers the highest level of service for both our members and our advertising partners.”

He added: “We continue the rigorous testing of our technical platforms. We’re also acting on insight from consumer research conducted alongside our launch brands, to ensure we provide the best service at the best time for all. We are confident of delivering this and in light of our recent findings, we feel good about our launch strategy, and are proceeding as we have always planned.”

ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Blyk.
Blyk is a pan-European free mobile operator for young people, funded by advertising. For advertisers, Blyk is an innovative mobile media channel offering direct engagement with a young audience with real time feedback.
Blyk was co-founded in 2006 by Pekka Ala-Pietilä and Antti Öhrling and has offices in Helsinki, Finland and London, UK. Blyk is launching first in the UK market in summer 2007, with other markets to follow.
For more information, visit about.blyk.com

For further press information, contact:
Karen Keany or Adam Rutherford, The PRactice.
Tel: 020 7812 0662 or 07989 429 367

Blyk representatives will be speaking at the following events in June. We hope to see you there.

June 5-6, MEM 2007 in Monte Carlo: Antti Öhrling will be delivering an “Endnote” presentation as a special guest speaker during Day two/Track one. His presentation “The Ultimate Customer Ownership: Launching an MVNO” will begin at 16.00. For details visit: www.mem07.com

June 26-27, NMA and Marketing Week’s “Online Marketing 07″ at the Business Design Centre in London: Pekka Ala-Pietilä will be part of panel discussing “Mobile Myths – How is the user experience of mobile going to change this year? What new challenges are going to emerge for marketers and their agencies?”. The session will take place on the 27th from 2.30-3.15. For details visit: www.onlinemarketingshow.co.uk

LONDON, England, April 4 2007 – Orange and Blyk today announced an MVNO deal that will see Blyk customers using the Orange network to make calls, send messages and access the mobile internet. The two companies have entered into a wholesale agreement regarding the transportation of voice and data traffic across the Orange network.

Blyk is the first pan-European ad-funded mobile network. It will offer customers free mobile phone calls and texts in return for receiving advertising on their mobile handsets. For advertisers, Blyk is a superior medium for engaging young consumers in UK. Major brands, including Buena Vista, Coca-Cola, I-play Mobile Gaming, L’Oreal Paris, StepStone and Yell.com mobile have confirmed that they will be among the first advertisers to use the Blyk network when it launches in the UK this summer.

Keith Greenfield, Director of Wholesale for Orange UK, said: “Our network is one of our greatest assets and by securing deals like this we are using its potential to the full. Working with innovative new companies like Blyk offers incremental financial rewards for the business which will in turn allow us to compete more ferociously in the UK market.”

He added: “Orange became the first operator to launch advertising on the mobile last year and feedback from our customers has been overwhelmingly positive. That makes Blyk’s approach even more exciting and we shall be watching their progress with interest.”

Pekka Ala- Pietilä, Co-founder and CEO of Blyk, said: “The partnership with Orange ensures that we will deliver the highest level of service and quality of experience that advertisers and our members expect.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Blyk
Blyk is a pan-European free mobile operator for young people, funded by advertising. For advertisers, Blyk is an innovative mobile media channel offering direct engagement with a young audience with real time feedback.

Blyk was co-founded in 2006 by Pekka Ala-Pietilä and Antti Öhrling and has offices in Helsinki, Finland and London, UK. Blyk is launching first in the UK market in mid-2007, with other markets to follow.

For more information, visit about.blyk.com

About Orange
Orange is the key brand of France Telecom, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with almost 160 million customers on five continents.

In June, 2006, as part of the France Telecom integrated operator strategy (NExT programme) to deliver simple, convergent products, Orange became the single brand for mobile, internet and tv offers in France, the United Kingdom, The Netherlands and in Spain, strengthening Orange’s position as the number two mobile and internet services brand in Europe. In addition, Orange Business Services, which operates in 220 countries or territories, became the new banner for business communications solutions and services.

France Telecom (NYSE:FTE) is listed on Euronext Paris Eurolist market and on the New York Stock Exchange. At December 31, 2006, the group had 97.6 million mobile customers, 12.3 million internet customers and 48.7 million fixed line customers.

In 2006, France Telecom had consolidated sales of 51.7 billion euros.

Further information about Orange and France Telecom can be found on the Orange website at www.francetelecom.com.

Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Personal Communications Services Limited.