AdSociety Partners With SkyGo, Inc. to Deliver Complete Wireless Marketing Solutions in Asia
Business Editors/High-Tech Writers
HONG KONG & REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 15, 2001--AdSociety, the first pan-Asian broadband advertising, marketing and sales network and a majority-owned joint venture of PCCW (SEHK: 0008)(NYSE:PCW)(ADR) has signed an advertising sales network agreement with SkyGo, Inc., the authority on wireless advertising. In response to the burgeoning Asian wireless market, SkyGo also announced the opening of its Asia headquarters in Hong Kong.
SkyGo provides technology, media and consulting to help companies enhance consumer relationships and generate new revenue through wireless advertising and m-commerce. AdSociety will be the exclusive advertising sales partner to any of SkyGo's carrier and publisher customers who need an expert advertising sales network across the Asia Pacific.
"The wireless industry in Asia is experiencing rapid growth, and advertisers are in need of innovative new formats that take advantage of the interactivity of this unique medium -- ads that are much more than banners crammed onto mobile phones," said Daren Tsui, CEO and co-founder of SkyGo. "SkyGo offers a turnkey platform for the creation and delivery of compelling wireless advertising campaigns that drive increased click-throughs and significant return on investment. Leveraging AdSociety's expertise in wireless and broadband advertising and marketing solutions, we offer Asian carriers, publishers and advertisers a `one stop' solution to foster customer loyalty and derive new revenue from the wireless Web."
The two companies will work closely to develop and manage wireless multimedia advertising sales and delivery services for SkyGo clients in the Asia Pacific. SkyGo offers its wireless marketing platform to wireless operators, Internet content providers and advertisers. AdSociety will leverage its world-class advertising sales experience to provide the pan-Asian advertising network to effectively represent SkyGo's available wireless advertising inventory.
Commenting on the partnership, Patrick Jonathan Wong, founder and CEO of AdSociety said, "Advertising has increasingly become a new revenue model in the wireless world and we will help our customers leverage the interactivity of SkyGo's technology solutions to realize these new revenue channels, build brands, and establish greater relationships with new and existing customers.
"Asia, and in particular, China, Japan and Korea, is leading the global wireless revolution and AdSociety's initiatives in wireless advertising in these markets will provide us the head start to immediately bring SkyGo's solutions to these markets," Wong added.
China currently has the second largest mobile subscriber base in the world, at 75 million, according to Strategies Unlimited. Furthermore, Japan and Korea have the highest combination of both mobile penetration and number of subscribers, with 80 million subscribers (60 percent penetration) and 28 million subscribers (58 percent), respectively. AdSociety has already secured joint ventures with some of the leading media companies in these three wireless markets.
According to a recent Ovum report, in year 2002, the amount of m-advertising expenditure in Asia will swell to US$409 million compared to US$7million in year 2000. The huge surge in m-advertising growth in Asia over the next two years was derived from huge forecasts for Japan, South Korea and China, which are expected to spend US$301 million, US$50 million and US$7 million, respectively. In 2003, the m-advertising market in Asia is set to leapfrog to US$1.2 billion, and to US$4.7 billion in year 2005.
SkyGo has developed the only platform that creates, delivers, tracks and reports on wireless advertising, transactions and rewards programs. SkyGo recently completed a comprehensive consumer market study to test wireless advertising in the U.S. The study suggests that consumers welcome targeted advertisements on mobile phones, and that these alerts drive increased use of the wireless Web. After receiving SkyGo ads on their Internet-enabled mobile phones, 14 percent of study participants indicated that they would be willing to switch wireless service providers in order to continue receiving the SkyGo service.
SkyGo Asia Headquarters
Suite 2207-09
Tower Two, Lippo Centre
Admiralty, Hong Kong
About AdSociety
AdSociety, a majority-owned joint venture of PCCW (SEHK:0008) (NYSE:PCW)(ADR), is the first pan-Asian broadband advertising, marketing and sales network. AdSociety currently provides advertising, marketing and sales services to PCCW-related companies as well as pioneering broadband and online marketing solutions and services to marketers and to over 750 member websites, and is also the exclusive sales partner for MSN properties in Hong Kong and Singapore. With operations commenced in June 2000 and headquarters established in Hong Kong, AdSociety has offices in Beijing, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei and Tokyo and currently employs over 120 media professionals with a proven track record in pioneering advertising sales for broadcast television and the Internet in Asia. Its founder and management team were part of the core team that pioneered advertising sales for Star TV, the first pan-Asian satellite broadcasting television network (a News Corp company) and were also the core team who pioneered advertising sales for 24/7 Media Asia, the first pan-Asian Internet advertising network (a Chinadotcom company).
AdSociety's investors and strategic partners include AdForce (a CMGion company), LG Advertising (a LG Group company), L90 (Nasdaq:LNTY), Interactive Media ContentSuite AG (a Axel Springer Verlag company), SkyGo Inc (a Vanguard Investee). Media Genesis (an Icon MediaLab company) and Australia Media Holdings (a SportsWorld company). More information on AdSociety can be found in www.adsociety.com.
About SkyGo Inc.
SkyGo, the wireless marketing pioneer, was founded in 1999 to provide technology, media and consulting to help companies manage effective communication with mobile consumers. SkyGo enables carriers, publishers and advertisers to enhance consumer relationships and generate new revenue through responsible wireless marketing and m-commerce. SkyGo has developed the only platform that creates, delivers, tracks and reports on wireless advertising, transactions and rewards programs. Whether a company is interested in targeted, permission-based alerts, contextual ads or a browse-able ad shopping channel, SkyGo can deliver an effective campaign to any mobile device. More than 50 national brands and advertising agencies look to SkyGo for wireless advertising solutions including, Visa, Procter & Gamble, NextCard, Digital Impact, Kinkos, HP Online, eCoupons, Avenue A, Modem Media, CompUSA, KFC, bolt.com, Subway and hollywood.com. For more information visit the SkyGo Web site at www.skygo.com.
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CONTACT: SkyGo, Inc.
Leah Bibbo, 650/232-1162
lbibbo@skygo.com
or
AdSociety Limited
Samantha Chan, +852-2509-2236
Samantha.chan@adsociety.com
or
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
Nor E. Badron, +852-2884-8570
nor.badron@ogilvy.com
Amy Ho, +852 2884-8543
amy.ho@ogilvy.com
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