Singapore, Oct 12, 2007
- Retailers in Singapore will soon have a more direct, timely and
effective way of communicating with their customers when the country´s
first location-based advertising (LBA) SMS service is launched jointly
by M1 and Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) in November.
M1’s
partnership with SPH will enable the telco to leverage on the extensive
network of businesses that regularly advertise in the many newspapers
and publications owned by the leading media organisation in Singapore.
Using
cell location technology, the new mobile advertising platform will
allow advertisers to reach out to M1 customers when they come within
designated LBA zones. Retailers can tailor specific marketing messages
and promotional offers for the appropriate category of customers, and
send the messages via SMS to these shoppers who are in the vicinity of
their shops.
A trial targeting M1 customers will
be held this weekend (13-14 October, 2007). Citibank will be the only
financial institution to offer the LBA service to its customers during
the trial. Other well-known merchants that will showcase the LBA
service at their network of outlets islandwide include Andersen´s of
Denmark Ice Cream, TANGS and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
The
service will be available at seven zones covering more than 70 shopping
malls when it is launched in November 2007. These locations will
include popular shopping and entertainment destinations such as Great
World City, TANGS Orchard, Ngee Ann City, SPH-owned Paragon Shopping
Centre, Wheelock Place, Wisma Atria, Plaza Singapura and Cineleisure
Orchard.
Ms Sharon Tan, Director of Consumer
Marketing for M1, said: “We are excited to be the first mobile operator
in Singapore to provide this innovative advertising platform for
advertisers to reach out effectively to their potential customers. When
these shoppers are within the advertisers’ catchment areas, they are
more likely to respond positively to their messages."
“The
service will also appeal to a nation passionate about shopping. M1
customers will be the first to benefit from a variety of attractive
offers and discounts exclusive to them through this new marketing
channel,” she added.
Mr James Heng, Executive Vice
President for Product Branding / Digital Media of Singapore Press
Holdings, said: "Every marketer´s dream is to reach the right consumer,
at the right place, at the right time – the perfect marriage of
effectiveness and efficiency. With the first commercial location-based
advertising SMS service that SPH and M1 are rolling out, this dream
becomes a reality.”
Mr Heng
added: “For a start, a retailer or brand owner along Orchard Road can
send messages or offers directly to its desired customers by matching a
specifically profiled database with that of M1´s. Not only will this
service help improve returns for the advertiser through targeting and
immediacy, it will also add value to the consumer experience.”
Agreeing,
Ms Chan Sow Han, Marketing Director, CoBrand & Strategic Alliances,
Citibank Singapore, said:"Citibank is pleased to partner M1 and
Singapore Press Holdings to offer consumers the innovative
location-based SMS service. This is another example of how we are
innovating to communicate promotions to consumers as well as to offer
our merchant partners another innovative way to reach out to Citibank
customers. We are confident that our customers will be drawn to the
benefits that this service brings."
LBA is
available to all M1 prepaid and postpaid customers, and they will not
be charged for the advertising messages they receive via SMS.
Merchants who are interested in LBA SMS advertising can contact:
Cheryl Chee
Group Sales Manager, Interactive Marketing Services
New Media - Interactive Business Unit, SPH Marketing Division
Mobile: 9845 2265
Email: cherylc@sph.com.sg
Issued by Singapore Press Holdings Limited
Co. Regn. No: 198402868E
For more information, please contact:
Mr Chua Swee Kiat
General Manager
Corporate Communications
Tel: (65) 6895 1060
HP: (65) 9689 4627
Fax: (65) 6899 3902
E-mail: chuask@m1.com.sg
Ms Chen Jingwen
Assistant Manager
Corporate Communications
Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
DID: 6319 1226
HP: 9743 5503
Email: chenj@sph.com.sg
About M1
M1,
Singapore’s most exciting and innovative mobile and IDD service
provider, was launched in April 1997. Since then, it has made
significant inroads into the local mobile communications market,
gaining considerable brand presence and market share. M1 aims to be the
leader in personal voice, business and data communications, focusing on
value, quality and customer service. More information on M1 is
available at www.m1.com.sg
About Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
Newspapers and Magazines
Main board-listed Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) is the leading
media company in Singapore, delivering news and information through
print, Internet and broadcasting platforms. In Singapore, it publishes
14 newspapers in four languages. Every day, 2.7 million individuals or
83 percent of people above 15 years old, read one of SPH’s news
publications. SPH also publishes over 90 magazine titles in Singapore
and the region, covering a broad range of interests from lifestyle to
information technology.
Internet and Mobile
Beyond print, the Internet editions of SPH newspapers enjoy over 110
million pageviews with 7 million unique visitors every month. Apart
from SPH AsiaOne portal, SPH’s online and new media initiatives include
a revolutionary mobile advertising and information service, ZapCode;
online marketplace for products, services and employment, ST701; and
STOMP (Straits Times Online Mobile Print), a portal that connects,
engages and interacts with readers on the Web and via mobile phone
messaging.
Broadcasting
SPH has a 20 percent stake in MediaCorp TV Holdings Pte Ltd, which
operates free-to-air channels 5, 8, U and TV Mobile, and a 40 percent
stake in MediaCorp Press Pte Ltd, which publishes the free newspaper,
Today. In the radio business, SPH has a 80 percent stake in SPH
UnionWorks Pte Ltd, which operates entertainment stations Radio 100.3FM
in Mandarin and Radio 91.3FM in English.
Outdoor Advertising
In addition, SPH has ventured into outdoor advertising through its
wholly-owned subsidiary, SPH MediaBoxOffice Pte Ltd, Singapore´s
largest outdoor motion display advertising network media company, and a
35 percent stake in TOM Outdoor Media Group, a leading outdoor
advertising company in China.
Properties
SPH owns and manages Paragon, the prime retail and office complex in
the heart of Orchard Road, Singapore’s main shopping belt. SPH’s
wholly-owned subsidiary, Times Development Pte Ltd, is also developing
a 43-storey upmarket residential condominium, Sky@eleven, at Thomson
Road.