The Perfect Mobile Match: Global Footprint, Extensive Applications, Integrated Billing, and Financial Strength Create Undisputed Market Leader, Reshape Mobile Industry
THE GLOBAL LEADER IN MOBILE CONTENT, ENTERTAINMENT & MARKETING SOLUTIONS CELEBRATES THE SUCCESSES OF THE PAST YEAR AT THE 2004 CONGRESS
Stand: B1, Hall 1 - The BIBO Yacht
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Messaging Capability between Global GSM, TDMA and CDMA Networks
The Mobile Messaging Leader launches at SMS03 - DIMA its New Application Platform to Enable Brand Owners to Easily Deploy Mobile Services & Build Highly Targeted Databases
Fun Suite’ and ‘Campaign Manager’ application platforms allow mobile marketers and brand owners to rapidly deploy mobile services while building highly targeted databases
WMG, MOBILEWAY USE INNOVATIVE MOBILE MARKETING FOR ARTIST PROMOTIONS
First Major Music Company To Use “Short-Codes” On CD Packaging In The U.S.
8 July 2004 New York and San Mateo, CA
Warner Music Group (WMG) today announced a unique partnership with wireless entertainment and marketing company Mobileway to become the first major music company in the U.S. to incorporate wireless branding into its CD packaging.
Using five digit codes – known as short-codes – that will be featured on CD packages, album posters, artist web sites and online banner ads, consumers in the U.S. will be able to directly access ringtones from WMG artists in one simple step from their mobile phones. Additional content such as screensavers and wallpaper from WMG’s world-renowned record labels, including Atlantic, Lava and Warner Music Latina, will be made available by short-code later this year.
“Working with Mobileway allows us to use the fast-growing mobile music market as another way to promote our music,” said Michael Nash, senior vice president, Internet Strategy and Business Development at WMG. “With the growing popularity of mobile ringtones, integrated short-codes are a natural extension of our marketing efforts.”
“By progressively embracing cross-carrier, premium SMS wireless music services, Warner Music Group now allows music fans in North America to connect with their favorite artists whenever and wherever they want to,” said Scott Hannan, general manager of Mobileway North America. “With years of experience delivering innovative wireless campaigns around the world, Mobileway is well-equipped to help Warner Music revolutionize the way in which music is delivered and marketed in the United States."
Short-codes provide fans with a fast and easy way to access music simply by sending a wireless text message to the short-code found on a CD package, web site or advertisement. Fans send a text message identifying a specific track number and download the corresponding ringtone via Mobileway’s cross-carrier infrastructure.
Charges for downloads appear on the customer’s wireless bill as opposed to a credit card, helping WMG serve the crucial teen market. Online banner ads will also inform music fans about the new service.
The service costs $1.99 for each polyphonic or monophonic ringtone and $2.49 per music tone and voice tone download.
In May, Atlantic and Lava launched the first music label site selling ringtones from artists including matchbox twenty, Simple Plan, Twista, Brandy, Jet, Jason Mraz and T.I. The inaugural on-pack promotion will be the Surfdog Records release of Brian Setzer Orchestra’s new album, “The Ultimate Collection,” scheduled for release July 13. Other artists such as Sean Paul and The Darkness are expected to release content directly to consumers wirelessly later this year.
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About Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group, with its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, is the world's largest privately held independent music company. The company is home to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry including Atlantic, Elektra, Lava, Maverick, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Sire, Warner Bros. and Word. Warner Music International, a leading company in national and international repertoire operates through 37 affiliates and numerous licensees in more than 50 countries. Warner Music Group also includes Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world's leading music publishers, with a catalog of more than one million copyrights worldwide. For more information about Warner Music Group, visit our corporate website at http://www.wmg.com.
About Mobileway
Mobileway is the leading global provider of mobile content and network services. For more than 450 leading brands, Mobileway facilitates the delivery of content to consumers with wireless devices. This is achieved through a combination of advanced project management capabilities and a portfolio of innovative tools to develop creative, fun and revenue generating mobile entertainment and marketing campaigns.
Mobileway has unrivalled worldwide SMS and MMS reach to all (500+) network operators and the largest ‘billing-on-behalf’ agreements for premium content including more than 150 direct connections essential in the delivery of time-critical interactive campaigns. This global network is supported by carrier-grade data centers in Paris, Silicon Valley and Singapore, 24/7/365 technical support and local commercial teams in the 14 Mobileway offices in Beijing, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan, New York, Paris, San Mateo, Singapore, Sydney and Taipei. This comprehensive network capability also ideally positions the company to handle interconnect traffic on behalf of wireless network operators for both SMS and MMS services anywhere in the World.
Mobileway is funded by 3i, Citigroup, Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), InvestCorp, Mayfield, Nexit Ventures, Vertex Management, Capital Technologies CDQ Inc, Intel Capital Corporation and Visa. For more information visit www.mobileway.com.
Contacts:
Jeremy Morgan
Casey Sayre & Williams
Tel: +1 310.396.2400
Email: jmorgan@cswpr.com
Amanda Collins
Warner Music Group
Tel : +1 212/275-2213
