Get paid for listening to ad's on phone

With mobile
phones emerging as the most influential communication tool, several
companies are realising the potential of this medium and have tested
pilots for advertising. Airvoice Infocomm has devised an innovative way
of voice advertising on mobile, where the subscriber can earn money for
every ad he/she hears.

According
to this innovation, whenever a person dials a number on his mobile
phone, the phone instantly plays an advertisement for a stipulated
period and then connects him to the desired number.

Unlike
the pesky tele-callers, this service is not an intrusion into one’s
personal time as it is subscription-based and offers several options to
subscribers in terms of the type of advertisements they wish to hear,
time in which they would want to hear, and also the option to skip an
advertisement. What’s more, the subscriber is entitled to earn money
for every advertisement he hears.

Expected
to be launched first in Chennai in the early part of Q2 2008, Airvoice
is confident of making a substantial dent in the mobile advertisement
space. Its patented technology allows subscribers to listen to 10-15
second advertisements before connecting their desired calls. This is
being made possible by integrating the mobile switching centers of
telecom service providers with the high-end technology created by
Airvoice, thereby allowing a smooth transition between the
advertisement and call.

According
to Frost & Sullivan, advisors to Airvoice, “India offers an
unprecedented opportunity for telecom service operators, infrastructure
vendors, manufacturers and associated services companies. India has
already crossed the 250-million subscriber mark and as per Government
targets, should be 650 million by 2012.”

Currently,
the mobile advertising market in India is dominated by text-based
messaging services. In 2007, industry estimates peg the total value at
Rs 25 crore, and growing at a staggering 250 per cent. Airvoice,
currently, has no direct comparison as it offers advertisements in
voice and its technology model is completely different. This allows
Airvoice to appeal both to the subscribers and clients.

R
Ayyappan, CEO, Airvoice Infocomm India Pvt Ltd, Chennai, said,
“Airvoice’s mobile advertising platform has been designed to benefit
all the stakeholders. For Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), it will
help increase their subscribers’ minutes of usage and also help focus
on building relationships so that they can get a maximum share of
subscriber spend. For advertisers, it is an innovative platform to
engage with their prospective or existent customers. For subscribers,
it is an opportunity to experience the next wave of technology. With a
patented technology, we have ensured the elimination of competition in
the market.”

He
further said, “Airvoice will launch its product in phases. The pilot
phase launch will be done in Chennai and Tamil Nadu. Expertise gained
in each phase will be instrumental in developing further plans to
expand. Within two years, Airvoice is planning to expand across India.
Frost & Sullivan, the advisor to Airvoice, is in strategic alliance
with Airvoice to develop the strategy.”

According
to the Airvoice paid advertisement strategy, the revenue would be
shared in three ways – Airvoice, the telecom service provider and the
subscriber. The amount of incentives earned per advertisement by
subscribers would be more than any other paid advertisement on mobile.

Ayyappan
added, “Our primary aim is to create a mobile advertising platform
which helps advertisers get more on their investments, makes TSP’s earn
revenue over existing lines and satisfies the subscriber by giving him
innovative content over voice. We believe that our technology and
business model will fundamentally redefine how advertisements are
served on the mobile. One of the reasons for delay in the launch was
extensive study on preference mapping, evaluating business plan and
understanding customer need to make this product consumer centric. The
business plan was developed keeping in mind the consumer benefit and
delivering better value to Advertisers and TSPs.”

Deepak
Thakur, Research Analyst, ICT Practise, South Asia & Middle East,
said, “In India, for mobile value added services to channelise this
growth rate, the telecom industry has to fall in average revenue per
user (ARPU). There is need for alternate source of income,
personalisation of cell phones, subscriber demand, better technology,
efforts to outdo competitor by providing service beyond calls and SMS.
The MVAS industry is evolving and not fully developed compared to the
western countries. There are several challenges MVAS will face that are
unique to India, like regional languages, uneducated subscribers,
penetration of technology, restriction to metro and towns, to state a
few.”