OnMobile, Madison World float JV for mobile marketing

OnMobile, Madison World float JV for mobile marketing

Madison World

MUMBAI: India‘s leading telecom VAS provider OnMobile Global Limited and Madison World are floating a joint venture mobile marketing company where both will have equal stake.

The new company, Kabuza Marketing, will aim at tapping into the rapidly growing mobile marketing opportunities in India and the Indian sub-continent.

Says OnMobile CEO, chairman and co-founder Arvind Rao, "This joint venture is one of its kind and has the potential to revolutionise both the mobile VAS and the traditional marketing functions. With the onset of 3G, this venture will open up even newer opportunities for more impactful marketing campaigns. It will successfully leverage the mobile reach, installed infrastructure and telecom operator relationships of OnMobile and the marketing and advertising capabilities, client base and market presence of Madison World."

The joint venture will open up new direct sales and revenue channels for marketers using mobile. It will focus on leveraging the OnMobile multi-channel advertising & marketing platform which uses various channels including AdRBT, SMS, USSD, WAP, Video, and Audio. Madison World, on the other hand, is a diversified communications group that has specialist units in advertising, media, Out-of-Home, PR, retail, entertainment, mobile and sports.

Says Madison World chairman and managing director Sam Balsara, "What excites me about mobile is its interactive, personalised and always-on attributes accompanied by unbelievable reach in numbers (600 million+). So far we have thought of mobile as an advertising medium given its high reach but the total advertising market in India is restricted to about Rs. 20,000 crores, where as the potential opportunity to sell products and services and conduct commerce through mobile is Rs. 200,000 crores and our attempt is to tap into this opportunity which should provide top marketers a cost effective distribution channel, bring in a lot of long tail businesses, in addition to large marketers, into the gamut and provide consumers a convenient option to order and pay for products and services through the comfort and convenience of their very own mobile".

The venture will involve the blending of OnMobile‘s mobile platforms, software, operational expertise and knowledge in the mobile marketing realm with Madison‘s marketing insights, relevant client base and innovative offerings.

The JV hopes to get a jump-start in building up a vibrant marketing base to serve merchants, advertisers, corporate clients and telecom operators while providing consumers with valuable deals and discount offers and an opportunity to buy conveniently.