Under this agreement, Ogilvy and MIG will develop applications and content specifically targeting consumers. The two hope to take advantage of the nearly 250m mobile subscribers in China with 5m being added each month.
The partnership will combine Ogilvy's experience in brand and relationship management and local consumer insights with MIG's relationships, technical expertise and understanding of the mobile medium.
Chris Reitermann, managing director of OgilvyOne Beijing, said. "We believe that mobile marketing has great potential for marketers and brands in China and our aim is to ensure that this medium is developed in a way that gives brands an effective medium to talk to their customers and develop lasting relationships with them."
He added: "Mobile marketing doesn't end with SMS. It is our aim to explore the full range of wireless applications and devices to generate a space for brands to exist. In China, this is a medium that marketers simply can't neglect and should be at least a consideration for every major marketing push."
OgilvyInteractive, part of WPP Group's direct marketing network, OgilvyOne Worldwide, will also be able to call on the resources of the Ogilvy Group in China.
According to Matthew Talbot, CEO of MIG, mobile marketing has huge potential in China where consumer brands like Coke, Yili Milk, and Nike have already launched SMS campaigns.
"As we see an increase in the adoption of rich mobile services such as MMS and KJava, marketers will be able to enrich their consumer communications and build brand recognition with mobile content such as coloured pictures, polyphonic sounds and video.”
MIG is a leading wireless application service firm with offices in Beijing, Sydney, Shanghai and Hong Kong. It provides white-labelled technology for the delivery of content, applications and services to mobile users through an international network of operators. It is funded by Sun Microsystems and leading technology investors, including Allen & Buckeridge, Network Asia and Mint.
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