Student mobile service Dot Mobile appoints MPG for launch

LONDON - Dot Mobile, the new student mobile phone service being launched by three former Orange marketers, has appointed Media Planning Group to handle its media planning and buying and digital account.

The service, which is aimed at students, will launch across 90 university campuses throughout September, offering "units" instead of bundles of minutes or texts. 

Users simply choose a phone, the contract length and their monthly bundle, which can cost as little as £20. Dot Mobile customers also get free usage alerts, avoiding the pitfall of an unexpected bill and subscribers can manage their accounts online.

The service is the brainchild of three former Orange marketers: Freddie Shirley, marketing director; Steven Brabenec, communications and PR director; and Richard Sanderson, head of customer services.

JR Smith, chief executive officer of Dot, said: "The rest of the industry forces mobile users to predict their level of usage and people often get it wrong. We let customers choose a bundle of units that covers calls, texts, picture and video messaging -- all of which come out of the same pot. This is the simplest and most straightforward approach possible and gives students a great deal."

MPG is handling the off-line media for the launch, which will include student media including magazines, SUBtv plasma screens in students' union bars, posters, ambient, club nights and sponsorship.

MPG's digital, data and direct arm, Media Contacts, is working on the online launch. This includes the creative and an online game of 'Keepy Uppy' targeted at students initially via a campaign on Hotmail and MSN Messenger.

Off-line creative is by the Fold7 agency.

Last week, Dot Mobile appointed Taylor Herring to hand the PR for the launch of the service, which runs on the Vodafone network.

Kate Cox, communications planning director at MPG, said: "We want Dot to have the highest cut-through of any student brand during autumn term 2005."

Dot is a wholly owned company of JVTV group holdings, which also owns SUBtv.

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