Nokia adds big names to ad network

by Arif Durrani, Media Week 16-Sep-08, 07:30

LONDON - Nokia, the communications giant, has expanded its mobile advertising network with the addition of some of the biggest publishing names in Europe, including Telegraph Media Group and Five owner RTL Group.

Launched in February, the Nokia Media Network already reaches more than 100 million consumers around the world through more than 70 launch publishers, including Discovery, Hearst and Reuters. New partners include Trinity Mirror and Cnet.

The Nokia Media Network allows advertisers to target consumers on premium mobile web pages, with click-through rates said to be about 10%, almost twice the industry average for mobile ad campaigns.

The network is designed to supplement sales forces already in place at the media owners, by offering an enhanced understanding of mobile advertising.

As part of the service, Nokia’s mobile marketing team can create mobile campaigns for advertisers in-house. The company has also expanded its account management and media sales teams to more than 20 offices around the world, including London, Los Angeles, Mumbai and New York.

Tom Henriksson, head of Nokia Interactive Advertising, said the brands on board its Media Network use Nokia for mobile advertising because of the quality of the publishers of our network.

Other major publishers joining the network this week include Agence France-Presse, the International Herald Tribune, and Grupo Priso and Unidad Editorial – publishers of El Pais and El Mundo respectively.

The total UK mobile advertising market will be worth £24.9m in 2012, up from £7.4m in 2008, according to Screen Digest. Advertising around mobile TV services in the UK will amount to £17.4m in 2012, up from £4.3m in 2008, Screen Digest forecasts.