Ads-for-minutes model marches on: Blyk expanding to three more countries

The concept of exchanging voice minutes for obligatory ads pushed to handsets is a business model still very much in its infancy, but Blyk -- which currently has a live MVNO in the UK and plans to launch in the Netherlands later this year -- must be feeling good about its chances right now, because it has announced a planned expansion into the German, Belgian, and Spanish markets next year. Key to the service's success is recognition by advertisers that customers actually give a crap about the highly-targeted marketing material being pushed to them; Blyk claims that click-through rates are rockin', which is probably providing the impetus for the planned expansion. We're still not so sure we'd trade 217 text messages and 43 voice minutes a month for the privilege of being blasted with spam targeted promotions, but if they're somehow able to boost the allowance into the range of a typical plan and maintain profitability, they could be sitting on a gold mine.

[Via mocoNews]

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2008 7:15PM]

Keep in mind the 43 mins and 217 texts are the UK model - outgoing only. 43 mins of calls out, no charge for receiving calls, 217 outbound messages, received messages are free. Not too bad.

[diamonddogs Posted Jun 27th 2008 5:39PM]

Will they be using the same irritating people harrassing you in the street and in student bars marketing strategy?

The number of times I had to interrupt their spiel to say "I
have a contract with Vodafone" I was considering getting a sign to put on my head!!