Created to solve the problem of an overcrowded mobile marketplace with a bewildering mix of operators, services, platforms and technologies, Weve is provides a focal point for brands wishing to engage with mobile-focussed consumers. Which begs the question, should advertisers be looking into what it can offer?
Significant investment has been made into the platform – and the initiative has the backing of three key shareholders in the form of EE, Telefonica UK (O2) and Vodafone UK. Moving forward there are also plans to integrate the Three, Virgin Mobile and Tesco Mobile networks in to the platform. This unprecedented level of collaboration between rival providers gives Weve access to 80 per cent of the mobile market and, crucially, an audience of 15 million opted in customers.
For advertisers, this opt in data provides a unique level of insight for targeting audiences, allowing campaigns to be targeted by geo-location, demographic, behaviour – and potentially as granular as billing address. This is the benefit of having access to the personal details of users across three of the largest mobile networks in the UK – data that was previously out of reach of marketers outside of the telecoms sector.
Weve uses this data to deliver targeted advertising messages through these key segments of demographic, behavioural and location. Anyone on the O2 network will more than likely be familiar with many of the creative formats which include click to call, click to m-site, video messaging, app discovery and targeted push text messaging to name a few. At the point of launch in February, Nike and Morrisons were the first two brands to run campaigns across the Weve network.
MEC Opinion: With the increasing complexity of the multi-device world in which our audiences live, it’s important we adapt our marketing strategies in line with these differing touchpoints. As a product for advertisers, Weve offers great potential in a market which is becoming ever more relevant for our clients.
However, as a suite of creative possibilities, Weve is still somewhat incomplete. At present, the system bears a practically identical resemblance to the previous O2 More set of products which focussed solely on the different types of mobile messaging.
There are plans to introduce more display and rich media format (with release dates yet to be announced) and overall Weve is a unique offering in the present mobile market. But, only time, results and rebooking rates will tell if it’s as ground breaking as we’ve been led to believe.