LCW Wireless Debuts Innovative Mobile Advertising Technology in the State of Oregon, USA

"Cricket Perks" pilot program offers timely information, discounts and offers, underscoring a demand for good content and measurable ad results

Several Portland, Oregon-based companies have participated in a unique pilot program called "Cricket Perks", from LCW Wireless that provides free content and discounts exclusively to LCW’s customers. This innovative pilot program underscores a push by advertisers nationwide to find creative ways to reach potential customers. With consumers increasingly tuning-out TV, passing on print ads and ignoring Internet banners, the ubiquitous cell phone remains one of the few constants in Americans’ lives. And with initial results indicating that consumers are clicking through at an attractive rate, Cricket Perks is proving beneficial to consumers and advertisers alike.

Cricket Perks delivers information to specific wireless customers based on their ZIP code, age, gender, time of day or day of the week. The delivered data ranges from informational resources such as weather and sports scores to coupon-like advertisements from local and national companies. For instance, restaurants can provide lunchtime coupons, retailers can provide special deals for nearby shoppers, or a museum can offer family discounts. In Portland, Game Crazy, Jiffy Lube, Global Spectrum and Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) have already created and begun providing offers to LCW’s customers via Cricket Perks. Several national advertisers are also in the mix.

 In a competitive industry like wireless, we need to try new things our customers will find valuable, especially since they’re not contractually obligated to stay with us for two years. In just a few weeks, we’ve seen significant customer acceptance of the free service, and we’re already hearing requests for even more content. Clearly our customers are interacting with this valuable content, and the companies presenting their offers are equally pleased.- Neil Grubb, president and CEO of LCW Wireless

Doug Orloff, Vice President of Marketing, Retail and Sales for OMSI, said, We are constantly looking for new ways to reach out and generate excitement about our museum. The Cricket Perks program fits that bill perfectly, and it’s definitely helped us make direct connections with our visitors.

Jiffy Lube, a provider of fast and quality preventative maintenance service for vehicles, offered USD 10 on a Jiffy Lube Signature Service Oil Change in the Portland, Vancouver, Salem area locations. Over the four week duration of this campaign the click-through rate averaged at 22.8 percent and on average the unique subscriber engagement for the campaign was 56.28 percent. "We are always looking for new and innovative ways to reach consumers and expand our base of loyal and repeat customers," said Janice Jack of Jiffy Lube Portland, Oregon. "Cricket Perks has given us the ability to make an instant connection with consumers while they are mobile and more likely to respond to an offer by simply bringing in their mobile phone to one of our locations. We like the simplicity of this approach: no coupons to clip, and are excited about the early results of the campaign."

Cricket Perks is based on technology created by Mobile Posse, the first company to launch idle-screen-based advertising in the United States. Using an intricate system of targeting parameters and content-serving software, the technology enables content providers and operators to deliver relevant information to participating wireless customers based on their location, age, gender, time of day, day of the week and interests.

We are very happy with early results. It is apparent that when you provide consumers with valuable content and offers on their phones when they are out and about making purchasing decisions, they will respond positively. It really is all about the customer payoff. Our commitment to providing a superior consumer experience has helped us deliver great value, whether you’re talking about a content provider or an advertiser who’s excited to have a truly measurable medium.- Jon Jackson, CEO of Mobile Posse

About LCW Wireless
LCW Wireless is joint venture between Cricket Communications, Inc., CSM Wireless, and WLPCS Management providing Cricket(R) wireless service in Portland, Salem, and Eugene, OR, and Vancouver, WA. For more information on Cricket LCW, visit www.mycricketoregon.com.

ABOUT the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)
Founded in 1944 and one of the nation’s top-10 science museums, OMSI is a world-class tourist attraction and educational resource that puts the "WOW!" in science for the kid in each of us. Five exhibit halls and eight science labs offer 219,000 square feet of brain-powered fun through hundreds of interactive exhibits and hands-on demonstrations. For more information, visit www.omsi.edu.

About Mobile Posse
Mobile Posse, Inc., a privately-held company based in McLean, VA, is the leading provider of idle screen delivery solutions for mobile content and advertising. Using proprietary patent-pending technology, Mobile Posse allows marketers to radically enhance their reach and conversion rates in a convenient and cost-effective manner while strengthening relationships with consumers and carriers. Mobile Posse is the first company to rollout and deliver permission-based content and advertising messages to the idle screens of mobile phones in partnership with a U.S. carrier. For more information about Mobile Posse, please visit www.mobileposse.com.

Cricket LCW Wireless
Carolyn Hollowell
503-875-1111
carolyn@cricket-lcw.com
Mobile Posse, Inc.
Anurag Mehta
SVP, Sales and Marketing
703-348-4084
anurag@mobileposse.com

SOURCE: Mobile Posse, Inc. and LCW Wireless