tweet

Social Media News Release

Blyk announces further European expansion … Germany, Spain and Belgium to go live in 2009 …

25Jun2008

Agency Contact

For more information or to speak directly to a Blyk spokesperson contact:
Anna Loftin or Caryn Lobley or Nick Miles at GCI:
Tel: +44 (0)2072 4050 / +44 (0)2072 4223 / +44 (0)2072 4000
aloftin@gciuk.com / clobley@gciuk.com / nmiles@gciuk.com

Multimedia

Images

Pekka Ala-Pietilä Pekka Ala-Pietilä
 
Antti Öhrling Antti Öhrling
 

Social Media Video


Share Release


Share on Facebook
Digg! Digg This Story
del.icou.us Save To del.icio.us
reddit! Reddit!
Blink It blink it
Save to My Web
StumbleUpon Toolbar Stumble It!
Add to Furl Furl it
tweet

Core Facts

  • Blyk, the new mobile network for 16-24 year olds funded by advertising, announces its next wave of European expansion into Germany, Spain and Belgium in 2009, following its announcement to enter the Dutch market earlier this year. Blyk’s rapid expansion is subsequent to its UK success where members embraced the Blyk concept so quickly that its annual member targets of 100,000 were reached six months ahead of schedule, establishing it as a powerful new media for connecting advertisers with young people.

 

  • To date, Blyk has run over 900 campaigns in the UK for brands such as Coca Cola, STA Travel, Penguin, Buena Vista, L’Oreal and music artists The Kooks and Alphabeat with an average response rate of 29 percent, an extremely high level for any media platform. For example, Penguin’s campaign to promote Nick Hornby’s new novel, saw 7 out of 10 members engage with the publisher in a dialogue.

 

  • Blyk will make further announcements related to activities in each of these countries in the near future.

 

  • In addition to Blyk’s European expansion plans, the company will continue to strengthen its services in the UK through more members and brands. By the end of the year, Blyk’s aim is to boost the number of brands using Blyk to 200 by the end of 2008. In doing this, Blyk wants to deliver on their driving idea to unite young people and advertisers to free communication.

Quotes

Blyk’s CEO and Co-founder, Pekka Ala-Pietilä said, “There is a great opportunity for Blyk in these markets. Our research shows that young people in Germany, Spain and Belgium are interested in the Blyk proposition because they want to interact with brands they like in exchange for free communication. Our success in the UK, illustrated by robust member adoption, has proven that Blyk is a youth media that works and we hope to replicate this success as we enter new countries. We are also working to attract local talent who share our enthusiasm and can help build Blyk into a significant youth media in other countries.”

Boilerplate Statements

About Blyk:  Blyk is the new mobile network for 16 – 24s that’s funded by advertising. Blyk links young people with brands they like and gives them free texts and minutes every month. Blyk was co-founded in 2006 by Pekka Ala-Pietilä and Antti Öhrling and has offices in Helsinki, Finland and London, UK. Blyk is now operating in the UK, with other European markets to follow. For more information visit http://www.blyk.com

Relevant Coverage