Zain Kuwait taps mobile advertising market

Zain Kuwait has launched a location-based mobile advertising platform after completing a trial that started in January.

The platform, which is known as AdZone, allows advertisers to make targeted advertising campaigns to smart phones based on the geographical location of the user.

Zain customers will receive promotional content from companies and brands in various locations in Kuwait including 360 mall, Al-Bairaq, Al-Manshar, Marina Mall, Souq Sharq, City Center Salmiya, and Kuwait International Airport.

When customers move to another AdZone location, the advertising content will change accordingly.

Mobile advertising can be in the form of either alarm messages, SMS, media, video clips.

"The launch of AdZone has opened new horizons in mobile phone advertising that will appease both advertisers and customers," said Nadia Al-Saif, Zain Kuwait's director for VAS.

Zain plans to work closely with government agencies and universities, as well as companies in various sectors, according to Al-Saif.

Location-based mobile advertising is emerging as a model with significant potential. According to a recent study from Google and Ipsos OTX, an independent market research firm, 82% of smartphone users notice mobile ads, and 74% of smartphone shoppers make a purchase as a result of using their smartphones to help with shopping.

The research, which was based a sample of about 5000 smartphone users in the US, also found that 88% of those who look for local information on their smartphones take action within a day.