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WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
Heart Radio and Million 2-1 Complete Deal to Add Reverse Auction SMS game, HowLo? to Programming Mix
12 July 2007: Million 2-1, the UK’s leading provider of interactive competition, lottery and SMS games, today announced that it has secured the contract to provide commercial radio company, Heart Radio, with its lowest unique bid SMS auction game, HowLo?
From today, three million regular Heart radio listeners across all of its commercial radio stations – West Midlands, London and East Midlands – will be able to play HowLo?, to bid for high value electrical goods such as plasma screens, games consoles, cameras and mobile phones.
HowLo? takes the concept of an auction and turns it on its head, creating a game of fun and skill which is accessible to everyone. Each bid has a low associated cost (£1.50) with the auction organiser (Heart Radio) making a profit on the volume of bids that are accepted.
To win a prize, entrants respond to regular radio reads from Heart radio DJs to enter the lowest unique bid for an item via SMS. Bidders that are too high or not unique will be told so and prompted with tips via text message to have another go. The winner will be the person with the lowest unique bid at the end of the auction, which is a pre-defined time.
The most recent RAJAR report* puts the UK radio figures at around 45 million per day with new formats such as DAB, internet radio and radio enabled mobile phones helping to stabilise and grow the listening audience. Against this backdrop, advertising spend on radio is experiencing a decline so that commercial broadcasters must now look to new channels such as premium rate mobile services to bolster their revenue streams.
Mark Browning, Programme Director, Heart 106.2, said: “This new feature adds to the station’s variety and will be a fun way for listeners to interact with Heart.”
Scott Davies, director, Million 2-1 said: “Heart Radio supplies its audience with an eclectic mix of music and entertainment. Adding HowLo? to this mix will provide its listeners with a fun and dynamic way of interacting with their favourite radio programmes and the opportunity to win a great prize for a low stake.
“Premium rate SMS games and interactivity play an increasingly important role in radio, adding a lucrative revenue stream that contributes directly to a station’s bottom line. Heart implicitly understands the commercial and entertainment potential of HowLo?”
Three things you need to know about Million 2-1:
Million 2-1 has given away more than £1,000,000 in prizes since it began
Million 2-1 has successfully completed nearly 10 million transactions
The last HowLo? auction for a Ferrari attracted more than 500,000 bids
* RAJAR Q1 results:
http://www.rajar.co.uk/content.php?page=news_data_release_2007_Q1
About HowLo?
HowLo? is a reverse auction where its not the highest bid that is successful, rather it is the lowest. If the user holds the lowest unique bid at the end of the auction then he is the winner. Entries are submitted via SMS online, WAP or premium rate telephony using a partner specific keyword followed by the users bid in pence sent to 88821.
EG. To bid £4.35
Text KEYWORD 435 to 88821
In game alerts keep the player up to date on their bid status. For example he may be the lowest but not unique or unique but not the lowest. The bidder may also receive an alert telling him that he holds the current lowest unique bid. However, throughout the game the bidder’s lowest and unique status may change when someone else bids the same amount (making it no longer unique).
HowLo? is used by various media partners across radio, TV, print and internet including talkSPORT, Chrysalis, O2, and Trinty Mirror.
Recent changes to the regulations mean that participants don’t have to pay the amount that is bid.
About Million 21
Million-2-1 was formed in 2002 and is the UK’s leading provider of ‘soft’ games played via mobile phone or the internet. They are based in Manchester. The games are marketed through a variety of media partners with radio as the most well developed, but television and the internet offer huge potential. Unlike traditional A, B or C competitions, Million-2-1 games generate much higher levels of repeat play and the company has been successfully generating significant new revenue streams for media partners. Internationally Million-2-1 is developing partnerships in China, Australia, the Netherlands and Ireland and is in discussion with partners in South Africa. Million-2-1 operates all of its games in a fair and responsible manner and is a UK external lottery manager, certified and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
About Heart Radio
Heart launched in the West Midlands in 1994, arriving in London in 1995 and most recently launching in the East Midlands in 2005. Listeners are also tuning in via digital radio in the North West, Wales & West, North East, Yorkshire and Central Scotland and via Sky up and down the country.
Heart's core audience is 25-44 adults with female friendly and male credible programming. Listeners connect with Heart because they want music in their lives, whatever they are doing, however they are feeling. Heart plays the right songs to get them up in the mornings, keep them going through the day and keep them entertained throughout the week.
Heart has real people on the radio, not clichéd DJ-isms. Presenters are warm, friendly, down to earth and relatable, broadcasting appropriate and relevant content that immediately connects with listeners’ lives.
Heart is programmed to enhance listeners' moods and through regular audience research, Heart fine-tunes the output to stay connected to the listeners geographically and emotionally to make sure the listeners are getting what they want every time they tune in.
Heart’s audience is mature enough to know a broad range of music, and young enough to want to be kept up to date. The playlist is driven by passion, playing the songs they love today, pure and simple
About HowLo?
HowLo? is a reverse auction where its not the highest bid that is successful, rather it is the lowest. If the user holds the lowest unique bid at the end of the auction then he is the winner. Entries are submitted via SMS online, WAP or premium rate telephony using a partner specific keyword followed by the users bid in pence sent to 88821.
EG. To bid £4.35
Text KEYWORD 435 to 88821
In game alerts keep the player up to date on their bid status. For example he may be the lowest but not unique or unique but not the lowest. The bidder may also receive an alert telling him that he holds the current lowest unique bid. However, throughout the game the bidder’s lowest and unique status may change when someone else bids the same amount (making it no longer unique).
HowLo? is used by various media partners across radio, TV, print and internet including talkSPORT, Chrysalis, O2, and Trinty Mirror.
Recent changes to the regulations mean that participants don’t have to pay the amount that is bid.
About Million 21
Million-2-1 was formed in 2002 and is the UK’s leading provider of ‘soft’ games played via mobile phone or the internet. They are based in Manchester. The games are marketed through a variety of media partners with radio as the most well developed, but television and the internet offer huge potential. Unlike traditional A, B or C competitions, Million-2-1 games generate much higher levels of repeat play and the company has been successfully generating significant new revenue streams for media partners. Internationally Million-2-1 is developing partnerships in China, Australia, the Netherlands and Ireland and is in discussion with partners in South Africa. Million-2-1 operates all of its games in a fair and responsible manner and is a UK external lottery manager, certified and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
About Heart Radio
Heart launched in the West Midlands in 1994, arriving in London in 1995 and most recently launching in the East Midlands in 2005. Listeners are also tuning in via digital radio in the North West, Wales & West, North East, Yorkshire and Central Scotland and via Sky up and down the
country.
Heart's core audience is 25-44 adults with female friendly and male credible programming. Listeners connect with Heart because they want music in their lives, whatever they are doing, however they are feeling. Heart plays the right songs to get them up in the mornings, keep them going through the day and keep them entertained throughout the week.
Heart has real people on the radio, not clichéd DJ-isms. Presenters are warm, friendly, down to earth and relatable, broadcasting appropriate and relevant content that immediately connects with listeners’ lives.
Heart is programmed to enhance listeners' moods and through regular audience research, Heart fine-tunes the output to stay connected to the listeners geographically and emotionally to make sure the listeners are getting what they want every time they tune in.
Heart’s audience is mature enough to know a broad range of music, and young enough to want to be kept up to date. The playlist is driven by passion, playing the songs they love today, pure and simple.
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