SAN FRANCISCO—Wireless game-maker Hands-On Mobile Inc. has created a new division in an effort to tap the booming mobile marketing space.
The publisher, formerly known as Mforma, is joining a field that seems to get more crowded by the day. Wireless storefront operators and content-delivery companies such as m-Qube and Amdocs Ltd.’s Qpass are increasingly becoming active in the space, joining smaller, advertising-minded firms such as Third Screen Media Inc.
But Hands-On said it hopes to leverage its network of 150 wireless operators in 40 countries as a vehicle for brands looking to approach consumers through their cell phones. The publisher said it will help deploy campaigns targeted at the coveted 18- to 34-year-old market with text messaging, instant messaging, photo-sharing, polling and audio content.
John Rousseau, president of Hands-On Mobile Americas, will head the new division. Rousseau’s resume includes stints at Primedia and IDG Entertainment; the executive will continue to report to Hands-On Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Sacks.
“Leading brands are always looking for exciting and unique ways of reaching new customers while strengthening existing customer relationships,” Sacks said. “In the 90s, the Internet provided never-before-thought-of marketing opportunities. Now, mobile phones and consumer demand for information on-the-go are changing the playing field all over again.”
