Buongiorno buys mobile advertising firm

Mobile content aggregator Buongiorno SpA said it will spend $5.6 million to acquire HotSMS BV, an Amsterdam-based mobile advertising firm.
HotSMS works with traditional advertising agencies and claims to have deployed more than 1,000 mobile campaigns for clients including Coca-Cola, Heineken, McDonald’s and Universal Music. The company delivers advertising messages via text message, MMS and WAP sites, and its mobile marketing efforts employ text coupons, sponsored wireless gaming and customer-loyalty programs.
The move is the latest by Buongiorno, which is based in Milan, Italy, to move beyond mobile content into the broader space of wireless advertising and mobile media. Buongiorno competitors Jamba, Monstermob Group Plc and others are also hoping to evolve as ringtone sales plateau and margins narrow for content aggregators.
“The adoption of handsets, the penetration of fast broadband connections and reduced costs will contribute to further accelerating the growth of mobile marketing and the advent of the mobile lifestyle,” said Buongiorno CFO Carlo Frigato. “This is the reason why, as a group, we are now developing our own structure to consolidate our position in the digital marketing business.”