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Tesco Mobile has embraced mobile advertising after concluding its customers are hungry for ads on their phones, reports Silicon.com.

The mobile virtual network operator has been trialling a WAP advertising portal since May 2007, which Tesco said has displayed strong month-on-month growth, gaining 300,000 unique visitors in December.

Banner advertising served up on the portal delivered a click-through rate to tailored WAP campaign sites of between three and seven per cent, said Tesco. Brands advertising on the portal included Bee Movie, ITV, Nivea and Teletext.

Tesco said the user-base of the portal has a strong segment of female household budget owners with an average age of 36 - a demographic it said is particularly valuable for fast-moving consumer goods such as toiletries and cleaning products.

According to a survey commissioned by Tesco, more than half (60 per cent) of portal users are female and the same percentage said they visit the portal at least once a month, while 69 per cent claimed they would click on a relevant advert.

Ashley Schofield, head of customer management at Tesco Mobile, said in a statement: "Our customers are showing a real appetite for more products and services through the mobile internet. Delivering more great experiences and value through our portal is a priority for this year."

The darling of Web 2.0, Google Maps, is now available on your mobile. It’s free to download and works just like the web version with movable maps, directions and even satellite imagery. Depending on your mobile provider and device, it can also use GPS to figure out where you are.

I’ve been using it for a couple of hours and I’m hooked though as a Palm Treo user the GPS feature isn’t available. It also offers real-time traffic information but only for certain US cities. Nevertheless it’s definitely worth checking to see if your mobile phone is compatible.

Why Google Maps Mobile is important for marketers

Like it’s big brother, Google Maps Mobile includes a local business search feature, so it you are a pub, restaurant or shop for example, it offers a way to get yourself found by customers when they are in your area – how’s that for direct marketing?

Like Yellow Pages in the last Century, services such as Google Maps and increasingly mobile versions will provide an opportunity to capture ‘off the street’ business. What Google does so well, and what makes Google Maps Mobile sure to catch on, is it makes applications that are intuitive and therefore easy to use regardless of the level of your technical ability.

Try Google Maps Mobile

Ask Clarity In Marketing about destination marketing in the digital age

Phone company Orange revealed how it's 15 million customers are using their mobiles for entertainment reports the Guardian today (15 May 2007). If you think mobiles are just for calling home think again. Orange customers - and yours - are increasingly using them for music, watching videos, browsing the web, sending emails, and much more.

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