Targetting the next generation

by Trish Dromey

Appeared in the Irish Examiner August 28th, 2008

Limerick based company MobaNode is one of a generation of new companies who are tapping into the marketing potential of the mobile phone. Aiming to become an international player in the mobile proximity marketing space it provided information and content for Oxegen goers this summer and will be doing the same this week end at Electric Picnic.

“At Oxegen MobaNode provided concert goers with an event guide and it create two mobile applications one which turned a mobile screen into a torch, so festival goers could use their phones to light their way and another that turned a mobile screen into a disco-light which could be held in the air to locate friends. It also ran a competition and sent out selected music tracks,’’ reveals MobaNode founder Shane McAllister

The technical bit is that all of this is done through Bluetooth wireless technology and nodes set up by the company at a venue. Concert goers with Bluetooth enabled mobiles can read notices at the event and opt in to accept the content being offered.

Mr McAllister says the possibilities of this type of technology is huge. “ This is a new way to reach out to customers or target audiences . It can be used at any event that has fans , who welcome content related to an event especially when it’s free,’’ observes Mr McAllister.

Having launched the service early this year MobaNode has used also its technology at the Carlsberg Comedy Festival , the Taste of Dublin and Green Energy Festival. The only company in the country to specialise in proximity marketing for large events, it now has its sights on the UK where there are 500 annual festivals a year compared to just 70 in Ireland.

The idea for this type of company came to Mr McAllister in 2006 when he subscribed to a Vodafone service for highlights of a Munster Rugby game. An electronics engineer he had previously worked for software company MagneticTime and from elearning company PrimeLearning .com.

Sharing the match highlights with friends in the pub afterwards made him realise that people value and keep this type of content on their mobiles. “ I thought surely there must be some way to provide such content to music and sporting fans for free and to use advertising and sponsorship to pay for it,’’

Using his own funding and a feasibility grant from Enterprise Ireland he set up MobaNode in October 2007. The first six months he spent on research and prototyping. In January this year the company moved into the Enterprise Acceleration Centre in Limerick, signed up to participate in a Venture Start 2 programme and was identified by Enterprise Ireland as a High Potential Start Up .

MobaNode’s new service had its first outing at the Chernobyl Children’s fundraising ball in February and a month later Mr McAllister took it to the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona. In May the company secured the contract to provide Bluetooth services at the Green Energy Festival in Dublin Castle and its clients since then have included Heineken, Barry’s Tea and Carlsberg,

MobaNode has focused mainly on music events because the age of concert goers is perfect for this type of service. “ They are young, mobile savvy and consume a lot of information and content on their mobiles,’’ observes Mr McAllister.

One of the aims of the company is to have MobaNode equipment permanently installed at all major concert venues around Ireland. The University of Limerick has been the first to accept this fixture which will be used to provide students with weekly event guides . Mr McAllister has had discussions with the owners of several event centres in the country and is optimistic that they will see the possibilities of the service being offered . Meanwhile he will continue to talk to event organisers and PR agencies.

MobaNode has also done some work on selling the service to sporting organisations including the IRFU, the GAA and the FAI. Sporting fans tend to be older and less mobile savvy than concert goers but Mr McAllister is hopeful that the idea will catch on in time. He says the IRFU have agreed to try out the technology at Thomond Park when it reopens in September.

Mr McAllister is currently the only staff member of MobaNode although it employs three contract workers. Next year the company plans to take on a staff of two or three and to target both the tourist and transport markets . He will be talking to airports and Bord Failte with a view to providing a service which would give tourist information to incoming travellers on their mobiles.

The major focus for next year will be on the UK “ We aim to capitalise on the success with music Festivals here,’’ he says adding that MobaNode is now receiving assistance from Enterprise Ireland in developing exports.