Media goes mobile with Crisp

Crisp Wireless offers technology platforms and services for mobile-hungry media companies such as Paramount Pictures and NBC. Interactivity is a big part of the company’s winning formula.

Tuesday, 18 september, 2007

Mobile content is booming in the media industry, which means busy days for US technology services company Crisp Wireless.

Debra Bluman, Vice President for product marketing at Crisp, says: “For companies such as Paramount Pictures, NBC Universal and Bravo Television, we leverage our proprietary technology platform to deliver their mobile content onto mobile devices. Our customers are experts in creating original content and Crisp Wireless specializes in translating their content in a meaningful way to consumers through our content management system.”

By going mobile, media companies can turn users from passive watchers to active consumers. “Whereas traditional TV is more passive, people can now participate by using a mobile device, which is something we consider when creating the customer’s mobile offering,” Bluman says.

The fact that people want to do more than just watch affects the mobile content Crisp delivers.

“Almost all of our mobile website solutions offer interactivity,” Bluman says. “Consumers can participate by rating content, viewing and posting to blogs and voting for winners, all of which generate ‘stickiness’ to the mobile website.”

Good interactive mobile content

Bluman also points out that a lot of the marketing content printed in magazines makes good interactive mobile content. Click-to-call is one example of this. “Since the mobile device is primarily used to make calls, it is more likely that you will click on a link to follow up on an interesting ad than call the number on the back of a candy bar wrapper,” she says.

Other interactive features are born by working closely with customers. “We are often inspired by interactive content from one of our customers when we create content for another one,” Bluman says. “For example, personality tests in a teen publication such as ‘What kind of girlfriend are you?’ can be turned into ‘What kind of chef are you?’ for a cooking publication.”

Crisp’s cooperation with Paramount Pictures shows how interactivity can add value to mobile content. From Paramount’s mobile portal, cinemagoers can access information about the movies, download ringtones and posters, and even find the closest theaters, driving ticket sales.

Crisp has developed a similar mobile offering for NBC that includes ringtones, user-generated content, polls, character and contestant blogs, and storyline integrations. Most of the mobile websites carry advertising, allowing advertisers to engage audiences through new channels.

Crisp is a pioneer of mobile platforms. All of the Crisp-powered sites are built on the company’s mLogic technology platform, a content management and publication tool continuously enhanced with new technology and features.

Bluman says that one reason media companies choose Crisp is its proven, reliable and flexible technology platform, coupled with its experience in mobile.

“We offer the best expertise in how to evolve our product in accordance with our customers needs,” she says “We also keep a close monitor on consumer behavior and understand content management from our customers’ perspective.”

Rikard Hegelund
Editorial Services