Submitted by Mike Grenville on Thu, 25 Sep 2003 16:25

Toni&Guy customers can download hairstyle collections onto their MMS mobile phones with solution from Netsize and Sprite Interactive

The idea is that customers can choose the style they like on the website and then send it to their phone so that any Toni&Guy stylist can know exactly what they want.

Netsize is working jointly with Sprite Interactive to deliver the MMS-based solution. The service enables customers to drag and drop images from the Toni&Guy web gallery into an online MMS composer, which then delivers pictures to the customer’s mobile phone. Netsize is providing the end-to-end SMS and MMS delivery of content, including premium SMS billing.

Users are charged 50 pence per MMS, with 10 pence from each message donated to the King’s Variety Club Children’s Hospital.

The service has been launched to build Toni&Guy’s brand across the mobile channel, and forms part of Sprite Interactive’s continued development of Toni&Guy’s online and mobile marketing strategy.

“By downloading images to the handset, users are able to share potential new styles with friends and family before visiting a salon,” explains Alex Michael, MD at Sprite Interactive. “Rather than print out hard copy images, customers can then simply take their handsets with them to show their stylist the desired look. The service is about using this growing technology to add value to the customer, letting them interact with Toni&Guy and ensuring they get the style they really want.”

The service uses a multi-platform delivery and billing infrastructure from Netsize. Designed to simplify the delivery of content over different mobile technologies and devices, the technology enables a faster route to market for leading brands looking to leverage the growing market for MMS across Europe.

“According to Jupiter Research, MMS phone penetration will exceed 20% amongst mobile users by the end of 2004. By 2006, an estimated 26% of the projected European mobile population will pay for MMS content, creating a €2.7bn market,” explains Craig Barrack, UK country manager at Netsize.

“Netsize’s infrastructure allows companies to quickly leverage this opportunity. Through our partnership with Sprite Interactive, Toni&Guy has been able to develop its marketing and value-added services campaign using MMS in a very short period of time. Netsize manages the entire delivery and billing infrastructure, allowing Toni&Guy to concentrate on doing what it does best,“ adds Barrack.

The service is available by visiting www.toniandguy.co.uk

www.netsize.com