Blueworld is a community built around the local nightlife scene and a major market penetration of 18 - 28 is expected this year. According to Blueworld, over 40 000 South Africans in this segment are already actively visiting the site on a monthly basis. Members can now browse http://m.blueworld.co.za and engage in a majority of Blueworld's features via their cellphone, including sending and receiving messages and updating mini blogs to reading news and checking upcoming events. Viewing user profiles and responding to comments round off the mobile experience.
“Exciting advertising opportunities lie ahead on mobile platforms especially with the large penetration of cellphones in South Africa. Vodacom has been evangelising mobile marketing this year and touting mobile as the next big thing. We plan to be there in full force and offer a range of marketing vehicles on the platform,” comments Bradley Voges, business manager of Blueworld Communities.
Adds Charl Norman, operations manager at Blueworld Communities, “Most young people are not always at their PCs and need to maintain communications and links with their friends at all times when they are on the move. It is an ‘always-on' world and our users need to be involved anytime and anywhere, so a mobile platform is an essential piece of the Blueworld strategy. There is also a large portion of our target market who have no PC access at all.”
The web browsing experience on hand-helds is improving with each new generation phone. The iPhone is soon coming to South Africa and will be a “must-have” item for much of Blueworld's target market. This, and the constant advancement in cellphone technology has made it essential for Blueworld to provide a way for its members to take their activities on Blueworld with them on their mobile.
In February this year, 24.com acquired a controlling stake in Blueworld Communities, which includes Blueworld, Zoopedup and Gaypeers.
