Want to feel more connected to in-the-know radio and TV personalities? Mobile messaging service Audingo sends users audio or video messages via text, email or phone call.
“Audingo is about belonging to the inner circle of select personalities and organizations,” said Matt Merritt, Audingo co-founder and president, in a statement. “Audingo’s vision is for subscribers to connect with their chosen personalities and organizations on a deeper level than other social media platforms allow – like having a few close friends, versus many acquaintances.”
Consumers can subscribe to personalities’ Audingo accounts via the personality’s website or their company’s website. Users enter their name, date of birth and create a password, or sign-in with a Facebook or Google account. Then chose whether they want the message delivered via phone call, email or text. Select the day — or days — of the week for the message to be delivered; chose from one everyday to just one per week. And select the time of day to receive the message.
A message delivered via phone call will show up as “Audingo” and once answered the recorded message of the personality will be played. A message delivered via text or email will have a link to an audio recording, perhaps about breaking news the personality is a local reporter.
The service is not only for radio and TV personalities. Audingo suggests people in business, religion, politics and sports could harness Audingo’s audio and video messaging services.
The company markets the service to media advertisers as well as consumers. For media outlets, Audingo presents another chance to earn revenue by expanding its offerings to advertising clients. Special offers and clickable ads can be placed alongside the personality’s message.
As Audingo acknowledges in their press statement, mobile is the best way for marketers to reach consumers. And personalized messages via cellphone — a device many people carry on them all hours of the day — is a close and intimate medium of communication.
DreamWorks Animation chief Jeffrey Katzenberg recently predicted that the future of social media “moves from text-based communication to video and audio-based, making it more intuitive and instinctual,” Reuters reported.
A Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising report from April 2012 surveyed more than 28,000 Internet respondents in 56 countries and found that trust in mobile advertising is increasing among consumers: “Display ads (video or banner) on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones are trusted by one-third of global respondents, which is slightly higher than the reported consumer trust level of text ads on mobile phones (29%). While the reported consumer trust level in mobile phone advertising is still low, it increased 61 percent since 2007 and 21 percent since 2009.”
However, numerous consumers have voiced their opposition, or at least disinterest, in mobile marketing. (Although negative feelings about mobile ads can sometimes be appeased with coupons or deals.
Audingo announced this week it acquired $3 million in angel funding that will fast-track the company’s goal.
“We’re excited by Audingo’s initial success and look forward to giving fans access to public figures in the fields of radio TV, sports, politics, music, ministry and more,” Michael Boukadakis, founder and chief executive officer of Audingo, said in a press statement.
Check out this video to learn more about Audingo:
Would you like to receive video messages from your favorite personalities? Tell us in the comments.
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