The partnership will see Sponge continuing to provide and run a mobile platform for thelondonpaper, enabling readers to respond directly to content in the daily newspaper and share opinions with other mobile users.
Launched in 2006, thelondonpaper targets the daily commuters travelling to and around London, providing news, sport, style, entertainment and interactive features to readers. Distribution levels have been over 500,000 copies throughout 2008.
Alex Meisl, chairman of Sponge, commented: “Commuters are a busy audience to target. Offering quick and simple SMS interaction is appealing to readers in a rush. thelondonpaper has seen a great response to introducing SMS interaction; its response rates have tripled year on year. Sponge will continue to develop the use of mobile technology in thelondonpaper, encouraging readers to instantly connect with the brand on a daily basis.”
Londoners are invited to text in their thoughts and opinions through various SMS prompts. The opportunities to provide mobile comment are placed in the paper alongside topical stories, letters and competitions.
Leighton Cooper, online commercial manager for thelondonpaper, added: “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with Sponge. SMS is a growth area for us and it’s highly encouraging how many of our audience are using this platform to interact with us.”