Habari Media expands mobile reach with 2go partnership

2go is a mobile social network focused on Africa, where users chat and share photos with friends and family for free; meet new people and play games in chat rooms. Its success is predicated on its support for more than 800 feature phones, which are still the primary mobile device in Africa.

2go has more than 10 million active users in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria, of which 9 million are in Nigeria and 1.5 million in South Africa. Six billion messages are sent via 2go every month, and a new version of the software released at the end of 2012 was downloaded one million times in the first month.

90% of Africa's 500 million phone owners do not own a smartphone, yet are highly engaged mobile users that are currently not being fully accessed by brands. Looking at 2go's Nigerian base, 66% are on their phones for more than two hours each day, almost a third don't watch traditional TV, and more than 50% get their daily dose of news on their feature phone.

Advertisers can reach this desirable base via two advertising routes with 2go and Habari Media. Full-screen clickable Splash Ads on 2go are seeing click through rates of up to 15% and engagement rates of up to 30% Users can click out directly to a brands mobi site from the Splash Ad.

"The Splash Ad is premium as it engages the user with a full-screen advert while the user is logging in to the 2go app. Engagement levels are high as there are a limited number of premium ads on offer and do not pollute the screen with small banner ads that are seen as an imposition by the user," says 2go's Marc Herson.

Alternatively advertisers can engage via a Text Ad that is sent directly to the user within the 2go app. The message is given premium position at the top of the friends' list. This is ideal for broadcast, promos, customer feedback and surveys.

Both the Splash Screen and the Text Ad can be targeted by age, gender and location.

"No brand can afford to ignore the feature phone market in Africa," says Wayne Bischoff, managing director of Habari Media. "2go has shown phenomenal growth and engagement and offers marketers the best way of reaching the majority non-smartphone users in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.

"2go should be a natural part of any media strategy targeting the youth segments. The full screen clickable Splash Screen adverts have proven to have incredible engagement and response rates', concludes Bischoff.