Press Releases

November 2005

Mobile ‘scratch cards’ set to entertain pub-goers during extended licensing hours

‘Whose Round Is It Anyway?’ game will appeal to pub owners and drink manufacturers looking to interact with new and existing customers 

Telescratch (www.telescratch.co.uk), a leading developer of innovative online and mobile marketing solutions, has today announced that its revolutionary SSR (Splash, Scratch and Reveal) technology can now be used to provide pubs, drink manufacturers, and other hospitality heavyweights with an easy way to keep their customers entertained.

Telescratch’s ‘Whose Round Is It Anyway?’ game will enable participating pub owners and drinks manufacturers – as well as any other companies in the hospitality industry – to build up brand recognition and loyalty amongst their customers, by enabling them to download branded electronic ‘scratch card’ games directly to their mobile phones. The game is expected to be popular with groups of friends or co-workers who are out for a drink in the evening.

 “Electronic scratch cards offer a fun and imaginative way for bars, pubs, and drinks manufacturers to interact with their customers, and to build increased brand awareness, said Phil Davies, Director, TeleScratch. ‘And on a lighter note, the ‘Whose Round Is It Anyway?’ game will finally settle an age-old problem. At last, no more arguments over who needs to get the next round!"

With Telescratch’s new ‘Whose Round Is It Anyway?’ game, on-site promotional literature and posters are used to encourage players to send an SMS text message to request a download of the game onto their mobile telephones. Players are then prompted to photograph one another – using the mobile phone’s built-in camera – once everyone in the group has been photographed the game can be played. Players “scratch” away a branded screen on their mobile telephone to reveal a picture, selected at random, of one of their group. This “lucky” individual is then tasked with paying for the next round!

Telescratch’s pricing model is flexible, with costs distributed between the player and the brand owner, depending on the nature of the promotion. For example, competitions that deliver brand exposure to targeted audiences, such as Whose Round Is It Anyway?, will typically demand a different charging model to those that offer a prize to the player.

Telescratch's interactive SSR-based campaigns can be supported by media advertising, direct mail or SMS text based messaging, all of which combine to engage the customer’s attention. This active and ongoing engagement enables brand and content owners to use the application for customer acquisition, data capture, and future communications. The games are highly adaptable, and already requests have been made for a variation of ‘Whose Round Is It Anyway?’ to accommodate ‘Who Will Be The Designated Driver?’ ‘Whose drinking Orange juice’ and ‘Who Is Getting The Coffees In?’ for office workers.

Telescratch has already established relationships with leading content owners, brand management agencies, and mobile telephone operators. The application is Java-based and is compatible with a significant number of handsets currently used in the UK and around the world.

October 2005

September 2005

- High-profile appointment points towards an exciting future for the mobile content market -

Telescratch Ltd (www.telescratch.com), a leading developer of innovative mobile marketing solutions, has today announced that Christopher Blake, best known for his roles as Investment Director at Inflexion, the private equity investment company, and as Executive Chairman of online parenting community Babyworld.co.uk, has joined the company as its Non-Executive Chairman.

As a founding Director at Inflexion, Blake played a key role in helping the AIM-listed technology investment vehicle to raise £35m on flotation in April 2000. He has acted as both Executive and non-Executive Director on the Boards of companies in which Inflexion had invested, including Brainstorm Limited, a Mobile Application Development Business that has since been purchased by Opera Telecom.

"I have come across a lot of companies with a great idea and smart bit of code in my time, and although that can be very exciting, it takes a lot more than that to become a truly successful business," says Christopher Blake, Non-Executive Chairman, Telescratch. "Telescratch has the technology, the ideas, and the drive to become a very successful company indeed. Plus, the timing is perfect, since the market for mobile content is just now entering a period of significant growth."

Blake has an impressive record for converting small start-up companies into viable businesses.

As Founder and Managing Director of babyworld.co.uk, the UK's leading parenting community site for new and expectant parents, Blake raised £0.5m to launch the site in 1999, before selling it to Freeserve plc for around £4m later that year.

Since leaving Inflexion two years ago, Blake has acted as both a private investor and an entrepreneur, with a strong track record with the mobile applications market. At Telescratch, he plans to help with fundraising, building a solid customer base, recruitment, and priority setting in terms of which products to back, and when.

Telescratch's revolutionary SSR (Splash, Scratch and Reveal) technology allows brand and content owners to take a traditional scratch card format into the fast growing mobile arena. Businesses are able to send branded electronic 'scratch cards' (e.g. a new product announcement, a discount voucher, or a prize draw entry) directly to their consumers' mobile handsets, prompting the recipient to participate in one of many possible "calls to action".

It not only provides a new way for people to engage with brands, but also offers a new channel for prize give-aways and downloadable mobile content.

"We are extremely pleased that Chris has joined us at Telescratch," says Phil Davies, Director, Telescratch. "Chris shares our passion for Telescratch, and fully understands the market potential for our SSR technology, especially at a time when mobile phone capabilities are increasing, and customers are beginning to demand more than just static information on their mobile phones. Our technology offers the unique 'twist' that marketing managers are craving, and I think that Chris can help us to capitalise on that opportunity."

Telescratch's interactive SSR-based campaigns can be supported by media advertising, direct mail or SMS text based messaging, all of which combine to engage the customer's attention. This active and ongoing engagement enables brand and content owners to use the application for customer acquisition, data capture, and future communications.

Telescratch has already established relationships with leading content owners, brand management agencies, and mobile telephone operators. The application is Java-based and is compatible with a significant number of handsets currently used in the UK and around the world.


- Ends -

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