Durban - Advertisers and media houses have reasserted their confidence in the new trend of magazine content being sent to cellphones, commonly known as mobizines, a week after media expert Arthur Goldstuck expressed doubt over the business plan.
Andrew Lanning, the director of new media at Touchline Magazines, said the company was launching several mobizines this month across titles including Men's Health and Shape magazines.
"We are starting by offering advertisers a fixed sponsorship fee. The package will include advertising across magazines, the internet and mobizine space," he said.
Brands that have already signed three-month advertising contracts include Radox, Sanex and Status, all of which fall in the stable of cosmetic house Sara Lee.
Firms advertising through mobizines receive a 1.5 second advertising space and an advertorial that users can read and even use to order the product being advertised.
A Sara Lee spokesperson who did not want to be named said that although mobizines were still in their early stages in South Africa, the company was "enthusiastic" about this new technology and the opportunities it presented.
Richard Cassels, the managing director of TBWA Hunt Lascaris, said there was "certainly potential. We are excited to be first in the market."
Cassels said potential add-ons such as one-on-one communication with customers were particularly appealing.
Scott Beaumont, the chief executive of Refresh Mobile in the UK, said advertisers could directly target customers and build an interactive relationship through advertising via mobizines.
Refresh Mobile has licensed Durban company Thumb Tribe to launch mobizines in South Africa.
Graeme Haley, Thumb Tribe's chief executive, said South African cellphone users could expect about 40 mobizines to be launched in the next 12 weeks. These would include magazines, newspapers and television shows.