UKRD Group joins forces with Exaget to bring Digital Audio Ads to its online listeners
Local commercial radio operator, UKRD, has linked up with Nordic firm, Exaget, a provider of technology for the delivery of personalised audio content, to enhance the listening experience of its mobile app based users.
The two companies today announced the deployment of Exaget’s patent-pending Ad insertion SDK (Software Development Kit) and Ad Exchange to the mobile Apps used by UKRD Group stations.
UKRD has been working closely with Exaget for a number of months, trialing Exaget’s technology and has now signed an agreement to bring this technology to market by incorporating it into UKRD’s in-house built mobile ‘phone apps. The technology will “go live” shortly and then be rolled out across the portfolio across the next few months.
Exaget’s technology offers broadcasters a simple and very cost-effective solution for customising content, including Audio Ads, for their mobile device listeners.
Using this technology, stations in UKRD will be able to deliver relevant, measurable and actionable Audio Ads to their online listeners. It opens up the possibility of not only personalising the ads based on the users location and interest, but ultimately will allow the listeners to respond to the ads immediately by clicking on an accompanying visual.
“Our online audience, especially mobile, is growing rapidly,” said the group’s Chief Technology Officer, James Wenger. “These listeners are used to the digital world which delivers relevant information they are able to act on immediately. We are excited to be able to bring these same benefits to our listeners by incorporating Exaget’s Digital Audio technology into our in-house developed Mobile Apps.”
“We supply other broadcasters with customised versions of our in-house developed Apps and, together with Exaget, we can look forward to bringing the same benefits to them,” he said.
“We embarked on a project which is all about making online content insertion truly simple for broadcasters to use, leveraging the simplicity all publishers have become used to in the digital marketing world,” said Shankar Meembat, Founder and CEO at Exaget Ltd. “We are proud to bring this to market with UKRD, a company which has a very competent team putting our technology through its paces.”
About Exaget Ltd
Exaget Ltd (http://www.exaget.com) is an early-stage technology company headquartered in Helsinki, Finland. Driven by a passionate international team based in Helsinki and London, Exaget is making technology simpler to use for Radio Broadcasters and Advertisers to address the online users. It’s patent pending Content replacement technology allows replacement of online content at a highly granular level. Combined with its online ad portal, publishers and broadcasters can easily plan, manage and monitor audio campaigns real time.
About UKRD Group
UKRD Group owns and operates 17 local commercial radio stations across England, including Pirate FM in Cornwall and Sun FM in Sunderland, and is the fifth largest operator by licence number in the UK. The company also has investments in a national sales house, a number of DAB multiplexes and develops software including CMS systems and mobile phone applications
Contacts
Exaget Ltd
Shankar Meembat, CEO
+44 3036665413, +358 9 31584634
shankar.meembat@exaget.com
UKRD Ltd
James Wenger, CTO
+44 1392 248976
James.wenger@ukrd.com
Exaget set for expansion with €700k investment
February 4, 2015
London, UK: 02 February 2015 – Exaget, a radio advertising technology company, has begun 2015 with the announcement of a €700,000 investment from a combination of Finnish, Asian and UK investors. The company’s growth is a reflection of the movement in the radio industry where last year adspend was the highest it has been since 2000, up 8.9%.
The investment includes angel investors in the UK, and Finnish venture capital firms Finnvera and Gorilla Ventures. As part of the investment, Exaget also received a government research and development loan from Tekes, the Finnish funding agency for innovation.
“This is a really exciting time for us as a company,” says Shankar Meembat, CEO, Exaget. “Our technology is yielding tremendous benefit to our clients and with our focus on innovation, customer service and expansion, we are looking forward to another successful year.”
Exaget has signed up a number of new broadcast clients to its ActiveRadio network. They include UKRD, French Radio London, RockSport Radio, AWAZ FM and ZoneOne Radio.
The forward momentum has also extended to its operations. The company’s board is being reconstituted with the addition of Hannu Jungman representing Finnvera and Martin Stringfellow from Indigo Capital, representing the angel investors. In addition, Travis Baxter, who has worked in radio internationally with RTL, Advent International and Actera Group in Turkey, will become an advisor to the management and the board.
“This diversity of experience and talent will only serve to complement the board and, of course, the company and its future direction,” says Meembat.
Since inception in 2012, the company has experienced a high rate of growth with offices now in Finland and in London. Exaget provides radio technology for mobile and online, assisting broadcasters in building and monetising mobile audiences through targeted advertising.
For more information visit www.exaget.com
About Exaget Ltd
Exaget Ltd (http://www.exaget.com) is an early-stage technology company headquartered in Helsinki, Finland. Driven by a passionate international team based in Helsinki and London, Exaget is making technology simpler to use for Radio Broadcasters and Advertisers to address the online users. Its patent pending Content replacement technology allows replacement of online content at a highly granular level. Combined with its online ad portal, publishers and broadcasters can easily plan, manage and monitor audio campaigns real time.