Torstar buys Web2Mobile to boost mobile firepower

http://www.marketingmag.ca/english/news/media/article.jsp?content=20101013_150442_1440

Torstar Digital has increased its presence in the growing mobile marketing space with the acquisition of mobile marketing company Web2Mobile. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Candice Faktor, vice-president of strategy and new ventures for Torstar Digital, described mobile as an important growth area for the company, noting that Web2Mobile offers a "nice rounded capability set" that complements its existing assets.

"We're constantly looking at the future of our business and what spaces we want to play in, and we think that mobile is a very important area that we want to continue to build businesses in–especially taking some of our digital businesses and evolving them into mobile," said Faktor.

Toronto-based Web2Mobile develops campaigns and apps for a wide range of mobile devices including the iPhone, iPad, Android and BlackBerry.

The company recently developed a free app for Random House called Conversation Starters that offers up tidbits from the company's non-fiction books for use at dinner parties.

The app also enables users to read an expanded excerpt from the selected book with a simple click, buy the book online, or use their mobile device's GPS capability to locate the nearest retailer.

Web2Mobile will operate independently of Torstar Digital's other business units and will continue to be led by founder Deborah Hall, who was recently named one of New York-based Mobile Marketer's "Women to Watch" for 2010." The company will report into Torstar Digital's Strategy & New Ventures group.

"We believe very much in having independently run businesses so that they're able to achieve their objectives without having to focus on what one of our other business's objectives are," said Faktor. "Where it makes sense we'll work together, but we think independence is really important."

In her new role, Hall will be charged with helping clients develop both mobile marketing strategies and new revenue models for the mobile space. Throughout her career, Hall has worked with clients including Chapters Indigo, Nike, Diageo, Corus Entertainment, The Weather Network and Cogeco.

Torstar Digital has been busy on the acquisition front in the past year, with recent purchases including Montreal-based travel deal aggregator TravelAlerts.ca and the group buying operation WagJag (a competitor to companies like Groupon and WebPiggy).

"We're definitely in growth mode," said Faktor. "This is a very exciting time to be doing this. The pace at which things are happening now is just so fast."