technology

KGB Playing With Big Brands At Super Bowl

by Aaron Baar , January 13, 2010

Having only launched a year ago, text answer service KGB thinks it's ready to play with the big brands, having bought an advertising slot during the Super Bowl airing on Feb. 7.

"We launched a year ago and our service has been growing very rapidly through the year," Bruce Stewart, KGB CEO of Mobile and Digital, tells Marketing Daily. "This opportunity gives us a chance to reach a broad and engaged audience and introduce them to KGB."

The company is currently mulling three commercials -- including one that would feature actors William and Stephen Baldwin -- to air during the third quarter of the game. The other two will likely run during pre-game coverage that day as part of a new campaign for the company, Stewart says.

Over the past year, usage for the company's service -- which provides specific answers to specific questions via text message through the use of company "agents" -- has grown both in frequency and demographics, Stewart says.

"We've now seen that people are choosing to use it even when they have smartphones and browsers," Stewart says. "They're using it because they think it's a better way than sifting through thousands upon thousands of search links."

However, running a commercial on the Super Bowl can be a gamble. There's a chance you could end up as one of the most-talked-about spots the next day. Or you could be one of the ones in the middle that people can't quite recall. Stewart says the company has done enough research and preparation to be among the former.

"We expect a pretty significant spike on the day of the Super Bowl and talk about the product," Stewart says. "Lots of our customers have recommended to a friend. We expect there will be lots of conversation among friends after the commercial runs."

digital, mobile, super bowl, technology

3 comments about "KGB Playing With Big Brands At Super Bowl ".

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Tom Keane from USA Weekend, January 14, 2010 at 10:06 a.m.
Is it just me or does anybody find the name of this service unsettling? Would they have dared branded themselves "Gestapo" or "Ton Ton Macoute" or "S.S."?
Why name yourself after a bunch of murderous thugs?
Reply

Matt Daemon, January 17, 2010 at noon

KGB was the USSR Secret Service, there was nothing really murderous about it. If you want murderous, perhaps S.S. would tickle your fancy? The name is merely a spin off (comically) of the old KGB.

Tia Rutter from kgb_, January 17, 2010 at 9:58 p.m.

kgb_ the company's name has NOTHING to do with the Russina KGB. It simply is short for the company's name - The Knowledge Generation Bureau. Have a look at the site for the history... http://www.kgb.com

Founded in 1992, kgb (www.kgb.com) is a privately held, New York-based company and the world’s largest independent provider of directory assistance and enhanced information services. kgb has built some of the most successful and recognizable retail brands in the telecommunications and enhanced information services sector in Europe, including The Number 118 118 in the United Kingdom and Le Numero 118 218 in France, both of which have the largest market share in their respective markets. kgb is also the biggest and fastest-growing independent wholesale directory assistance service provider in the U.S. In 2009, kgb launched 542542 (kgbkgb), the premier text answer service in the U.S.

kgb has pioneered the development of a broad range of wholesale and retail information services beyond traditional directory assistance services, including call completion, movie listings, train schedules, price comparisons, and “Ask Us Anything” service across multiple platforms, including mobile and landline phones,SMS and the Internet. In 2008, kgb won the Pelorus Award for the Best Text Directory Information Service in the United States.