• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Thursday, November 30, 2006 12:15 PM

Vodafone, the world's largest cell phone service provider by revenue, and Yahoo are developing a mobile ad initiative in the United Kingdom that will enable advertisers to direct their message at people depending on gender, demographic group, location and user behavior. If successful, the effort could help shape the nascent mobile-advertising industry.

The two companies will jointly develop the look and feel of the ads that will likely include a variety of formats--from banner ads to short video clips. Vodafone also will use Yahoo's sizable sales force to sell to advertisers.

For customers that opt in to the service, Vodafone will collect details, such as age and gender, at sign-up. Then, over time, it will build a profile of customers' interests based on their activities over their phone. For instance, Vodafone could track their favorite types of music or which sports they like to watch.

Read the whole story at The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) »