• by Tameka Kee , November 1, 2007

One day after NBC Universal unveiled a deal to sell ads in video games through IGA Worldwide, the GE/NBC Universal's Peacock Equity has taken an equity stake in mobile comapny 4INFO.

4INFO serves geo- and categorically targeted ads that appear underneath SMS content like sports scores, weather updates, celebrity gossip and stock quotes. Users can sign up for regular text alerts from preferred publishers, as well as send a text to 4INFO to search for specific information. The firm's media partners include Gannett's USA Today and IAC/InterActiveCorp's Evite.

NBC Universal will use 4INFO's text-messaging platform to power voting for its expanding roster of interactive TV shows, as well as fan clubs and other entertainment services. The media giant will also be able to supplement its preexisting SMS alert content with 4INFO-supplied info--and monetize this mobile traffic with ad revenue.

Advertisers pay $40 CPMs on average, and the company splits revenue with the publishers, according to 4INFO CEO Zaw Thet. With open rates typically hovering between 15 and 20%, and the option to target by location, vertical or service carrier, advertisers like Denny's, Borders and Chevy have added 4INFO's SMS ads to their media mix.

Thet added that 4INFO planned to use some of the recent investments for building out behavioral and demographic targeting technology. "We have great tools to communicate with each other, but we're just developing ways for people to access info and connect with content," Thet added. "Within the next 6-12 months we're going to see the mobile ecosystem grow, because now there are ways for companies to make money with that content."

The investment marks the third round of institutional funding for 4INFO, which offers mobile publishing and advertising services. Other backers include US Venture Partners and Gannett Company.