• February 11, 2008

A new service that lets people send paper postcards via cell phones also gives marketers a new way to send brand messages.

The Wish You Were Here service allows mobile users to send personalized postcards by texting WYWH to a shortcode that ultimately prints and sends out the cards. Behind the $1.99 postcards are mobile content company netomat and Stolen Bases, which is providing the postcard design and fulfillment technology.

Family Travel Forum, a travel Web site, is the first to join an affiliate program that lets organizations offer branded Wish You Were Here postcards. Affiliates can also reserve mobile search keywords through the program.

The service launches today across U.S. carriers including AT&T, Sprint, CellularOne, Boost Mobile, and Virgin Mobile. It is expected to become available on other carriers soon.

--Mark Walsh