• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, June 10, 2008

Alloy Access, the multicultural marketing division of Alloy Media + Marketing, is teaming up with Real Content Group to create new mobile marketing channels for Alloy's clients. The deal will enable Alloy to take advantage of Real Content's relationships with service carriers and content providers, while Real Content will be able to tap Alloy's expertise in marketing to urban consumers.

The two companies will cooperate on developing a variety of marketing channels, including content integration, branded text messaging, mobile coupons and corporate sponsorship of lifestyle content targeting African-American and Hispanic consumers. They will also cooperate in strategic and technical areas like database development and management.

Both partners noted the exploding popularity of mobile devices among urban consumers, with African-Americans and Hispanics both over-indexing substantially in their use of mobile devices. This may be, in part, because both populations skew younger. According to the most recent U.S. census, in 2000 the median age of African-Americans was 30, and Hispanics 26, versus 35 for the population overall.

Other marketers have formed partnerships with mobile-focused companies in recent months.

Tru Pettigrew, president of Alloy Access, said urban consumers' affinity for mobile engagement extends to a number of behaviors--including not just talking, but taking and storing photos, uploading images, sending text messages, downloading music, and viewing music videos and TV shows: "These are all areas where you see a great distinction between the urban consumers and the general market counterparts."

Pettigrew added that in general, the mobile phenomenon reflects the importance placed by urban consumers on communication and staying connected. "This group has always looked for new ways to communicate each other," according to Pettigrew, pointing to low-tech precedents like slang and hand signs.

In early May, Denuo--the innovation-focused branch of the Publicis Groupe--partnered with GoldSpot Media, a company that inserts ads in mobile TV and video play, to study the mindset and behavior of mobile device users, and to develop mobile video advertising solutions for GoldSpot and Publicis clients.