New partnership with Cell C brings exclusive content from number one media personality to South African mobile users
London, November 9th, 2017 – Leading mobile commerce platform, Upstream, has today announced its new partnership with Cell C and Bonang Matheba, South Africa’s number one media personality, to launch the Loop celebrity app ‘Bonang by Cell C’ to the South African market.
The Loop offering, which provides consumers with access to exclusive, rich media content from local celebrities, gives both mobile network operators (MNOs) and celebrities the opportunity to maximise the burgeoning trend for celebrity-led content. Stars like Kim Kardashian have led this global phenomenon, which has revolutionised the production and distribution of content, and driven the consumer desire for deeper connections with their favourite celebrities. ‘Bonang by Cell C’ will give fans of Bonang Matheba the opportunity to get closer to her, whilst also meeting the growing appetite for access to exclusive, localised content.
Loop, being launched for the first time on the African continent, is a device agnostic service. Accessible through app, HTML5, HTML and over SMS, it can reach 100% of the MNO user base, allowing MNOs to drive loyalty and attract new users. Billing options include direct carrier-billing, Google Play and iOS billing.
Highlights of the Loop offering include:
• Custom content creation and hosting tools, which allow celebrities to share their tips, tricks, favourite places and other aspects of their lifestyles with their followers
• Access to exclusive videos and music playlists that the celebrities love and want to share with their fans
• An Ask Me Anything feature where users can interact with the celebrity, asking questions about their lifestyle, bringing them closer to their idol
• Social media content aggregation tools, which pull in content from Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, all into one place
Nir Aloni, Chief Commercial Officer at Upstream, commented: “We are genuinely thrilled to be working with Cell C as well as a celebrity of the calibre of Bonang. Bringing the latest news and exclusive access to Bonang’s glamorous life to her fans all over the country has only become possible through working with Cell C and utilising their extensive reach. We are extremely pleased to be launching our first Loop offering in South Africa and are looking forward to working closely with Cell C on more projects together in the future.”
Cell C Chief Executive of Content, Surie Ramasary, said: “As a telecommunications provider, Cell C is continuously looking for ways to get closer to its customers. South Africans look to Bonang as a premium local celebrity and Loop has allowed us to serve insights into her celebrity lifestyle to our customer base. Upstream’s support and this truly device agnostic platform gives Cell C the leader advantage in the celebrity application space.”
Bonang Matheba added: “I’m excited and very fortunate to have the opportunity to speak directly to my fans and to share my favourite music, videos tips and tricks with them through a dedicated platform. It is fantastic to have the first celebrity app in South Africa, and Upstream and Cell C have been great at making it fit my personality!”
About Cell C
In spite of penetration of over 140% of mobile services in South Africa – particularly in the prepaid market – Cell C’s growth continues apace. Cell C currently has more than 16 million subscribers.
The momentum and success of Cell C’s innovative and value added products and services over the past few years, with its core consumer values of honesty, simplicity and transparency, has resulted in a positive consumer response.
Cell C has extensively invested in expanding and upgrading its network coverage and capacity over the last few years. Its network provides coverage to over 98% of the country’s population. Cell C offers 2G, 3G, LTE (4G) and LTE-Advanced services and continuously invests in expanding and upgrading its network to offer customers the latest technologies. The network operates on three key bands 900MHz, 1800MHz and 2100MHz. Cell C carries 92% of all voice traffic and 96% of data traffic on its own network.
For more information, please visit https://www.cellc.co.za/cellc/home
