Mediaboss Marketing

The company that had been introduced to Wales was The Peoples Operator (TPO), a new mobile phone network. TPO wants to shake up the mobile phone industry by donating 10pc of each customers bill to a charity or cause chosen by the consumer. This 10pc will be funded by TPO scrapping marketing costs and instead relying on word of mouth to spread the brand.

Wales was introduced to TPO by its founder, Andrew Rosenfeld, the property tycoon and Labour party donor who was caught up in the cash for honours scandal in 2006.

Our wives know each other, so I have met him socially in London, Wales said. The first time he ever talked to me about it we were on holiday.

The reason I got involved is I have become really intrigued by the power of word of mouth, which is much higher than it was before. It used to be if you liked something you told two people, but now you can tell 200 people on Facebook.

The concept that you could give 10pc of your bill and still be extraordinarily profitable if you can get word of mouth growth, thats really compelling.

Rosenfeld set up the company in 2012, but with Wales onboard it has started to grow quickly 103pc since June and it now has more than 10,000 users.

Wales has pressed for expansion beyond the UK and developed the social network that TPO hopes will allow consumers to spread the brand.

I said: I dont want to do this if its UK-only, a small company. Everything I have done is global, so we should be thinking global from day one.

Now, TPO is preparing to put the pedal to the metal, as Wales explained.

This week the company is expected to unveil plans to float on Aim. The money raised from the initial public offering (IPO) will help the development of the social network and expansion into the US.

Continued here:
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales sees potential in a new phone network