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September 04, 2007Speaker Interview: Daniel Neal, CEO, kajeet
There has been so much buzz about how kids are getting their first cell phones younger and younger inspiring the need for "parental controls." In fact AT&T just announced it is launching "Smart Limits," with options like limiting talk time, text messages, instant messages, and Web content and downloads. Of course, well before AT&T's announcement, kajeet was offering all of this to parents (plus tween friendly content). Daniel Neal will be presenting a case study (sponsored by Swivel) about kajeet at the Ypulse Tween Mashup on September 28th in NYC. Register now (for the "early adopter" discount) and learn more about what kajeet is doing in the tween mobile space.
Ypulse: Playing devil's advocate: Do tweens really need their own cell phones?
Daniel Neal: There's no denying that almost every tween wants a cell phone, but no, not all tweens need one. We don't advocate that. In our society, many factors make cell phones a useful and powerful tool for kids and families, one that can enhance convenience, connectedness and safety. Every family will decide for itself whether cell phones work for their kids. At kajeet, we've put a lot of thought and effort into making sure families and kids can customize their kajeet cell phone service to meet their particular needs, and to ensure that the content available on kajeet cell phones is appropriate for kids.
YP: How did you guys come up with your little alien-like characters?
DN: kajeet's six little dudes represent six different personalities in which almost all kids can see themselves. They are featured throughout our marketing campaigns and in our service itself, an ever-present reminder of who our company serves.
YP: How do you position kajeet against competitors like Disney Mobile?
DN: kajeet is different because it is a pay-as-you-go service with no long-term contracts, no need for mom or dad to switch their plan, and no activation or cancellation or other hidden fees. Our service plan and Wallet Manager enable families to help kids budget responsibly and for parents to always get through to their children. kajeet is the only cell phone service truly made from a kid's point of view. Our services, handsets and content are all about putting kids' needs and interests first, while always being thoughtful from a parent's perspective.
YP: What are the top three features parents say they want in a phone/plan? What about tweens?
DN: Parents - affordability, ease-of-use/simplicity, reliability
Tweens - cool-looking (and not babyish) handsets, lots of features (text messaging, IM, relevant games and ringtones, a camera, alarm clock), the ability to personalize their handset and service
YP: Tell me about your venture into Whyville (another Mashup speaker)...
DN: We partnered with Whyville because together we empower kids to communicate with each other in new and exciting ways. We consider our partnership, which is fairly new, a success -- within the first four weeks of opening, tens of thousands of Whyville citizens had visited the "kajeet Chat Factory" and discovered the fun and useful things they can do there.
YP: Anything else you think Ypulse readers should know?
DN: kajeet is much more than "just a cell phone company." We are all about providing kids and their families with mobile computing platforms that are always networked, and we do this in a way that always puts kids first and thoughtfully addresses the issue of children and technology.
Posted by anastasia
Speakers | Sponsors
Friday September 28
- How traditional brands are leveraging new media to reach tweens
- Building communities around your brand: what works & what doesn't
- Are tweens still reading books and magazines and watching TV?
- What is the appeal of virtual worlds for tweens?
- Integrating sponsors or selling subscriptions: a look at online business models for tween communities
- Offline brand extensions: from virtual to products, movies and more
- How to market to tweens and be COPPA compliant
- How to keep kids in - and adults out
Hear real tweens talk about their favorite Web sites, games and more!
Dema Hanna, Producer, Nickelodeon
Bernice Wooden, Camerawoman, All About Kids TV
Caroline McCarthy, Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Director of Marketing, Sony Home Pictures Entertianment
Chuck Salter, Senior Writer, Fast Company
Emily Zyko, Project Manager, Family Literacy, Thirteen WNET
Helen Vargas, Segment Producer, All About Kids TV
John Regal, CMO, kajeet, Inc.
Keisha Wright, Sr. Marketing Manager, MTVN Kids & Family
Lillian Lebron , Beacon Media Group
Matt Nichols , Highland Capital Partners
Matt Schwartz, Director of Online Marketing, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Shalini Patel, Associate Brand Manager, LeapFrog
Shelly Hirsch , Beacon Media Group
Angela Morris, Series Producer, All About Kids TV
Jennifer Franko, Account Executive, Cynopsis KIDS!
Mark Bohn, Vice President, Cynopsis Media LLC
Joanna Roses, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group
Jonathan Bertfield, CEO, Readio Network
Helen Lerberg , 2Can Entertainment
Joanne Erickson, Director of Research, Neopets
Barbara Marcus , B*tween Productions
Lilka Nakanishi, Editor, Snippies
Michael Acton Smith, CEO, Mind Candy
Antonio Neves, Producer, BET News
Ana Adler, Creative Manager, Boomerang Latin America
Brian Anderson, President, Yomod.com
Eric Greenwald, Executive Vice President - Ad Sales & Business Development, Whyville.com (a Numedeon, Inc. property)
Angela Natividad, Co-Editor, Adrants.com
Kelsey Smith, Teen Advisor, PAYjr
David Jones, CEO, PAYjr
Mary McIlrath, Vice President, Qualitative Services, C&R Research
Alex Leiter, Account Executive, Disney Online
Mara Einstein, Associate Professor, Queens College
Navid Behzadi , Cell Fish Media
Stephen Youngwood, Executive Vice President, Digital Media, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family
Nancy Gruver, Publisher, New Moon Publishing, Inc.
Nicole Perri, Editor-in-Chief , Popteen.com
Michelle Bisson, Product Manager, American Greetings
Mike Fassino, Director, Weekly Reader Research
Simona Grinfeld, Marketing Specialist, American Greetings
Co-Founder, The Chica Project
Scott Lemon, Consultant, HumanXtensions L.L.C.
Randy Meredith, Creative Director, Brighter Minds Media
Al Primo, Executive Producer, Teen Kids News - Weekly Reader Corporation
Dominic Rivera, Managing Editor, 901am.com
Carol Altarescu, EVP, Privacy Vaults Online - PRIVO
Kevin Auerbach , 365 Connect
Theresa Bhatia, VP, Business Development, kajeet, Inc.
Edward Bikales, President, Snippies
Jamie Bryant, Founder and CEO, B-books, Ltd., (Kiki Magazine)
Susanah Doucet, Production & Media Manager, Music Alive! Magazine
Scholastic, Inc.
Peter Grunwald, President, Grunwald Associates LLC
Nuit Hansgen, Director, ARTSEDGE
Caroline Horn, Editorial Director, Music Alive! Magazine
Robbin Jakklin , C&R Research
Joyce Kim , The Gigaom Show
Linda LaBrecque , WhateverLife, Inc.
Richard LaBrecque , WhateverLife, Inc.
Jacquline Lane, Director of Teen Research, C&R Research
Jeff Mayerczak, Director, Content Services, kajeet, Inc.
Liz Nealon, Managing Director, Tesseractive Pictures
Danilee NewBy, Graphic Designer, WhateverLife, Inc.
Sinyoung Park , NYU
Celeste Pietrusza, Marketing & Partnership Development, Snippies
Steve Rogers, VP - Business Development, Industrious Kid, Inc.
Manager, Consumer Insight & Strategy, mDisney
Suzie Sisoler, Senior Online Marketing Manager, HarperCollins Publishers
Jessica Stroud , PAYjr
Denise Tayloe, Pres/CEO, Privacy Vaults Online - PRIVO
, Scholastic, Inc.
Maura Welch, Editorial/Marketing Director, WeeWorld
Jeffery Boortz, President, Concrete Pictures
Lawrence Neves, Editorial Director, Pokemon USA Inc.
Eric Robinson, InComm
Amy Bowman, InComm
Jennifer Brown, AllyKatzz.com
Jennifer Van Grove, Community Manager, FIRST
Allison Mooney, Director of Trends and Research, Fleishman-Hillard, NGT
Larissa Faw, Editor, Youth Marketers Alert
Manager Consumer Insight and Strategy, mDisney
Ashley Qualls, CEO and President, Whateverlife, Inc.
Danielle NewBy, Graphic Designer, Whateverlife, Inc.
Criag Peters, Director, Online Marketing & Communications, kajeet
Vice President, Strategic operations, National Geographic Society
Kelly Mendoza, PhD Student, Temple University
Catherine Lee, Publisher/CEO, Discovery Girls Inc
Timothy Mabrey, Creative Director, Gorilla Soapbox
Andrew Schultz, Senior Editor, Gorilla Soapbox
Sherri Culver, Director, Media Education Lab, Temple University
Allison Keiley, Online Content and Community Manager, Girls Incorporated
Head of Marketing, Glassnote Records
Dave Witzel, Producer, Backyard Jungle, Forum One Communications
Cliff Annicelli, Editor, Playthings Magazine, Reed Business Information
Lynne D. Johnson, Senior Editor, FastCompany.com
Robert Smith, NPR New York Correspondent, National Public Radio
Vice President, Strategic Operations, National Geographic Society
Kristen Soumas, VP, Games, Lifetime
Brian Braiker, Columnist, Newsweek
Bryon Chaill, Weekly Reader
Izzy Neis, User Engagement Manager, Star Farm Productions
Mark Hansen, Director, LEGO Group
Diane Hockenberry, Director of Audience Development, Newspaper Association of America
Shannon Silva, Professor, University of Northern Carolina Wilmington
Andre Silva, Professor, University of Northern Carolina Wilmington
Edith Bellinghausen, Vice President of New Media, Razor & Tie/KIDZ BOP
Jordan Cooper, General Catalyst Partners
Eileen Esposito, VP, Communications, Cartoon Doll Emporium, LLC
Evan Bailyn, CEO, Cartoon Doll Emporium, LLC
Licensing Manager, DC Comics/Warner Brothers
Sarah Corrigan, Assistant Web Editor, B*tween Productions
Bobbie Carlton, Director, Marketing, B*tween Productions
Michelle Sullivan, Executive Producer, National Geographic Kids
Vice President of Marketing, HarperCollins Publishing
Chief Creative, COGO
Brian Reich, Director of New Media, Cone, Inc
Barbara Pflughaupt, Principal, P&F Communications
Marketing, EPM Communications
Market Analyst, Practical Parenting Concepts
Kathy Ishizuka, Technology Editor, School Library Journal
Kyra Reppen, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Neopets
Mark William Hansen, Director, Business Development, LEGO Group
Molly Chase, Vice President and Executive Producer, Cartoon Network New Media
Addie Swartz, CEO, B*tween Productions, Inc.
David Card, Vice President & Senior Analyst, JupiterResearch
Bryon Cahill, Editor, READ Magazine, Weekly Reader Publishing
Daniel Neal, CEO, kajeet
Jim Bower, CEO Numedeon
Anastasia Goodstein, Publisher, Ypulse.com
Renee Hobbs, Professor of Communication and Director, Media Education Lab, Temple University
Mattias Miksche, CEO, Stardoll
Joi Podgorny, Kids/Tween Internet Community Expert
Erin Reilly, CEO, Platform Shoes Forum
Denise Restauri, CEO, Allykatzz.com
Charles Pelton, Managing Partner, Modern Media Partners
Mary Zagrobelny, VP Marketing, Modern Media Partners
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Comments
Omg i love all the little dudes they are so cute especially for my phone
Posted by: Meaghan | November 8, 2007 10:16 AM