More branded content: Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) has tied up with Viacom (NYSE: VIA) Brand Solutions, that creates branded content targeting the youth, reports Indiantelevision. Readers will remember their initiatives for xBox 360. In this case, Viacom Brand Solutions has created a series of animated music videos featuring a band ‘Konees’, with proprietary music and lyrics. The content will apparently used to promote Vodafone, and Voda will make this content available for its customers as ringtones, callertunes, screensavers and wallpapers. No games? Voda’s has inherited a bunch of characters from Hutch anyway, so I wonder if they’re going to slowly switch from the Hutch branding and it’s iconic pug.

If you’ve noticed the recent adverts from Voda, they’re now offering content in the form of a subscription based service - SMS alerts from Art of Living, on Cricket, among others. These services have historically been pull based services, and this marks a significant shift to a push strategy. Reminiscent, if you please, of the CRBT (NYSE: BT) strategy. Once you subscribe, it’s likely that you’ll continue with the service; it’s similar with the magazine business, where it’s about news-stand vs (guaranteed) subscription revenues. Another take on this launch here. The other thing is, Rajesh Jain’s MyToday also offers similar services for free, but they’re targeting revenues from advertising in the messages. But no advertising campaign on TV for MyToday, so I wonder if the average user will ever get to know about their service.