MARKETEL SNAGS SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS BUSINESS
By Adnews Staff
U.S.-based IRIDIUM will launch its global satellite communications network in September and has hired Marketel of Montreal to help promote it in Canada. The agency won the $2.2 million business after a competition with two other agencies. Marketel will handle Canadian media buying and adapt U.S. creative. "Our objective is to provide truly global communications coverage," IRIDIUM distribution and marketing general manager Louise Bissonnette says in a release. "Moreover, the key players from all our network markets are planning to meet soon to pool their marketing strategies and develop the most appropriate advertising vehicles for each of the 18 territories. This is the challenge we're giving Marketel here in Canada." The system can handle any type of telephone transmission including voice, data, fax or paging. Customers who opt for the system will be able to use it no matter where there are using one telephone number. IRIDIUM is financed by a private international consortium of telecommunications and industrial companies.