# Free Calls & Texts Blyk Targets 16-24 By Bianca | Published 2007-09-24 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/blyk References: [telegraph](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/09/24/bcnblyk124.xml) If you're addicted to your phone but dread your [monthly phone bill](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cellphone-bill), then you'll love Blyk, the UK service that offers you [free text messaging and calls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/costa-coffee-hypeline). They are the world's first company to offer a service like this. The catch? You have to be between 16 and 24 and be willing to receive ads from the company. You won't even need to [sign a contract](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/experience-more-and-experience-beyond). Pretty sweet deal! The service, launched today, offers 43 free minutes a month and 217 texts. No word of them spreading to North America yet, but they do plan on offering the service in Germany, France, Italy and Spain in the future. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.8/10 - Popularity: 59% | Activity: 16% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Mobile](https://www.trendhunter.com/mobile) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Free Mobile Services:** Blyk's offering of free calls and texts is setting a trend towards mobile telecom services funded by advertising. - **Targeted Ads:** Blyk's promise of free services in exchange for targeted ads is a trend towards more precise ad targeting to specific audiences in the telecom industry. - **Youth Market:** Blyk's targeting of the 16-24 age range is highlighting a trend towards creating offerings specifically for the youth market in the mobile telecom industry. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Telecom:** Blyk's innovative model of offering free services in exchange for targeted ad exposure presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in the mobile telecom industry. - **Advertising:** Blyk's use of targeted ads to fund their free mobile services is a trend that presents disruptive innovation opportunities in the advertising industry. - **Youth Marketing:** Blyk's efforts to appeal specifically to the 16-24 year old market indicates a area of opportunity for disruptive innovation and targeted marketing in the youth market industry. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Fee-Free Phone Plans](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/visible-plan.md) - [Social Mobile Phone Plans](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/heimobile.md) - [Digital Mobile Phone Cards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/freedom-for-free.md) - [Mobile Plan Breakup Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sky-mobile-pete-wicks.md) - [Budget-Friendly Wireless Plans](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/budgetfriendly-wireless-plans.md) - [Hybrid Telecom Mobile Plans](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/o2-rolling-plan.md) - [Lucrative Mobile Service Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mobile-service.md) - [Long-Term Wireless Plan Guarantees](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/longterm-wireless-plan.md) - [Browser Calling Services](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dial-anyone.md)