DUBLIN-BASED MOBILE MARKETEER Zamano has reported falling sales and profits as a new, bulk-texting product fails to make up for its flagging Irish trade.
The company announced a drop in sales for the first six months of 2014 when compared to the same time last year, although its income was up 24% over the second half of 2013.
It recorded sales of €8.72 million for the period, down from €9 million in the first half of 2013, and a pre-tax profit of €0.964 million – down slightly on the figure of €0.984 million for the same time last year.
The publicly-listed company has over 25 staff in its Dublin office and also has operations in the UK, Australia and Eastern Europe.
Zamano’s UK sales contributed the vast bulk of its income and grew significantly compared to the first half of 2013, but its Irish trade fell nearly 20%.
Messagehero doesn’t ride to the rescue
The figures come despite the company launching a new messaging product, Messagehero, aimed at Irish small and medium businesses (SMEs) in late 2013.
The service allows businesses to send bulk text messages to mailing lists.
In a statement, Zamano chief executive Ross Conlon said conditions in Ireland remained “challenging” after ComReg’s introduction of a new industry code of practice in mid 2012.
The regulations introduced a “double opt-in” for customers signing up for premium-rate services.
Conlon said the company’s strategy was to focus on finding joint-venture or buyout opportunities in both the UK and Ireland to diversify its business “in a relatively short timeframe”.
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