Editors Note: There is a photo and a video associated with this press release.
My name is Stuart Sterzel, and I am the Chairman and CEO of Webtel.mobi Limited, the company which recently implemented The Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge - the first attempted Intercontinental crossing by man using jet-wings, from Africa to Europe.
Due to the extremely high number of requests from the media and the public internationally for the company to issue a statement on various aspects of this event, the following document is provided.
This document attempts to cover all the primary query areas, and is therefore long. As such, if reading it, please disregard the sections that are not of interest to you / about which you have not enquired.
1. Webtel.mobi and Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge Background
Webtel.mobi is a global Specialised Mobile Provider. It has a self-explanatory website at www.webtel.mobi/pc which provides all relevant information on the company.
The Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge was an event which Webtel.mobi implemented to physically demonstrate how the company's product connects the world in a new and innovative way, by actually attempting to connect the continents of Africa and Europe in a new and innovative way.
The subsidiary aims of the event were - as part of Webtel.mobi's marketing principles - to engage in principled marketing by providing inspirational examples as part of the event; in this case to demonstrate how dedication, perseverance and exhibiting personal excellence can bring about success; and also of how greatness can be achieved by ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
Details on the Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge can be seen at the self-explanatory website www.challenge.webtel.mobi
The Intercontinental Challenge which took place on 25 November 2009, was planned over three years. The Webtel.mobi Challenger - Yves Rossy - was introduced to it six months ago, and the team which participated in its execution was introduced to it four months ago.
Webtel.mobi always tries to combine traditional management techniques with 21st Century innovation, and strives to be innovative with all of its activities, including marketing. As such, the entire Intercontinental Challenge event was planned, implemented and managed in-house by Webtel.mobi personnel, including the provision of worldwide television broadcast for free pick-up by broadcasters, to enable the widest possible international audience to view an inspirational event.
Other than striving to be innovative, the company also applies thorough and meticulous planning and management to all its activities - including this event. The result of this was that the company was able to successfully implement and manage one of the largest and most complex trans-national events in recent history (which was also a world-first event), transmit its marketing and inspirational message globally via all forms of media to one of the largest audiences of any event in history, break multiple records in doing so, and also to successfully manage any and all eventualities that occurred during the event, in real-time.
2. Webtel.mobi's marketing principles
Webtel.mobi does not have a Corporate Social Responsibility division. Our view is that if a company has sufficient excess funds to finance (arbitrarily selected) social programmes, it has perhaps already failed in its primary responsibility - which is to allow its clients to retain as much of their money as possible for themselves, while the company still makes a reasonable profit.
As such, Webtel.mobi's Corporate Social Responsibility strategy is integrated into its core mobile telecommunications operations, by keepings costs as low as possible to enable its clients to keep their funds for themselves. Other than this, it integrates socially responsible principles into its marketing campaigns, as follows:-
A. Promotion of personal excellence - meaning that the company will encourage any actions which allow people to express their innate abilities, and achieve to their greatest potential without any artificial socio-economic, financial, geographic, gender, ethnic or other limitations, or,
B. Provision of inspirational messages and examples, primarily examples that promote the virtues of success through determination and perseverance.
With the purpose being that both of these examples should illustrate that great things are achieved by ordinary people doing extraordinary things; and that it is possible for anyone to achieve success - as long as they are determined, and they persevere with what they do.
A recent Online Viral Video Challenge incorporated Webtel.mobi's marketing principles as expressed in point A above. The Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge incorporated Webtel.mobi's marketing principles as expressed in point B above.
3. The Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge
The Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge is one of a series of Webtel.mobi Challenges, which began with an online video challenge, and will extend through several Intercontinental Challenges and beyond in time to come.
The Intercontinental Challenge was conceived and implemented in order to illustrate how Webtel.mobi's mobile phone service connects the world in a unique and innovative manner, by physically connecting the Continents in a unique and innovative manner.
In keeping with the company's marketing principles, an important component of this event was also to present an action that could serve as an inspiration to people - showing that almost anything is possible if the principles of perseverance and determination are adhered to, and that great things are achieved by ordinary people who do the extraordinary.
4. Marketing achievements - Global branding through principled marketing
The Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge is - we are informed - regarded by marketing professionals as the most successful single media event of a private company ever in recorded history, worldwide. This is due to the fact that the event was shown on live television, and via Video News Release (VNR), on television, in virtually every country in the world, in prime time, and on many TV channels for more than an hour uninterrupted. It was also reported on in - we are informed - thousands of newspapers worldwide, and in thousands of online articles and postings, and was watched on a live internet webcast by people worldwide. We have been informed by Associated Press Television News that the potential viewership of the event on the APTN Global Video Wire was in excess of 2 Billion people, and that this does not include the continuing live broadcast - which was shown on several hundred television stations globally for up to an hour and a half, including the world's largest global TV networks, such as Sky News, CNN International and BBC World. As to the validity or not of this information, we cannot comment authoritatively, because the company has made no concerted effort to establish this factually and neither will it. As Webtel.mobi is a mobile telecommunications company and not an events management company, the fact that it was highly successful is sufficient, and we should not, and will not, be distracted from our core activities by focussing on aspects that are not core. In any event, we prefer to take conservative views, and will only comment on facts that are known to us. We do know that the Webtel.mobi TV footage was broadcast on several hundred television stations internationally, and that the potential number of persons exposed to this event through television, print media and online media is one of the highest worldwide in recorded history for a single event of a private company - and that is as far as we will explore this matter. However, if any international marketing agency has the interest or ability to inform us of the (approximate) total statistics, we would be interested in hearing them from a human interest point-of-view.
We are furthermore informed that, in comparative terms (that being the comparative value of TV time obtained by the company in editorial broadcast relative to what would have been paid for advertising on the same scale) that the advertising value may be in the very high billions of dollars. This seems to us to be a high number, and again, as we tend towards conservative views, Webtel.mobi will not go on the record to confirm this number. We are, however, comfortable to state that our assessment is that the comparative value is certainly in the early hundreds of millions of dollars, and suspect that the true comparative value may lie somewhere between our assessment and the very high number suggested to us. Again, as this is not the company's core activity, it will not be pursuing this avenue of enquiry further, but would welcome feedback from any international marketing organisation that may wish to provide it.
Other than the above, on 25 November 2009, Webtel.mobi became, for a period, the largest television broadcaster in the world by geographic footprint, as its live TV footage was picked up and re-broadcast by hundreds of television stations worldwide. Again, although this is an interesting statistic, it is only so from a general interest point-of-view, as our company is focussed on its mobile telecommunications service - which also has the largest geographic footprint in the world by availability.
The company also broke, or established, several records in respect of international marketing practices on the day of the Challenge.
5. Marketing achievements - Conveyance of inspirational messages
All marketing activities implemented by Webtel.mobi are implemented with integrity and principle. This means specifically that they are not purely marketing exercises, but should also convey Webtel.mobi's marketing principles, as referred to earlier in this document.
As such, all people involved with the event were informed that they should just be themselves, and that they should say what they wanted to at any time. All parties were aware of why the event was taking place, and of the company's principles and aversion to scripted actions, and its viewpoint that they should just be who they were and say what they thought to any person, without restriction.
The view of Webtel.mobi is that its brand and branding should be understated, as it must be strong enough to be projected through the actions of the event, and if it is not, it does not deserve to be. As such, although all television footage carried by all TV broadcasters worldwide throughout the day was Webtel.mobi footage, the company did not embed its name into the footage and provided the footage free and without any conditions or restrictions.
On the day, the courage of the Webtel.mobi Challenger to attempt the crossing, and the example of quiet dignity and consistent behaviour exhibited by The Challenger and the Search and Rescue Divers who, despite having experienced a very stressful experience in full view of the world, carried on thereafter in a calm and consistent manner, presented in our view an inspiring example to people who viewed the event.
Despite the marine landing of the Challenger in the North Atlantic Ocean, he and all parties in the Challenge Team took everything in their stride. The Challenger also confirmed that although the first attempt had not completed the entire distance, he would be back to try again. This again demonstrated values of courage, perseverance and determination, and provided, in our view, an example to people viewing the event.
Finally, although the event was implemented by and for Webtel.mobi, the company has also been pleased to assist the Webtel.mobi Challenger, Yves Rossy, with the pursuit of his personal vision through his participation in our event. Under his own banner of Jetman, he was able - due to the global footprint of the Webtel.mobi TV broadcast - establish a far wider global awareness of his jet-wing and his vision than he had previously been able to achieve, which we hope will assist him in his quest to make Free Flight by jet-wing available to people worldwide. To further assist him, Webtel.mobi has created a website for him that explains his background and his vision. Details of this website can be found at the end of this document.
6. Challenges dealt with in successfully implementing the event
Other than the planning, implementation and management of the Challenge, Webtel.mobi had to overcome various other challenges to successfully bring the event to life. The structuring and implementation of a global event of this nature in a manner to ensure the successful implementation of over 100 concurrent activities by 26 companies on a global scale is extremely complex, and a full description of the requirements is too long to enter into in this document. A very brief summary of some of the top level challenges is as follows:-
- To implement a worldwide live television and internet broadcast, simultaneously incorporating several hundred people in multiple countries, as well as 9 live cameras in two countries, and one on a helicopter, in a dynamic situation, from the cameras to an aircraft carrying microwave transmitters, for reception and transmission to the Eutelsat Satellite and the BT Tower in London, for onward transmission to television broadcasters globally.
- To negotiate the various and very numerous government and regulatory requirements and permissions in multiple countries, and for the airspace between two countries.
- To locate, appoint and weld into one team 26 companies and organisations from 12 countries, speaking various languages, covering 60+ professional disciplines.
- To rehearse all aspects of the event - including flight over distance, formation flying, Search & Rescue drills, etc.
- To plan and provide for all required multinational logistical requirements.
- For the Webtel.mobi Challenger to attempt The Challenge flight.
Fortunately, Webtel.mobi appointed and dealt with teams of world-leading professionals in all required fields, who all functioned well together under the company's leadership, in a harmonious Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge Team
7. Why Yves Rossy was offered the opportunity to be the Webtel.mobi Challenger
After conceptualising, planning and beginning the implementation of the Intercontinental Challenge, Webtel.mobi approached the person that it had selected as the most appropriate contender to take up the Challenge as the Webtel.mobi Challenger. There were two possibilities for our Challenger.
One was a large company which has built a jet-wing using unlimited financial and technical resources, for Special Forces use. It has a range of more than 100km and is so sophisticated that it can complete the Challenge with ease.
The other was Yves Rossy, who has a jet-wing which he has built up over the years by himself, with no support other than his own dedication, perseverance against the odds, and the support and the assistance of only a close group of private friends and supporters. He has done this at primarily his own cost, in his own time; and the pursuit of his vision has been very costly to him in terms of personal sacrifice. Nevertheless through the consistent application of dedication and perseverance he succeeded in turning his vision into reality.
His approach and philosophy mirrors that of Webtel.mobi, and mirrors the company's progression from its vision to reality of its own product. As a result, Webtel.mobi offered Yves Rossy the opportunity to become the Webtel.mobi Challenger. He accepted our Challenge, and as a result became Webtel.mobi's Challenger 1 for the first Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge.
8. The next Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge
In accordance with its principles of perseverance and determination, and in accordance with The Challenger's principles which mirror ours, Webtel.mobi and the Webtel.mobi Challenger Yves Rossy will effect The Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge 2010, at a date to be announced in the near future, to complete an Intercontinental flight by man using a jet-wing, between Africa and Europe.
Any person or organisation that would like to receive advance notice of this event should please send a mail to me at ceo@webtel.mobi and I will see to it that you are provided of advance notice when this next Intercontinental Challenge is to be implemented.
9. Priceless moment
Every event has its priceless moments, which occur outside the view of public scrutiny; and this event was no different in this regard.
One of these priceless moments involved the return of the Challenger and the Rescue Divers to the Spanish Mainland where, at the insistence of the immigration officers, they had to pass through the standard immigration control at Jerez International Airport.
As a result, they had to stand, in a queue like everybody else - except dressed in a sopping wet flight-suit and wetsuits with emergency flotation devices around their necks, pouring huge pools of North Atlantic water onto the otherwise shiny floor - while wide-eyed immigration officials tried their best to act as though it was a perfectly normal event for people in dripping wetsuits and flight suits, carrying nothing more than a passport, to wait their turn in a queue to have their passports reviewed, and to enter the country.
Although the photos can never adequately reflect the surreal and hilarious atmosphere of this moment - worthy of a "Mastercard Priceless Moment" advertisement - we have nevertheless included two of the photos of this situation, taken from a mobile phone, in our photo resources section, detailed at the end of this document.
10. Appreciation
I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to the Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge Team - comprising members of Webtel.mobi Limited and companies & professionals from all over the world - for their calm, professional and inspiring work and conduct during the Challenge. It was a pleasure and a privilege to work with you as colleagues. The details of these persons and companies are on the "Team" page of the website www.challenge.webtel.mobi
The company would also like to thank the many members of the public from around the world who have contacted it since the Challenge with their sincere and heartfelt wishes.
Finally, the company would like to thank the members of the media, especially the Sky News team, who all conducted themselves extremely professionally and with consideration in respect of the unusual situation that occurred on the day of the Challenge.
11. Overall achievement
The events which unfolded during the Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge on 25 November 2009 provided many examples of fine virtues and characteristics, but the finest one was, in my view, this -
Men, women and children, of all ages, of all nationalities, of all backgrounds, in all countries - stripped of all artificial considerations or limitations and engaging only their fundamental feelings of humanity and compassion - stopped what they were doing, and together, as one, hoped or prayed for the welfare of a fellow human being in distress and whose need was near him; and as one, they rejoiced when he was found.
This demonstrated, with crystal clarity, that at a fundamental level we are all far more alike than we are different, and that when we are joined through any form of open communication - be it the world's simultaneous watching of a human drama unfold on television, or just two people talking together quietly - that open communication between people can always bring out the best in all of us, wherever and whoever we are.
This, for me personally, was the greatest achievement of that day, and one I feel privileged to have been able to play a small role in.
Yours sincerely.
Stuart
Stuart Sterzel
CEO - Webtel.mobi Limited
Resources and media
The Webtel.mobi company website
http://www.webtel.mobi/pc
The Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge website
http://www.challenge.webtel.mobi
Photos of the event
http://challenge.webtel.mobi/english/Photos_Images.html
Videos of the Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge
http://challenge.webtel.mobi/english/Challenge_Viewer.html
Website with information on, and the vision of, the Webtel.mobi Challenger - Yves Rossy
http://challenger-one.webtel.mobi/
To view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link:
http://www.marketwire.com/library/20091204-challenger2_800.jpg
To view the video associated with this press release, please visit the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rdi_wCqQiw
Contacts:
Webtel.mobi Limited
ceo@webtel.mobi