With Valentine?s Day right around the corner, Hallmark has beefed up its mobile offerings as an executive reveals in this exclusive interview with Mobile Marketer.

The hoops&yoyo application, Fun @ Work, features games and videos, joins Hallmark?s other mobile initiatives, mobile greeting cards from http://www.mobile.hallmark.com. Mobile Marketer?s Chris Harnick spoke with Mike Adams, Kansas City, MO-based manager of mobile at Hallmark, and Jodi Schade, vice president of licensing at Hallmark, about the greeting card giant?s mobile strategies.

Here is what they had to say:

What is Hallmark?s mobile strategy?
Mr. Adams: Hallmark is a company that helps people connect whenever and wherever they are, whether it's through the mail, through the computer or through a cell phone.

Hallmark Mobile Greetings help provide more frequent and meaningful instant communication. Mobile Greetings combine the immediacy of a text message with creative design and editorial, and also allow the sender to add their own personal message.

In addition, Hallmark Mobile Greetings work on the majority of mobile phone models and across all major mobile phone networks, making them easier to use and send than any comparable product on the market.

What challenges does mobile address for Hallmark?
Mr. Adams: Hallmark Mobile Greetings were developed because we recognize that oftentimes people want to connect with one another right in the moment, wherever they are.

There was a gap of "in the moment" communications that this product can address.

Is this Hallmark?s first step into the mobile channel? Is this testing the waters for a Hallmark ecard application?
Mr. Adams: Hallmark has tested some smaller, different approaches in the mobile space as far back as 2001.

Hallmark launched Mobile Greetings in June 2009.

What is the target demographic?
Mr. Adams: Primarily women who are tech-comfy, on-the-go people who value a connected network of family and friends.

Why expand the Hallmark brand to mobile? Why do it via hoops&yoyo?
Mr. Adams: Hallmark Mobile Greetings address a consumer-identified need to connect immediately with emotional impact ? whether it?s encouragement or a light-hearted laugh. They are a great way to instantly communicate life?s everyday moments. You can send an instant mobile greeting whenever, and wherever, you are.

Research tells us that more than 80 percent of people have their mobile phones with them the majority of the time. The greetings are relevant for everyone, and there is something for all ages.

Ms. Schade: The hoops&yoyo brand has become increasingly popular and the mobile application expands the brand?s exposure even more.

There is also a steady rise in attention given to this property online through Facebook ? over 76,000 hoops&yoyo fans on the official Fan Page ? and a steady flow of traffic on the characters official blog. An iPhone app was the next logical step in expanding the awareness of the characters and their brand of humor.

Today?s generation and especially a growing mobile-friendly population expects the ability to access their favorite characters on all platforms and we wanted to make sure that happened quickly in the first quarter of 2010.

What?s the strategy behind extending the hoops&yoyo brand to mobile?
Ms. Schade: We are working to build awareness of hoops&yoyo and the iPhone consumer aligns with our hoops&yoyo target audience.

How are these offerings being marketed? Online? In-store? Mobile ads?
Mr. Adams: Hallmark Mobile Greetings were marketed at launch through advertising, word of mouth marketing, email and public relations support.

In addition, we are partnering with the carriers to market within their spaces, for example AT&T Media Mall, BlackBerry App World and the Apple App Store.

Ms. Schade: The hoops&yoyo iPhone app is being marketed online, through the official hoops&yoyo Facebook fan page, Hallmark.com, hoops&yoyo.com and email.

How are the offerings monetized, does the app feature ads?
Mr. Adams: Hallmark Mobile Greetings are $0.99.

The sender is only charged if the recipient opens the mobile greeting.

The fees are billed as part of your monthly service-provider charges. The Hallmark Mobile Greetings application itself is available free of charge, though standard data rates may apply to download.

Consumers can also browse through the entire mobile greetings catalog free of charge, with no commitment to buy.

Ms. Schade: The hoops&yoyo iPhone app is free and was launched to build awareness of the hoops&yoyo brand.

Was this app release timed for Valentine?s Day? Any other mobile campaigns Hallmark is doing for the holiday?
Mr. Adams: Hallmark Mobile Greetings were launched in June 2009. We do have Valentine's Day Mobile Greetings.

Ms. Schade: We?re delighted that the app has been made available close to Valentine?s Day, which happens to be a popular time for the hoops&yoyo brand in general via print and electronic greeting cards, animations and beyond.