• by Ben Frederick  @mp_benfred, January 12, 2016

netTALK, a telecom provider announced a partnership with Tapjoy, a monetization platform and ad network, to provide free international calls on smartphones in exchange for viewing an ad.

NetTALK’s CONNECT Talk app, both the Android and iOS versions, allows users to earn in-app currency that can be redeemed for phone calls to landlines or mobile devices nationally or internationally.

Rewarded ads are a popular format: 56% of game developers say they use them, according to eMarketer, and they are growing in use in other verticals, such as messenger apps and communications apps. The format allows ads to be entirely opt-in and, marketers hope, creates a positive brand experience for the user.

Nicholas Kyriakides, COO, netTALK, stated that his company wanted to make sure  their customers never had to pay for another monthly phone bill again.

“Consumers have clearly shown that they want mobile content and services to be free, and they are much more willing to engage with ads to earn that content than they are to pay for it,” stated Rob Barnett, head of strategic partnerships at Tapjoy.

On mobile, users despise being interrupted in-app or on the Web, however, those interruptions don’t make ads any less effective. But they can create a negative brand impact. Rewarded ads, offering paid or premium app content for free in exchange for allowing the app to monetize, work as a middle path for advertisers looking to avoid negative reactions.