Hearst Magazines Digital Media, a unit of Hearst Magazines, partnered with ShopText to deliver text messaging services to its magazine audience.

With ShopText's technology, readers of Hearst titles including Cosmopolitan, CosmoGirl, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, O, The Oprah Magazine and Seventeen will be able to buy products, request free samples or enter sweepstakes directly from the pages of the magazine.

"Our mobile strategy is to provide delightful solutions on-the-go that make your life easier," said Sophia Stuart, director of mobile at Hearst Magazines Digital Media, New York.

"We do this through our nine mobile sites, our [Verizon Wireless] V Cast mobile video channels and through SMS," she said.

"The deal with ShopText will enable all readers of our magazines and users of our dot-com sites to interact straight from the page or screen using their mobile phone.

Users sign up to ShopText and can then participate in sampling, sweepstakes and other opportunities throughout the Hearst brands, she said.

CosmoGirl magazine has been working with ShopText since summer 2006 and has seen high response from readers who have requested samples and bought directly from the pages of the magazine using the ShopText platform.

Based on the program's success, the publisher is expanding the service to several other titles in its portfolio.

"Our advertisers are always looking for new and innovative ways to get closer to our readers in print and users online and in mobile," Ms. Stuart said.

"Our relationship with ShopText enables our advertisers to offer product samples and merchandise direct to our consumers in the pages of our magazines or online in a simple, direct and delightful way -- via their mobile phones.

"Our readers are always looking for new ways to make their lives easier," she said. "What could be easier than seeing a product you love in one of our titles and, when seeing the ShopText logo nearby, being able to send an SMS on your mobile to order or get a sample sent to you direct."