Twitter has announced today that it will buy ZipDial - a mobile marketing company from India that specialises in 'missed call marketing' - for between €25m and €35m.

ZipDial turns the most basic features of mobile phones (text messages, voice calls, and basic internet services) into lucrative marketing platforms.

Missed calls are very popular in a lot of emerging markets. They can be used to indicate that you are at a meeting place, or to tell family members that you are okay - without having to pay for a phone call.

The company offers services where brands can advertise phone numbers for people to give missed calls to, in order to enter competitions, to get coupons, or to receive special content, like recorded messages from actors and comedians - or live scores from sporting events.

Its clients include Twitter, Facebook, Disney, Unilever, Gillette and Amazon.

Unilever's Keith Weed discusses 'missed call' marketing with the Guardian

Once users have given their number to the company they can build a database that they can use for future mobile marketing campaigns.

2014 was the year that Twitter's followers caught up with, and surpassed the micro-blogging site - with platforms like Instagram ending the year with more active users.

This acquisition will give Twitter an inside track on analysing consumer behaviour in these emerging markets. It also welcomed Jessica Verrilli to the company - the founder and CEO of ZipDial - who is sure to offer the company new insights on how to position itself in emerging markets.