The mobile is indispensable today. We carry it everywhere. We use it to talk, click pictures, listen to music. It is with us all the time.
To the advertisers this very personal medium is an attractive way to reach out to each and every consumer.
But this advertising channel has to be used effectively for it to have the right effect on the consumers.
Here we present a sampling of the views being expressed on Mobile Advertising by thought leaders in this area. If you know other articles which should be here please do let us know. We hope to keep adding other articles to this set here.
Attractive Channel
Christopher Mills in his blog “Mobile Marketing – Why It Works” says it works because of the convenience of the channel, the ability to reach the right audience, and the personal nature of the medium.
Adith Charlie in his article “Going the M-Ad Way” quotes a study that says that mobile advertising may surpass other digital media like internet.
Graham Jarvis in the article “Advertising: Mobile Marketing Conversion Rates” argues that the conversion rates possible in the mobile medium are better than any other. Further this medium offers unsurpassed interactivity between the consumer and advertiser.
The mobile advertising thought leadership meeting pondered “Mobile Advertising: Will Hype Give Way to Real Business in 2008?” and concluded that real businesses will have to start taking note of this medium.
What may not work?
Christine Thompson in her blog “Mobile Advertising – Who Wants It?” lists out why the current intrusive advertising models being used by mobile marketers don’t work.
Rene Millman’s post “Mobile Spam Alienating Phone Users” points to a survey that says 2/3 of users are upset by the spam they get from their telecoms.
Marc Meyer in his blog “Mobile Marketing Won’t Work Until…” says accessibility on the mobile is the main issue to be tackled before it gains acceptance.
What may work?
L. Venkata Subramaniam in his article “Advertisers to Vie for that Two Square Inch Space On Your Mobile Handset” points out that users accept advertisements on their mobile handsets in return for free applications and media on their handsets.
The result of a poll on 1000+ mobile phone users is presented in this article titled “50% of Phone Users Find Mobile Advertising ‘Favorable’.” People are especially favorable if the advertising is paying for a free service.
Atanu Dey in his blog “A Bit on Mobile Advertising” wonders whether the economies of mobile phones will one day make it possible to pay for the mobile services one uses through advertising (like on TV, newspapers etc.)
Marc Meyer in his blog “Mobile Marketing, Are You Ready?” predicts that the mobile search model will work in a big way.
Boudewijn Pesch in his column “Mobile Advertising – The Million Dollar Question?” says turning mobile advertising into a viable business model is simple if you develop deep understanding and capability in mobile advertising, customer intelligence, profiling and mobile telecoms domains.
Alexander Van Elsas in his blog “2o Bln Reasons to Get Advertisements Right” challenges advertisers to find good models other than mobile search to draw the attention of the user and provide value.
Marc Meyer in his blog “A Word to Mobile Marketers: Dumb it Down” lays down some simple steps that mobile site developers should follow.
The CellSerf Way
This brings us back to where CellSerf fits in all this. CellSerf is a free application for the users. It is paid for by non-intrusive, targeted, interactive advertising. And that’s what makes it attractive to both the user and the advertiser!
