Why Mobile Marketing Can't Be Ignored...

Marketing Campaigns Certain to Be Branded "Arcane" if Fail to Implement Mobile Component?

With mobile penetration now exceeding the similar penetration of home internet, cable and computers, marketers who ignore the most pervasive communications tool do so at their own peril.

Yes, the mobile phone offers unrivalled potential in terms of reach, personal impact and dialogue. With most countries reaching a nearly 100obile penetration (or more!) shouldn't each or at least more campaigns not have a mobile component? Soon, we expect, if a campaign doesn't have a short code to advertise or a mobile application to promote, it might risk alienating customers across all demographics. After all, the mobile device plays a prominent role in modern life - more so than the television and radio. Users of all ages - the blackberry toting demographic to the Sidekick toting pre-teen - increasingly expect to use their mobile phone for dynamic and multi-functional purposes.

So to ignore the mobile component might be like sabotaging the last decade's investments in the All-Ways On, Connected lifestyle. Mobile marketing is the only personal channel enabling spontaneous, direct, interactive and targeted communications any time, any place. Marketers must embrace the anytime connectivity offered by the mobile phone NOW.

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And it's fun - here's an example:

The "Love God Singapore" Movement came to our agency in Singapore with a very particular brief. It said visits in our churches are down, can you help make God popular again.

And so the agency did with a multi-media campaign at the heart of which was the mobile phone. The campaign included billboards that said "I am here. God", and a bus that said "Please don't drink and drive, you're not quite ready to meet me yet." Apples were distributed that carried messages like "I grew this apple especially for you. God". More traditional media were used such as print ads that said: "Of course I have a sense of humour. I gave you baboons with bright red asses, didn't I?".

And through all of these message people were invited to subscribe to receive text messages from God. And the first SMS arrived on a Friday and said:"Thank me, it's Friday." And on Saturday God SMS-ed: "Coming over to my place tomorrow?"

Mobile advertising is both a reality today and a NECESSITY tomorrow. It seems what is keeping this up is the lack of confidence of advertisers and agencies.

Hence, a bunch of WPP folks, after sharing a few interesting mobile cases with you, would love to invite you to discuss the opportunities in mobile for advertisers, the insights in what makes great mobile marketing/advertising and most importantly, how to overcome the challenges to do/sell more mobile to advertisers.

Your facilitators will be:

• Nitzan Yaniv - Amobee
• Thomas Fellger - IconMobile
• Steve Griffiths - IconMobile
• Uri Admon - Dyuna Blue
• Mike Dodds - OgilvyOne
• Patou Nuytemans - Ogilvy Group

Add your name (and home country) here to join this discussion:

Name	Country
Thomas Fellger	Germany
Nitzan Yaniv	UK
Adam Valkin	UK, South Africa
Mike Dodds	OgilvyOne UK
Patou Nuytemans	Ogilvy Group EAME
Stephane De Langhe	B
Steve Griffiths	UK
Odysseas Ntotsikas	thinkdigital, S.E. Europe