• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, April 29, 2009

Zenith Media's K-Yun Steele thinks it's the best of times, but also the worst of times where client mobile marketing strategies are concerned.

He cited an anonymous "fashion" client as a worst of times scenario, noting that the client wanted to use mobile for a fahsion retail marketing effort, but hadn't thought out the implications, had no customer database to target them mobilely, and had a weak CRM system.

In the end Steele suggested the try retailing ring tones vs. fashion products.

Actually, that's what his best of times scenario client, Puma, did during the Beijing Olympics. Puma had a big Olympic sponsorship tie-in, and ran an outdoor campaign outside the Olympic stadium, enabling attendees to download the ring tones of their country's national anthem to show support during the Games.

"Mobile is a lot like Internet back in the day," Steele said, adding, "And internet had some pretty big trip-ups."