Commentary

MMA Goes Deep With Its Definition

the thinker/mobile

Mobile marketing is tough enough without having to struggle to define it. The term itself is self-explanatory, right? Like long-haul trucking or indoor plumbing. Apparently not. To clear up any confusion, the Mobile Marketing Association has helpfully released a new definition of the term, which it describes as:

"A set of practices that enables organizations to communicate and engage with their audience in an interactive and relevant manner through any mobile device or network."

Wait, now you really are getting confused? Don't worry, MMA has a deeper explanation of the definition. In a release issued yesterday during its Mobile Marketing Forum in Los Angeles, the trade group says the key lies in the "two parts of its taxonomy." Uh oh. Get out your notebook.

1. "The 'set of practices' includes "activities, institutions, processes, industry players, standards, advertising and media, direct response, promotions, relationship management, CRM, customer services, loyalty, social marketing, and all the many faces and facets of marketing."

How can a set of practices include "institutions" and "industry players?" And what's the difference between "faces" and "facets?" I'd like further clarification on that. But on to the second part of the elaboration:

2. "To 'engage' means to "start relationships, acquire, generate activity, stimulate social interaction with organization and community members, [and] be present at time of consumers expressed need. Furthermore, engagement can be initiated by the consumer ('Pull' in form of a click or response) or by the marketer ('Push').

Thoroughly perplexed? Sorry, that's all the MMA has on the meaning of mobile marketing. If you want further elucidation, you'll have to follow up directly with the organization.

5 comments about "MMA Goes Deep With Its Definition".
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  1. James Briggs from Briabe Media, November 18, 2009 at 2:16 p.m.

    How about: Advertising practices that leverage mobile devices such as cellular phones, media players, cameras, etc., attached to a wireless network to engage and interact with consumers or businesses.

  2. Adam Kaufman from PinPoint Local, November 18, 2009 at 2:33 p.m.

    How About developing a definition that makes sense and speaks to marketers and not down to them. This definition scares away $$ it does not attract it.

  3. Brian Gupton from Vitrue, November 18, 2009 at 2:34 p.m.

    I suspect that the definition is purposefully expansive. Mobile devices are very quickly becoming the central hub for all of our activity. As mobile phones are replaced by "smart" phones and ultimately mobile devices I suspect we will see the mobile device as our transportable identity, moving seemlessly across channels & platforms. There is a lot of value from a marketing standpoint in this transformation. More importantly, there is a lot of consumer value in this evolution too.

  4. Kim Dushinski from Mobile Marketing Profits, November 18, 2009 at 2:35 p.m.

    I just wrote a post about this today too because I thought their definition was pretty good. But seeing their deeper thoughts actually makes it more confusing.

    Here's my take on the new definition:
    What is Mobile Marketing Anyway?
    http://mobilemarketingprofits.com/1471/what-is-mobile-marketing-anyway/

  5. Howie Goldfarb from Blue Star Strategic Marketing, November 18, 2009 at 5:30 p.m.

    DUDE! My head is swimming LOL. I think the MMA has some inherent bias through no fault of their own. The association exists due to revenues/dues paid by its members. So the broader the scope of the description allows it to try to encompass as wide an array of potential members as possible. I think it would be more important for the MMA to state what they do and the value they bring to the table vs trying to define mobile.

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