Commentary

Mary 'Queen of Mobile' Meeker Back With New Data

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 In her latest presentation on the mobile sector delivered at a Google event today, former Morgan Stanley analyst Mary Meeker again employed a barrage of charts and figures to make the case for exploding opportunity in the space.

When it comes to mobile advertising, her report acknowledges that so far it's been difficult for mobile publishers to build consistent ad-based revenue because of "lumpy" buys and the need for premium advertisers. At the same time, it points out that the efficacy of mobile advertising is higher than in other types of media across measures like reach, targeting and engagement.

The report also notes new and more powerful ad units are rolling out quickly and that many brands are now testing mobile campaigns. The presentation in particular highlights branded virtual goods and sponsorships -- including page takeovers -- as promising marketing vehicles in mobile.

The report also suggests that smartphones can make TV interactive through video content or ads that include mobile coupons or the ability to click to learn more about products. The same marketing logic would apply to tablets even more, since they closely parallel PC screens.

In the realm of mobile commerce, Meeker, now a partner at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, argues that the medium is "revolutionizing" retail with constant product improvements. Innovations include location-based services, the ability to do instant price comparisons, discounted offers and "immediate gratification." In this case, that means being able do get digital content delivered over-the-air instantly.

As examples, the report points to shopping apps from companies like Shopkick, ShopSavvy and Groupon that drive traffic to physical stores. At the same time, Meeker is bullish on the virtual goods market, expected to grow from a roughly $1 billion business in 2009 to more than $2 billion this year. That total spans transactions for things like in-game currency, subscription codes, virtual gifts and accessing new game levels.

The slide presentation also covers other familiar factors driving the growth of mobile including social networking, the proliferation of smartphones, the rapid rise of Android, and the role of Apple in popularizing mobile apps. The effect of flipping through the avalanche of data is to make the triumph of mobile as a media and commercial platform seem all but inevitable.

But as highlighted yesterday with complaints about "The Daily" iPad app, execution remains a key to delivering wider audiences on mobile devices. No one cares that News Corp. spent $30 million to launch "The Daily" if it crashes every time they try to use it.

The same goes for any other show, movie, book or shopping tool delivered on mobile devices. If the user experience isn't simple and easy, the lofty numbers predicted for sales and audiences in all those charts won't materialize.

2 comments about "Mary 'Queen of Mobile' Meeker Back With New Data".
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  1. Tom Bowman from BBC Worldwide, February 11, 2011 at 6:42 a.m.

    Meeker's presentation re-emphasises the extent to which the internet is a revolutionary influence on the world we thought we knew. It reminds me that it was once observed that revolutions often have quite unexpected outcomes.

  2. Fj Rich from chase media group, February 11, 2011 at 6:51 p.m.

    Good stuff. One question: how will Main St retailers take advantage of mobile technology to draw local customers to them?

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