• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, July 24, 2013

Mobile industry veteran Michael Becker has joined London-based mobile agency Somo as marketing development and strategic advisor for North America in its San Francisco office. In that capacity, he will focus on evangelizing the potential of mobile marketing across industry categories.
 
It’s a familiar role for Becker, who for the last three years has served as managing director, North America at the Mobile Marketing Association. His nearly 10-year affiliation with the trade organization also includes serving on its global and regional boards and founding various MMA committees and publications like the Journal of Mobile Marketing.
 
In 2004, Becker also co-founded iLoop Mobile, which was subsequently merged with Lenco Mobile to form Archer, a Seattle-based provider of mobile messaging services.
 
At Somo -- whose clients include Microsoft, Groupon, Red Bull and BP -- Becker said he’ll help companies “understand how to achieve results with mobile marketing, and understand the direction the mobile marketing world is headed.”
 
He said the move would also allow him to focus on his own research into personal data clouds and how consumers will directly monetize and exchange their personal information with the marketplace. Becker will also continue to be involved with the MMA as a North America board member and advisor.
 
In addition to his other work, he has also authored several books including Mobile Internet for Dummies, Reinventing Direct Marketing, and Mobile Marketing for Dummies, and is an adjunct professor of mobile marketing at National University.