• by Cory Treffiletti , Featured Contributor, January 17, 2007

Mobile marketing has been on the precipice of becoming a viable medium for a number of years now, but one of the many implications of last week's Apple iPhone announcement is that the future is now rapidly approaching, and mobile will likely take a major jump forward within the next year.

If the iPhone meets or exceeds expectations and begins to sell at even a fraction of the success rate at which the iPod itself has sold, then more and more people will have an interface truly capable of displaying effective, impactful mobile advertising.

Beyond the iPod itself, we can expect other mobile handset providers to begin to radically change the interface for their products, which can only add to the opportunity for mobile marketing. The active touchpad interface, as potentially awesome as it is, is only one of many potential updates that will transform the handset into a completely new medium. You have to imagine that companies like Motorola, Nokia and Samsung are all bringing their engineers back to the drawing board to try and create something that will respond to the unveilings from Apple. It is not an overstatement to say that the iPhone interface makes all other cell phone operating systems outdated and obsolete.

The major problems have been that mobile marketing needed to function in a clunky, stagnant environment, through outdated WAP technology. The iPhone appears to shift the interface away from WAP and focus on the existing Web infrastructure, making the mobile device a much more dynamic opportunity to convey a message in a contextually relevant environment.

Also, the much-larger screen allows for the video interface that most advertisers thrive on. As we are witnessing the evolution of TV into Internet TV, we are seeing the opportunity for mobile TV and the advertising formats that are successful therein. What strides are being made in online video will now be applicable in the mobile arena, opening the doors for many mobile marketing companies that have been building for the iPod interface-- as well as those who had been building for the video interface seen on Verizon VCast and the other mobile carriers.

I must say, as well, that the integration of Yahoo, Google and other online properties directly into the interface is brilliant. There are tools each of them offer to consumers that are of significant value, such as Maps and e-mail and GPS, and not having to download and install them yourself makes it easier.

One of the major factors in the growth of any technology it its ease and comfort of use. It's obvious that Apple knows how to make things easier, assuring that we will see the point of entry lowered so that the "everyday Joe" can use them--once again pushing towards a world where digital tools are the centerpiece by which consumers develop their days.

Of course, Apple could mess this up. Its executives should take lessons from Sony and the Playstation 3 launch. They should make sure that there are enough iPhones to go around when they launch; make sure there are no obvious bugs; make sure that the critics have the opportunity to chime in; and then listen and respond to what critics have to say.

I am not a Mac guy, but I love Apple, and I am sure they will not make the same mistakes as Sony. Still, it's just a word to the wise. In the meantime, I am counting down the days until I can get my new iPhone (or whatever it will be called once Cisco is done suing Apple).

What do you think about the new iPhone?