Mobile marketers are looking for countless ways to interrupt and modify user behavior, in much the way they have in other media for a century. They still only half-grasp how much mobility is tied up with people's sense of empowerment and self.

Marketing, in its purest form, tells a story -- ideally, a good story. However, the reception of the story, similar to the reception of a marketing campaign, can be highly subjective. A nail-biting account of the sudden death, come-from-behind win of the Super Bowl underdog will likely command a better reaction, and have a higher degree of engagement, when delivered at a sports bar than shared at a bridge club meeting. The customer response to marketing efforts, similar to the response to fairy tales and sports stories, can fluctuate greatly depending on the audience.

With user-generated content so rich and freely available online, straight marketing messages just aren't cutting it like they used to. Marketing must move into a participatory age where user-generated content sits at the center of the customer journey and brand Web sites emerge as social hubs in their own right. Marketers that recognize the true potential of social content will reap the benefits.

In its new Instagram campaign, Amex allows members to take over the feed for a day. The model recognizes that the real energy of mobile media is personal perspective and appreciation of moments.

The best marketing is based on relationships, which can truly encourage behavior and an emotional response in a way that banner ads, coupon offers and pop-up messages cannot. This is especially relevant in the mobile environment, where consumers have a deep and emotional relationship with their smartphones. They expect the experiences they engage with from publishers and advertisers to be equally tailored and relevant. The goal is to build the relationship through strong, relevant content and enable consumers to participate, thus enabling your brand to join the conversation.

In another scheme to pay consumers directly for their attention, a new platform will put cash in your PayPal account if you take an SMS message from political candidates. Can they actually pay us enough to voluntarily expose ourselves to more of this stuff?

As retail apps are increasingly accepted by consumers, it is imperative that retailers utilize beacons to retain customers, vie for their discretionary spending, and motivate them to return. Through the use of beaconing, retailers can obtain valuable data about consumer in-store experiences.

We are only beginning to understand the extent to which these devices are blending the functionality of media with that of real world tools. It is becoming an extension of ourselves in that classic McLuhanesque way: a method of asserting power and reach.

All our research suggests that people are spending more and more time on their mobile devices - searching, shopping, communicating, sharing, and gaming. But most take for granted the superior hardware inside our devices that enables us to perform these daily tasks in a seamless, fluid manner. A significant piece of hardware will be the key that unlocks more utility from both a consumer and advertising perspective: namely, sensors.

People are taking control of their TV experience and at the same time fleeing the desktop viewing experience about as fast as the bandwidth will keep up.