by Steve Smith on Jun 30, 6:38 PM
Your view on things changes according to the lens you use. In the case of Friday's conference we tried to swap out the usual perspective on startup new media. Instead of the familiar cant about the sexy new technology, the revolution in marketing it might represent, we tried to bring in a more sober view. Through the lens of media planning generally, mobile still looks microscopic. As Joe Mandese noted in the first panel with agency executives, MAGNA reports that mobile marketing spend didn't even crack $200 million this year, barely "a rounding error" Joe said. Again and …
by Laurie Petersen on Jun 29, 4:08 PM
A 9-member panel of 17-and 18-year-olds at OMMA Mobile said the iPhone has to hit a $300 price point to make it something they would consider buying.
by Laurie Petersen on Jun 29, 3:56 PM
Pfizer is having some terrific success using mobile for its Lipitor cholesterol drug. Nihal Mehta, CEO of ipSH said mobile coupon redemption rates are running 55%. The way the program works is posters at doctors' offices carry a call-in number. Consumers dial into to a voice message system and get a text message back on their phone with a coupon code. Going to any pharmacist nationwide and showing the phone coupon gets the recipient a 30-day sample of Lipitor for free. Beside some pharmacists in the Midwest "freaking out," the cmapign has been a tremendous success, Mehta says. …
by Laurie Petersen on Jun 29, 3:07 PM
Lots of interesting stuff at the metrics session. Nicholas Covey from Nielsen Wireless says that in May people watching video on a cellphone watched 25% less traditional TV than the general population. Covey says Nielsen should be introducing a new product next month on the TV viewing behavior of mobile consumers. That behavior varies by carrier. Meanwhile, he said the Nielsen acquisition of Telephia should close in the 3rd quarter but look for merged data sets before then. The deal should allow Nielsen to really get at some of the 3 screen questions, he said. Jupiter Research …
by Tameka Kee on Jun 29, 2:43 PM
Mobile search isn't only about the mobile Web, it's about voice search too. According to Bryan Kreuzberger of Jingle Networks, the #1 info request on 1-800-FREE-411 is for restaurants, the #2 is for hotels ... and some 300K users search for Walmart in any given month! Ad-supported mobile search is growing rapidly, with Microsoft, Google and other major companies eyeing the space -- but Jingle's 1 800 FREE 411 has been at the forefront.
by Laurie Petersen on Jun 29, 2:08 PM
Third Screen Media today officially added the AOL properties and is working with Advertising.com to integrate as well. It immediately adds to TSM's 34.86 reach, and adds 160 sales people internationally.
by Laurie Petersen on Jun 29, 2:04 PM
Amobee won the mobile ad network shootout of 7 ad network providers. Roger Wood, SVP and general manager, wins an iPhone (once MediaPost gets its hands on one). Wood said one of the challenges facing the mobile industry is the inability at this time to make one big media buy in one fell swoop. "If you wanted to, you couldn't buy up all the inventory on a carrier. You can't buy up a title. You have to find a way to make a quilt (through multiple media buys). It's not a tapestry yet."
by Tameka Kee on Jun 29, 11:53 AM
Heidi Lehmann of Third Screen Media broke down the numbers for the four main types of mobile usage: SMS, WAP, Downloadable Apps and Video.
by Gavin O'Malley on Jun 29, 11:09 AM
Mobile: Marketer's dream or nightmare? It all depends on execution, said panelists on the "In Which Pocket Does Mobile Fit?" session.
by Laurie Petersen on Jun 29, 10:42 AM
Mobile phones are growing in importance as a tool for "boredom relief," said Angela Steele, mobile activation director for Starcom Worldwide. "Consumers have lost the ability to idle."