January 14, 2008

DIVERSIFICATION WILL PROTECT ADVERTISING SERVICES FOR MOBILE 1.0

Disruptive Technologies is an old phrase mostly used with the Mobile Industry. Recently it has been springing up again to describe challenges facing Web 2.0 and Mobile 1.0. It is a bit early to tell what the “disruptive technologies” will be for the advancing Mobile Advertising Industry, but if I were to name one that would most interest me, it would be the emergence of “people powered software (lifted from Owen Van Natta).” We see how these new applications are affecting the Social Networking Sites, from interactive games to applications that collate and share your favorite music. Software designers are finding more and more ways of entertaining themselves. What is interesting is that this software makes up the backbone of the “web within the web.” This new interactive universe is implanted in our computers and phones, touching our personal lives, desires, and dreams. The public craves an interactive and personal experience.

Presently there is limited software for the mobile world but it is certainly growing in leaps and bounds. I can see an age where the web and phone are fully integrated: Between seamlessly calling on Skype via WIFI to a mobile device or computer, you will be living your Halflife counterpart while on the train or receiving links to promotions you are interested in on your phone and PC. Business networking and introductions will be done through sites like Facebook and Myspace and you will find common friends and hobbies through referrals and software link ups. Similarly, for those of us looking to reach into the advertising potential of this short-term future, emerging advertising software holds the key.

We are starting to see the emergence of creative advertising outlets that aim at tapping this highly personalized and sensitive demographic. What started as corporate RBT advertisements has transformed into innovative concepts like what is hatching through 3G or failed attempts like Beacon. Regardless, the advertising groups that will survive Mobile 1.0 are those that can develop a platform, which represents and develops a myriad of these smaller services.

The slow transition of Skype from the PC world to the Mobile world is a good example of why it may take a bit of time. Technological issues aside, we have larger industry players that are as of yet unsure of how to master such emerging technologies and thus apprehensive of change. To expedite this transition, advertising companies need to provide brands with several outlets to reach the consumer—outlets that are interactive and complimentary, attacking on different levels yet broadcasting the same brand image/message. To win and survive Mobile 1.0, one needs to diversify.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the insight Mr. Jolly Jetsetter! You seem well-versed about the industry. By the way, am really curious about the creative advertising outlets that you think advertisers should consider. Of course, we will never stray from tri-media advertising but I have to admit that it's not refreshing. Advertising thru the internet, SMS and MMS is in but not really new. Are there other viable ad services that we can look into like the one you wrote about - AdTag??

The Jolly Jetsetter said...

Plenty, although there will be a lot of jostling before we see if any of them become main stream. If you are looking to spend in new advertising media, but not sure where to turn, the safest place to start would be service with well defined metrics to track your Ad-spend. AdTag can do this, as do many online companies (Look at Yellow Wasp), Ad-Phone and this new Zun seem to be offering similar products, though I am not convinced on the latter. If you are going to be a pioneer ad-spender, then the least you can get back is a detailed report of where your money went and what you got back for it!