There is no simple answer to this question (as expected). However, over the past nine years, I have seen some common trends as to why mobile marketing is not being actively offered by media houses.
These can be summarised into the following:
It’s a matter of trust
The problem: The Mobile marketplace is very fragmented. Sourcing the right mobile partner is very time consuming in a market where media content providers over promise and under deliver resulting in unhappy clients.
The solution: There is a misconception that mobile is a new marketplace. This is incorrect. Mobile is NOT new. Mobile marketing has been around for many years and this channel has matured over this time.
Find a mobile partner with a track record. The mobile partner must be able to show you examples of work. Not in a ‘death-by-
Information and the lack thereof
The problem: Media planners lack consistent, accurate, quality information about what Dot Mobi can offer their clients. To make matters worse, even the sources of information seem not to agree on the various mobile aspects.
The solution: The mobile landscape is changing very fast – faster than the web. New opportunities, new facilities, new phones are evolving all the time (remember your first brick phone with a tiny screen and no colour?) Whilst the information might seem to be contradictory, it might not be. Your mobile partner should be able to walk you through this maze and understand how to deliver your client’s brand to the various phones – even the old ones!
(see above for choosing the right mobile partner)
Campaign measurement
The problem: Campaigns need to be measured. If this information is available at all, it is usually in a format that is confusing, not in line with industry standards and the agency spends the better part of the day trying to decode the report to see if it is successful or not.
The solution: Campaigns are measured in clickthrough rates – following the Internet model. However, for the mobile world, this is the wrong unit of measurement. Mobile marketing is all about creating brand awareness and engaging with the consumer – not about clickthrough rates to the products home page.
Mobile is about a captive audience, viral marketing and an engaging experience.
No money in it
The problem: Media agencies charge based on media buys. Therefore, by comparison with traditional media (TV, radio, print), mobile marketing is not profitable for the agencies.
The solution: Typically an agency would charge the client a percentage of the media spend and provide the consulting time free of charge. For mobile marketing, agencies will need to adapt their thinking and learn how to charge for the mobile consulting time as well as the mobile marketing spend.
Agencies are constantly under pressure to provide their clients with the latest and best new thing. Mobile is the answer – and it attracts the related expertise charge that comes along with it.
Mobile advertising is a growing channel that is accessible at all levels of media campaigns.
Mobile phones, by their nature, are always on and always with the consumer providing far more opportunities for interaction compared to TV or the internet.
Your consumers are mobile – are you?
