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NMA ON MOBILE

Now's the time to be a mobile specialist

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 | By Justin Pearse

The mobile internet is still a scary place. Not for consumers, who are flocking to mobile sites, but for brands and media companies.

They know they should get on this bandwagon but find the jump terrifying. And it is, to the extent it makes that other hottest of digital disciplines, social media, pale in comparison.

While understanding the need for agencies to profess understanding of social media to gain credibility with clients, the increasing siloing of what is a fundamental part of online marketing is doing the industry no favours.

The proliferation of social media agencies and experts is becoming increasingly bemusing. Let’s be honest, there are no unique skills or experience in social media. If you can plan, buy or create digital media, then you instinctively understand social media.

It’s different in mobile. While every agency will profess to understand mobile media, few do. Mobile is very technically complex. A child can launch a Facebook page but you need a lot of hard-won experience and technical ability to be able to launch a mobile site that runs across myriad competing platforms, handsets and operators.

This is why it’s unsurprising to find in a recent industry survey that most publishers still view mobile media as a significant challenge for the year ahead.

Apple may have helped kick mobile content further towards the mainstream, and for most publishers getting an app out has been pretty straightforward. Once that first step has been taken, though, publishers soon discover that planning a mobile strategy to reach the entire mobile population is a logistical nightmare.

This is why mobile start-ups continue to both launch and be needed. The nma Marketing Services Guide 2010, published in April, again has a record number of entries from mobile specialists. There has never been a better time to be a mobile specialist. I’m not sure the same can be said about social media.

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Readers' comments (10)

  • Robin Batt | Thu, 11 Mar 2010 3:48 pm

    You're right, but it's not the fragmentation / multiple device issue on its own that's the issue (and there's a lot being done to address that).

    It's the fact that the landscape and technology is moving so fast it's a moving target.

    It's like 1996-2000 when online content became open and there was a land grab to lead in the Internet - and figure out partnerships, products, business models, advertising etc that would make it function.

    Mobile is the next mass media, and it's anyone's game whose going to lead in this space.

    The Open Mobile Summit goes some way to address this by providing a snapshot of the space 'at this moment in time'. http://www.openmobilesummit.com

    Robin

    At the open mobile summit we try to provide a snapshot of that landscape 'at this moment in time' by putting all the bigwigs of the key players a the room together. Take a look at http://www.openmobilesummit.com

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  • Paul Russell | Thu, 11 Mar 2010 3:56 pm

    I believe more UK brands are now preparing for mobile. As a platform It has to prove it will make the Brand money. We developed the Interflora mcommerce site last year and we have now just launched the Thorntons mcommerce site.

    Opting for a browser based solution supporting traffic from both apps and mobile search. These site convert mobile visits into revenue and increase brand awareness and turnover.

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  • Henry Elliss | Thu, 11 Mar 2010 4:12 pm

    My main sticking point with this comparison is thus:

    "A child can launch a Facebook page but you need a lot of experience and hard-won technical ability to be able to launch a mobile site that runs across myriad competing platforms, handsets and operators."

    A child may well be able to launch a Facebook page, but that massively belittles what's actually involved in a successful and well-thought-out social media campaign. In less than a years time there will be open-source platforms that also allow children to create iPhone apps or Mobile websites, but there will still be a massive difference between that child's app and the "site that runs across myriad competing platforms, handsets and operators". The same is obviously true of Facebook pages, and even making that comparison does a dis-service to social media campaigns...

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  • Liz Wilson | Thu, 11 Mar 2010 4:18 pm

    'Let’s be honest, there are no unique skills or experience in social media.'

    I'm not convinced this statement is entirely true. Unique skills, OK, aside from patience, tenacity, a lot of common sense, you're probably right, these certainly aren't unique skills.

    However, experience is a different beast - anyone remember the Habitat intern saga?! That's what you get when you put an inexperienced person ion charge of a social platform this is, in fact, incredibly powerful.

    Neil Potter
    Albion London

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  • Joe | Thu, 11 Mar 2010 4:21 pm

    "A child can launch a Facebook page but you need a lot of experience and hard-won technical ability to be able to launch a mobile site that runs across myriad competing platforms, handsets and operators."

    Sounds like it was potentially written by an idiot unfortunately. Good points Henry. A child creating a page in Facebook isn't the same as a brand creating an engaging platform which appeals to a mass amount of consumers and drives them to purchase.

    Mobile is in a very good place, finally, but pedantic comments like the one above only seem to show that its currently being managed by tunnel-visioned fools.

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  • justin pearse | Thu, 11 Mar 2010 4:36 pm

    Yes, you're all right. Of course a child can't launch a compelling branded Facebook page. It was a huge exaggeration to highlight the issue of hype once again in this industry.

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  • Jason Cross | Thu, 11 Mar 2010 4:55 pm

    I think they key piece of this article is this:

    "It’s different in mobile. While every agency will profess to understand mobile media, few do. Mobile is very, very technically complex."

    BUT this doesn't mean it's not possible to create and implement some amazingly engaging and powerful campaigns or *complement* engaging and creative campaigns with a mobile channel

    Just because it's complicated, doesn't make it impossible or a budget-breaker - but you do need to engage specialists who understand the technology so that the big campaign idea can be implemented in a way that all your customers can access and engage with (not just the minority who happen to have an iPhone!!)

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  • Damien Saunders | Thu, 11 Mar 2010 8:44 pm

    Mobile is the answer - its one of the most integrated marketing channels we have right now

    voice, text, sms, email, internet, branded games, apps ... that makes it a pretty complete channel.

    Every agency should make mobile a priority (which means i'm looking for work) ...

    the best thing right now is to check your mobile SEO is working along with mobile adwords (and then think about how mobile is going to work for you)

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  • S.Jones | Fri, 12 Mar 2010 2:09 pm

    Okay people ...

    All stay cool here !

    This thread is running riot already.

    You all have made valid points..no brownie points scored on any of the submitted comments.

    Facts
    Mobile application completes the current state of telecommunication across existing multi forms of communication - inegrated marketing channels right now. Mobile phones is the missing puzzle .

    Until of course another technology is introduced to add to the current communication tools and platforms in the future.

    With the speed of consumers owning mobile handsets and the in flock of downloading savvy Apps application (with the birth of social media ) - this is good news for everyone.i.e. for consumers, businesses and advertisers.

    These days everyone wants to keep in touch in real time with just about every aspect of their lives whether its for business , pleasure and lifestyle in general.The mobile phone handsets delivers on all of the above points 24 x 7, 365 days of the year.

    I have seen an increase in investment by businesses and brands-advertisers now beginiing to warm up to mobile marketing - targetting existing consumers and prospective target audience through mobile marketing ..more brands have their own Mobile websites .

    To boost this rapid development more and more mobile and internet providers have incorporated accessing websites through the use of mobile handsets.

    The Far East are way ahead of the UK in incorporating smart marketing technology.


    Compared to other countries , the UK is still far behind in maxmising the full potential of mobile technology.

    But there are signs already that UK brands are embracing the full potential of mobile marketing - its the future - SMART MOBILE MARKETING is here to stay and combined with MOBILE PAYMENT for purchase of goods and services by just entering a password to make a purchase using a mobile handset - the future is exciting for mobile specialists.

    There will be a great demand in the job market to hire mobile specialists ...

    For technology is for ever changing and it is never static...

    Everyone will have to step up their game, in what is a very competitive market to survive the battle of using mobile technology.

    Integrated marketing channles is about engaging with consumers on the move in real time - this is what the mobile technology and mobile marketing is about.

    (Reference to Damien Saunders) comments .
    I totally agree with your valid points. - Well said..

    Mobile is the answer..

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  • Martin Wilson | Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:17 am

    I agree that there is a real need to engage mobile specialists – that is why Indigo102 is in business.

    Many today get too distracted by the hype of mobile – drawn into the device and technology, the execution –rather than focusing on the strategic aspect of why the mobile channel is important and what it can offer.

    An extract from a recent post:

    “ORGANISATIONS need to understand that mobile is VERY different. The DEVICE; personal, a communication medium, lifestyle orientated….CONSUMER; perceives to be paying, never reads a manual, typically wants something, patience and tolerance is far less.
    STRATEGY needs to be returned to the forefront. Forget the COOL, the PLATFORM, the TECHNOLOGY, the DEVICE – they come later, at the point of EXECUTION. The important part is to get the OFFER, the consumer PROPOSITION right FIRST.”

    For increasing numbers brands and certainly most media companies mobile should start to feature. Get it wrong can be costly in terms of reputation and money.

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