Mobile Groove

In this new series we bring you the best and brightest of the executives and contributors making the new International Journal of Mobile Marketing (IJMM) a must-read resource, beginning with Mihai Vlad, Head of Audience Management & Insight at Optism, who provides insights into the very human approaches proven to boost engagement between brands and the people who have opted in to receive their messages.

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People are mobile, and mobile is part of who they are. But mobile is not just a device. It’s our ‘default’ state. In a networked, wired-up world where 5.6 billion people are connected to each other by a mobile device, mobile also allows us

Children’s books are written with an important purpose in mind. Whether the publisher hopes to excite our imagination, touch our hearts, or simply make education fun, mobile must be part of the cross-media mix. Tego Interactive tells us why we shouldn’t limit your efforts to page-turning tools or technology aimed at creating a “wow” effect.

In fact, the greatest impact is the one publishers achieve by harnessing mobile to enhance interaction and deliver a personal touch.

Gina Otto …

Did Amazon’s Kindle Fire cost Apple some holiday iPad sales? Only Amazon knows. However, reports coming in over the last days indicate that Kindle Fire sales outpaced most analysts’ forecasts. What’s more, the new tablets device is seeing ad impressions grow at an average double-digit daily rate since its launch in the U.S. market in November, a data point that could mean the imminent release of the Kindle Fire in Europe could do more than burn up iPad sales. It may mark a seismic shift in how brands and sellers approach marketing in the mobile channel.

A raft of recent developments supports the observation that this device is indeed a game-changer, starting with buoyant sales numbers that have exceeded everyone’s expectations. Barclays analyst Anthony DiClemente (via All Things Digital) has upped his original estimate of 4.5 million units sold last quarter to 5.5 million. Piper Jaffray is convinced Amazon is on track to sell 10-12 million Kindle devices (Kindle and Kindle Fire), up from the initial estimate of 9 million units. Meanwhile, analyst Tavis McCourt at Morgan Keegan has downgraded his iPad sales forecasts for the quarter from 16 million units to 13 million. (Again, sales lost to Kindle Fire.)

Starbucks has quietly and cleverly executed a mobile strategy that has allowed it to become the largest mobile payment program in the U.S. (with plans to launch in the U.K. in January 2012). But enabling payments is just part of the picture. Lisa Ciangiulli recounts her own journey across Starbucks’ customer touch points to reveal the real secret of the company’s success: a respect for us (the customer) and a deep understanding of what we need on the move.

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My personal and professional lifestyles — mobile, multi-tasking mom and member of the Mobile Marketing Association Board, North

Mobile industry data points across 40+ countries, exclusive C-level interviews with over a dozen companies and organizations shaping our mobile future, three over-arching mobile mega-trends that define next year’s business agenda (and our society), and everything (!) you need to understand the state of mobile and prepare for the future.

True to its 10-year tradition the new Netsize Guide — titled Netsize Guide by Gemalto: Truly Mobile — offers us all this and more in one comprehensive industry resource, available from today for free download.

Who are the big-spenders in mobile advertising? In Q3 2011 the financial services sector jumped from third place in Q2 2011 to become the leading vertical in the U.S., ranked by mobile ad spend, followed by Entertainment, Retail & Restaurants, Telecoms and CPG (consumer packaged goods). Globally, finance placed number four.

This massive growth, with ad spend increasing over 356 percent year-over-year, confirms banks, insurance companies and credit card companies are aggressively usin…