Mobile Marketing » mobilegroove

Will 2012 be the year of mobile commerce? If this is indeed a momentous year for mobile retail and transactions of all kinds, then what will happen to the mix of payment options and players currently jockeying for position? Should we expect a showdown between credit card companies, carriers, banks, aggregators and the likes of PayPal? In the midst of all the massive growth and disruption will we see mega-acquisitions, or are all the companies that could achieve $10 billion+ price tags in the first place taken?

This week's m-pulse catches up with Chetan Sharma, independent consultant and well-known industry authority, to discuss mobile mega-trends and deep-dive into the results of the 2012 Mobile Industry Predictions Survey. Each year Chetan asks us —the mobile industry — to weigh in on the most newsworthy events and companies, as well as vote for the breakthrough categories, developments and technologies sure to define 2012.

Rob and I also discuss our pick of hot mobile news and data points. I rant about the disconnect between the mobile and retail readiness of luxury brands (lacking to say the least!) and our willingness (even requirement) to interact with luxury brands via our mobile phones and tablets.

The new edition of the International Journal of Mobile Marketing (IJMM) is live, chock-full of new content, features and research from contributors that (like all issues of this respected journal) quite simply sets the bar.

From a special section that expertly outlines the opportunities, challenges and attitudes around mobile marketing and advertising in India, to path-breaking research and models that harness our interaction with mobile social networks to drive frequency (and results!), this issue is the one if you are looking for a balanced mix of academic insights and practical business advice.

National Retail Federation Show, New York City: This week the old Javits Center in the New York hosted retail folk from across the U.S. and shed some light on a technology play that may define a new industry I call Retail 2.0.

Indeed, the reality of a connected shopping experience with smartphones at the center may not be far off. However, this show was proof to me that we have to get past our focus on technology (and B2B) and walk in the shoes of our customers (understanding that it's B2C that is really at the core). And, since it is about the shopper experience, it's clear that winning Retail 2.0 strategies will be the ones that bring CIOs and CMOs to the table.

Some of the smartest minds in mobile marketing and advertising recently gave their 2012 predictions for mobile during a webinar conducted by Mobile Marketer and sponsored by Hipcricket.

All speakers agreed that mobile plays a more central role in marketing, impacting people and influencing their actions throughout the purchase funnel (from awareness to conversion and commerce). However, there was a lack of consensus when it came to answering THE big question: how will mobile play out in 2012?

As more people purchase smartphones and tablets, increasing their access to the mobile Web and applications, advertisers are clamoring to engage them there. But the bigger challenge is how to deliver people advertising they are likely to appreciate because it ticks all the boxes. Tim Jenkins draws from his company's experience with Hartz, a U.S.-based maker of pet care products, to show how knowing people's offline behavior can vastly improve mobile advertising effectiveness.

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Mobile advertising is set to explode. Market research firm eMarketer predicts that mobile ad spending will increase 48 percent this year from $743.1 million in 2010 to $1.1 billion in 2011. That’s significant growth, but none of this projected spending will be effective if advertisers can’t reach the right people with the right types of ads on the right devices at the right times.