Mobile Groove

In the app store space, social conversations and connections can mean the difference between notoriety and obscurity for apps on offer. In this scenario it makes good business sense for mobile operators (and app store owners) to improve content discovery, allowing consumers to rate, recommend and gift products to their friends just like Amazon does.

But why limit that approach to storefronts and app stores?

Mobile operators can refine this approach to insert themselves at the center of our social media exchange, a trusted position that is the cornerstone of a sustainable business.

The meteoric rise in the number of connected devices and the advance of hardware and software products by providers including Google and Apple to leverage the three screens – mobile, TV and Internet— has whet consumers’ appetites for new and connected experiences that deliver us content across time, place and platforms.

Indeed, 2010 has turned out to be the year for multi-screen content services and – more importantly – for multi-purpose applications and solutions that allow consumers to call the shots. Nielsen Three Screen Report – a regular analysis from Nielsen’s Cross-Platform Audience Measurement initiative to analyze consumer behavior –reveals a steady climb in the number of Americans that use the Internet (in many cases accessing the Web on their smartphones) and their TV simultaneously. As Nielsen observes: “New mobile devices and enhanced TV quality allow viewers to engage in more content than ever before.”

In-brief: An in-depth look at the pivotal role of personalization and some excerpts from a recent briefing with Sidebar, a company that combines conversation (via text), personalization (via algorithms and recommendations) and exposes the results to us (via smart menus) to help operators, content owners and media companies get the right stuff (apps, content, marketing) in front of the right people.

Personalization – being able to present individuals with mobile content, services, apps and experiences that are in tune with their profiles and preferences – is shaping up to be the factor that separates a successful sales/marketing pitch from a FAIL.

In brief: The Meffy awards, the 10th annual MEM Conference (the Mobile Entertainment Market), and the release of a new must-read Smart Enablers Guide outlining how everyone can/must work together to deliver a good consumer experience and streamline payment. The last weeks have seen a flurry of activity and announcements around the Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF) – the global trade body for the mobile media and entertainment industry. I discuss the key takeaways and progress made with Rimma Perelmuter, MEF Executive Director.

A raft of announcements and events from the Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF) signals a new level of excitement and activity in the global mobile media industry. From the advance of smartphones and app stores to the widespread recognition that service enablers (offered by mobile operators and handset makers) are essential to the health and wealth of the entire business ecosystem, the industry is in a new phase of development and mindset. As Rimma Perelmuter, MEF Executive Director, puts it: “There’s a real sense in this $36 billion global industry that we are at a new stage of innovation. We’re seeing consumers around the world using their mobile phones as their key point of access to content and media, and the industry is evolving to make that user experience one that is more engaging and more holistic.”

In brief: MSG kicks off a new series showcasing must-read sites and resources with a look at VisionMobile, a premier destination for mobile industry market analysis and advisory services. The new report, Mobile developer Economics 2010 and Beyond, based on a survey of 400+ developers, provides a wide range of insights into what developers demand and how the industry must respond.

The advance of the app store changes all the rules. But who would have thought that the arrival of this new business ecosystem would shift the balance so blatantly in favor of new platforms (primarily Android and Apple) and new players (Google)?

In brief: Kicking off a podcast series on mobile marketing with views from companies across what I’m calling the engagement ecosystem. Over the next weeks we’ll hear from brands, agencies, consumers – the works. The focus: approaches and strategies aimed at turning the one-off sales pitch into an ongoing conversation. As Dan Parker, CEO of the mobile and digital marketing agency Sponge, puts it – it’s all about turning annoying advertising into a service people will accept and appreciate.

Give the people what they want? On traditional media – such as TV – it’s a guessing game. But on a fiercely personal device such as the mobile phone, brands can start a conversation (using SMS or MMS – or both, for example) with people to just ask. Research shows people will volunteer personal information if they perceive that they are getting value in return – and part of that value is getting advertising that is relevant. Even better if that advertising is also life-simplifying.