Mobile Groove

In brief: MSG and the Founding Members of a new initiative supporting non-profits – The Mobile Movement – announced today they have formed a coalition committed to bringing mobile capabilities to non-profits in order that they may reach millions more people in need by leveraging mobile devices, networks and

Mobile advertising is the hot topic today. Apple will likely take the wraps off its mobile ad platform and may even confirm analyst suspicions that Apple will use the event to at least announce its intention to integrate an advertising platform into the iPhone SDK. As the battle lines are being drawn between Apple/Quattro and Google/AdMob, this post from John Furrier via Silicon Angle points out the only major and neutral ad network left is Millennial Media.

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The positive response to my earlier recap of barcode milestones and reprint of my exclusive interview with Scanbuy, a major player in the space,

A must-read mobile marketing research report from Netsize, a mobile communications and commerce enabler. Based on a global online survey of +220 executives and influencers across a variety of industry segments, the report provides insights into what execs plan for (for example, higher usage of SMS to turn marketing into a two-way conversation with people on their mobile phones) and expect to accomplish (for example, acquire and retain customers) with their mobile marketing efforts.

Targeting is tough

The report (which you can download here) found that execs have a heightened interest in mobile marketing, driven by the increasing and pivotal role of mobile in cross-media campaigns. Other drivers include the reach mobile delivers (a logical consequence of mobile devices central in people’s daily routine) and the ability to track and measure campaign success and conversion.

In brief: The discussion of paid content comes to a head with Murdoch’s decision to charge for content – no matter what. Is this prudent? What options are available to publishers? We take a look at some ideas and profile a path-breaking new concept from mobile visual search/recognition company Kooaba that may allow old media to leapfrog into new profits. Plus: an invitation to cool digital companies to contact me personally.

Regular readers will know that I work with a variety of organizations and publications, evaluating companies and candidates for awards ranging from the Meffys (awarded by the Mobile Entertainment Forum to recognize excellence and innovation in mobile entertainment and services) to the Smaato Mobile Advertising Awards (recognizing the best in mobile Web and in-app advertising) to the EContent 100 (a list of the 100 companies that matter most in the digital content industry).

I am proud that EContent named me to its panel of judges to evaluate the 100+ candidates across the categories: classification & taxonomy; collaboration; content commerce; content creation, production, & digital publishing; content delivery; content management; content security; fee-based info services; intranets & portals; mobile content; search engines & technologies; and social media. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the many mobile and Internet companies that have contacted me to be considered for inclusion in the list, and issue a final call for candidates.

Round 1 of the judging wraps up on September 1, so please reach out to me this week. (Please note that your contacting me does not compel me to put any company name on the final list of contenders and, of course, in no way guarantees that any company will be named to the list.)

This year my participation in the judging team has not only introduced me to a number of new mobile industry innovators (companies you’ll see profiled on MSearchGroove in the coming weeks). It has also exposed me to new thinking about digital content creation and distribution.

The industry is at a critical crossroads. A milestone that speaks volumes: the storm brewing the media and digital industries after Rupert Murdoch’s very public announcement (after posting record losses of $203 million last quarter) that his News Corporation intends to charge for online newspaper content.

WILL WE PAY FOR CONTENT?

It’s a busy next couple of days as I put the final finishing touches to my mobile advertising webinars. First is my contribution (together with Dusan Hamlin, Managing Director of the agency Inside Mobile) to Multi-Channel Advertising, a webinar taking place this Wednesday at 10:00 am CET (GMT +1:00), organized by Mobixell, a provider of a comprehensive range of mobile media solutions enabling service providers to deliver mobile messaging, mobile advertising, and mobile TV. (You can register here.)

The webinar dovetails well with my mobile advertising projects, including Mobile Advertising Research U.K., a research project MSG has undertaken to expertly document the state of the mobile advertising industry in the U.K., identify growth opportunities in the emerging mobile advertising marketplace, and benefit stakeholders, shareholders, and consumers worldwide. It draws upon primary research, including in-depth interviews with 15+ mobile executives, agencies, and mobile networks, including an interview this week with Freddy Friedman, Mobixell Head of Advertising. With my MSG hat on I will also request a later briefing with Mobixell (for MSG) to discuss recent news, new customers, and the role of mobile in a multi-channel advertising strategy.

I’ve also wrapped up my contribution to a series on audio-visual presentations on mobile advertising produced by Henry Stewart Talks (HST), which will likely go live in early June. HST, a company with a 35-year tradition, provides access to world class seminars by leading thinkers and authorities from around the globe in one online resource.

The company commissioned me to summarize the findings of both volumes of my extremely popular mobile advertising white paper series (sponsored by Bango): Mobile Advertising for Newbies, which provides a how-to guide to mobile advertising and analytics; and Mobile Advertising For The Masses, which examines the market opportunity for running campaigns in a mobile social networks.

I am pleased to have the opportunity (as part of HST’s Marketing & Management series) to educate the marketplace about mobile advertising and the pivotal role of mobile analytics.