ThinkMobile » mobilegroove

An exclusive podcast with Bob Rosenschein PLUS a look at some recent mobile advertising stats from the U.S., Vietnam, and Japan. The 450+ attendees at Think Mobile that descended on NYC in March can count themselves lucky. We were treated to an excellent line-up of 60+ top-notch speakers, chosen by my esteemed colleague Matthew Snyder, Founder & CEO of ADObjects, a strategic cross-media consultancy, for their insights, ideas, and willingness to share both. Feedback from my panel on Mobile Search & SEO has been overwhelmingly positive, in part because Matthew and I brainstormed and purposely brought together an eclectic mix of individuals passionate about their work and the mobile industry at large. Today I kick off this "mini-series" with Bob Rosenschein, Answers Corporation CEO and mobile search "guru" (my description- he's far too modest). The company's social search service WikiAnswers.com has seen some stellar growth, according to comScore. In March, the measurement and market research firm reported that WikiAnswers.com U.S. unique visitors reached nearly 19 million in January 2009, compared to 729,000 in December 2006. I caught up with Bob to get the inside track on his company's mobile ambitions, discuss the key criteria for an optimal mobile search experience, and the role of mobile advertising in the scheme of things. Listen to the podcast. [16:18]

How many ad networks can mobile support? Are we heading for a shake-in/shake-out? And, if so, what capabilities will likely separate the winners from the also-rans? These are just some of the key questions that came up during interviews with ad network executives at Mobile World Congress (MWC), and in a string of recent phone briefings. It's also a line of questioning I hope to pursue at ThinkMobile, and Meet the Mobile Ad Networks, a panel led by Steve Smith with guest speakers Steven Rosenblatt, VP of Advertising Sales, Quattro Wireless; Eric Eller, Senior Vice President, Client Solutions, Millennial Media; Patricia Clark, Regional VP of Sales, 4INFO; Paran Johar, CMO, JumpTap; Brian Murphy, Eastern Regional Sales Director, AdMob; and Robert Walczak, CEO & Founder, Ringleader Digital. It's going to be a great session, and I'll be back with my observations after the event. BTW: Steve is a must-read columnist at MediaPost. Yesterday's post, which recounts an experiment (a random click through mobile ads) and the user experience (disappointing and even frustrating), should be mandatory reading at ad agencies and networks everywhere. A key takeaway: "The system still is clogged with some crap even at branded media sites. Of course there are still dancing mortgage celebrants on CNN's homepage, so we can't fault mobile too much. But clicking on a mobile ad is an iffy thing. Mobile users don't know yet what to expect, so if the publishing brand can ensure quality advertisers with quality end-user experiences, it elevates both the ads and the content." Steve's column and my own observations lead me back to the key questions: How do the dedicated mobile ad networks fit in the game, and how will they differentiate? I caught up with Zaw Thet, CEO of 4INFO, the 800-pound gorilla of mobile messaging, and the company that Nielsen identified as the largest SMS content provider in North America for 4Q2008, to get the inside track on AdHaven (a new product 4INFO launched just prior to MWC that represents a rebranding of its entire suite of ad serving products) and where it fits into the roadmap.

Regular readers will know and appreciate that I got the most out of my frequent flyer miles last year, speaking at over twenty industry events across three continents. This year, and with the help of Stuart Willett, Director, Business Development, MSG has reached a tipping point and I can focus on what I love most: Commenting on the industry and creating thought leadership in the form of white papers and research projects (I'm thinking here of Mobile Advertising U.K., a mobile advertising project undertaken by MSG together with AENEAS Consulting, and endorsed by the major mobile marketing organizations). In order to focus my efforts on these exciting new projects, I will not attend CTIA in Las Vegas this year. But nothing could keep me from speaking at ThinkMobile in New York (March 18-19). From the moment that Matthew Snyder - ThinkMobile Conference Chair and Founder & CEO of ADObjects, a strategic cross-media consultancy - contacted me to brainstorm on the program and speakers, I knew this event was going to set the bar. (I have known and highly respected Matthew for several years, dating back to the time that he was responsible for mobile search at Nokia. He has drawn on 20 years of experience and contacts to compile an impressive list of speakers, and the pieces are in place to be sure this inaugural event pushes the boundaries.) We not only identified individuals with something important to say; we also invited people we felt were most likely to make a lasting and significant contribution to the mobile industry. If you want to see the direction the industry is going, and connect with the people who are going to get us there, then this is THE event to attend.