VIDEO INTERVIEW: Value Ad(d) & Benefits When “Mobile Advertising Becomes A Service”
Editor’s note: Wrapping up the popular series of interviews MSG conducted people and companies across the mobile marketing ecosystem. Permission, preference and unlocking brand value are the topics addressed by Dan Parker, CEO of Sponge, a leading digital marketing agency. And Anne Morris, veteran telecoms journalist, talks about the people part of the equation.
Many companies/brands may like to assume that people are passive consumers – willing to settle for ‘few-sizes-fit-all’ mobile marketing and advertising pitches on their mobile phones, but the reality is quite different.
Empowered consumers– particularly digital “natives” who have grown up with the Internet –are demanding more choice and more control over their mobile experiences and the mobile advertising they are willing to accept.
Against this backdrop, advertising is becoming content and people naturally want mobile advertising that fits their lifestyles and life stages. And we know people are only interested in receiving content they are interested in. Anything else is spam.
GET PERSONAL
The same goes for brand messages. As Dan Parker, Sponge CEO, sees it: Consumers do want to receive targeted advertising about the brands they love and the products and services that fit their personal preferences — as long as their privacy is protected.
Connect the dots, and the ideal mobile advertising approach – one that will drive a high response rate — is one that enables brands to deliver advertising that is permission-based and reflects personal preferences.
This view was echoed by the media, analysts and agencies that attended the global launch press conference marking the debut of Optism, a permission-based mobile marketing solution from Alcatel-Lucent. Beyond discussing the nuts and bolts of the solution, the event provided ecosystem players a platform to discuss the future of mobile marketing and pivotal role of permission.
Why should brands make the effort? Why must advertising become more of a service? These are just a few of the questions that I explore with Dan in the interview below. (Also check out this recent podcast interview with Dan here.)
PEOPLE POWERED
At the other end of the spectrum, Anne Morris, veteran telecoms journalist, is open about her personal dislike of mobile advertising. In her view, the days for intrusive advertising and hard-sell are numbered. “There is going to be an element of having to go out there to people and say: So, can I have your permission [first]?”
But it’s more than a Communication Ideal (a nod here to the milestone book by Jonathan MacDonald, co-founder of this fluid world). It’s an ideal business model for brands and operators. As Anne put it: “If this presents an opportunity for operators to get their place in the value chain, that that’s obviously going to be a good thing.”
Special thanks to Vincent Camara and the fantastic team at intrudersTV. This series also marks a new collaboration between MSG and intrudersTV to film industry events and deep-dive discussions with industry movers and shakers.
Disclaimer: Optism is an MSG supporter.
