The (mis)use of mobile as advertising plattform

The interest for mobile marketing is growing, which is very good

. The only problem is that mobile changes everything – because it’s inside our personal sphere – unlike a billboard, newspaper- or banner ad.

Inside our personal sphere is totally different from outside. When we receive an SMS we hear the sound or feel the vibration and start anticipating something of value. We reach for the phone and feel the excitement of unearthing this “gift”
. Is it from a friend, family, work? Is it exiting gossip, about the movie tonight or some exiting new project?

To all marketers in this context I must say: Understand that your message is going to receive an awful first impression

. Because it is almost guaranteed to be a disappointment to find a message from a phone operator – rather than a girlfriend.

The second point I want to make is the one of understanding the customer. What is valuable or useful and what is pointless self promotion, rubbish or SPAM.

Telling people standing in line at the gate at the airport or sitting down inside the plane what their flight number is does not create value, it’s merely insensible self promotion from a marketer not stretching his or her head long enough to find out how to create value in this context.

“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”

Courtney Acuff, writing for ClickZ, puts it down gentley:

“Attracting advertisers to publishers’ mobile Web pages is only half the task required for success. Simple logo slaps and pure branding efforts don’t work well in the mobile space given the device’s immediacy, utility, and on-demand nature
. Ad units must offer consumers a value or a mobile Web experience that allows them to gain access to content or information, to participate in promotions, or just to kill five minutes. WAP ad banner buys only make strategic sense when the full user experience is taken into consideration before the impressions are secured.”
– Utilize Mobile Ads Right, Courtney Acuff, ClickZ