Creating a Mobile Influence Strategy

Yes, it's here. I didn't wait in line. I don't have one. But that's just me. I tend to resist the obvious just to be "different." Sometimes it works out, sometimes I resist to my own detriment.

What I do have is a Mobile Influence Strategy. Sounds diabolical. It's not. The mobile device/network/applications of today and tomorrow will influence us all in new ways. From paid advertising and brand experiences to earned media defined a little differently to applications and services from non-mobile brands intent on making the lives of their customers a little easier or a little more interesting (i.e. providing value). That's what a Mobile Influence Strategy aims to fulfill.

I have posted before about wpp's investments in mobile marketing and their view of 2007 as a 'try-and-learn' year for most marketers in North America and even Europe. That means that terrific things are possible, measurement is still a little sketchy (non-standrad) and 3G/broadband is still low in the US (around 6%). Still I don't know anyone who isn't expecting tremendous things from mobile marketing beyond what a single device (the iPhone) will trigger.

So, we have built mobile marketing into our strategic plans for all 360° Digital Influence projects. Sometimes it extends a concept. Sometimes it leads the creative thinking. But there are several milestones that are being reached right now that will make this very timely:

• The rise of mobile broadband
• More broadband-friendly phones
• Care about the user experience, like what Iconmobile does
• The use of mobile by the 2008 US Presidential campaigns
• Continued growth of a generation who sees their phone as the mobile device not the thing you plug in at home

Innovations like Microsoft/Ford's Sync that make your car into a giant mobile receiver tied to voice commands

We have experienced a pretty clear model for development of new communications channels and techniques. We start by adding new incremental elements to programs - adding mobile to a larger digital influence engagement with our clients. At the same time, we implement programs that are completely driven by mobile marketing and communications or they are the very center of a campaign. Our Nokia work in Asia is a good example. And we walk the walk. That means we market and communicate about ourselves using mobile. Look for that to launch in the Fall.

One voice in the mobile and community landscape that I appreciate a lot is Communities Dominate Brands from Alan Moore and Tomi Ahonen. Tomi wrote a great post recently talking about mobile as the 7th Mass Media and defined the 6 unique benefits (slightly reformatted):

"What we need to do - and regular readers of our blog know this has been a long-term theme for Alan and me - is that for mobile we should not try to copy concepts from legacy media (and yes, today, even the internet is a legacy media, when mobile is the 7th Mass Media). What YOU should do - is build a strategy for mobile - what is the POWER of the phone. Don't see the limitations of a small(ish) screen or small keypad. Think of the POWER of the mobile. As a Mass Media, mobile has six unique benefits, that are not able to be copied anywhere else.

1. Mobile is the first personal mass media (even the internet is only semi-personal)
2. it is the first always carried media.
3. It is the first always on mass media
4. Mobile is the first mass media with a built-in payment channel
5. It is the first media device available at the point of inspiration
6. mobile is the first mass media with near-perfect audience information

Not perfect, but as AMF Ventures reported, on TV you capture 1% of the audience data. On the internet, you capture 10% of audience data. But on mobile you capture 90% of audience data !"

Comments

[Leonard Ng]

I'am very interested in your topic. Hong Kong would be a good research based because of the high mobile penetration plus crowded population. Only draw back is that iPhone hasn't arrived yet.

How could I join in your research?