Excerpts from “The future of mobile application storefronts”

Smartphone sales forecast

Wireless Expertise forecasts the number of smartphones sold per annum will increase from around 165.2 million in 2009, to 422.96 million in 2013, with the total number of smartphone users approaching 1.6 billion. This figure indicates smartphone penetration will be approaching approximately 28-30% of the total mobile market in 2013.

Wireless Expertise expects this growth to come from the increasing number of mid to low end mass market smartphones being launched in the market by incumbent handset vendors and new market entrants.

Mobile Application downloads to generate $16.60 billion by 2013

We expect smartphone growth to have a positive impact on the number of application downloads in the short- to mid-term, as operators and handset manufacturers take app stores to the mass market. In 2009 Wireless Expertise forecasts that the global mobile app market – including games – will be worth $4.66 billion in 2009 rising to $16.60 billion in 2013.

The market opportunity

With mobile phones outnumbering PCs around the world by 4:1, mobile applications represent a bigger opportunity for the mobile industry than the fixed-line perceived the Internet a decade ago. With over 4 billion mobile users around the world compared to approximately 1 billion PCs, mobile will become the idealistic channel for businesses to reach their consumers.

Print Publishers Leaping into Mobile, Says Survey

Print media might be on its way to extinction, but mobile is content's CPR. The digital advertising and publishing market is poised for growth, thanks to new mobile devices and advances in applications and technology.

A new survey from the Audit Bureau of Circulations says that print publishers are focusing on the mobile market as the major opportunity to expand their brands, reach new audiences, and generate additional revenue, all while offering advertisers the chance to reach hyper-targeted audiences.

Although the mobile market is in its early stages, it offers tremendous opportunities for marketers to reach and interact with audiences, said Edward Montes, executive vice president and managing director of Havas Digital North America, in a statement.

With nearly 4,000 members in North America, ABC is a forum of the world's leading magazine and newspaper publishers, advertisers and advertising agencies.

Survey Highlights

More than 80 percent of newspaper and magazine respondents believe people will rely more heavily on mobile devices as a primary information source in the next three years.

Nearly 70 percent of respondents agree that mobile is receiving more attention at their publication this year than last.

Forty-four percent of respondents who track mobile's impact on their Web site traffic said the devices increased visits by up to 10 percent today. Half believe mobile traffic to their Web sites will increase by five to 25 percent in the next two years.

Among senior executive respondents, 56 percent said their publication has plans to develop a smartphone application in the next 24 months, in addition to the 17 percent of respondents who already have an app in production.

Nearly a third believe that mobile will have a significant impact on their publication's revenue in just three years.

Google Wanted AdMobs iPhone User-Data

There's been a lot of speculation as to what plans Google has for AdMob, and why it spent such a large chunk of change to acquire it. While it's obviously interested in its broad mobile reach in terms of advertising, Google likely had its eye on something else only AdMob has- all that iPhone user-data.

With the onslaught of smartphones in recent years, the complexity has increased dramatically and so has the advertising targeted to them. AdMob spearheaded the movement to focus on creating unique ways to market to smartphone users, and particularly iPhone users one of the most advanced and widely-used smartphones around.

By doing so, the company gained massive ground and quickly become a primary force in iPhone-centric mobile advertising. As the company grew, so did its massive collection of iPhone-specific user-data. This data is very valuable in that it defines how iPhone users interact with various forms of targeted advertising on a very large scale. Since the iPhone represents a new breed of smartphones and mobile devices in general, this data becomes even more valuable as it can be used to define the methods that work best for targeting new-age smartphones.

Both Google and Apple knew what AdMob had in terms of data, and the implications of harnessing that data. Apple is becoming increasingly interested in mobile advertising now that it's a powerful force in the mobile realm, and AdMob could have been a perfect fit, but Google realized the company was even more valuable.

Android is quickly gaining momentum and becoming a well-rounded competitor to the iPhone, and Google can leverage AdMob and its wealth of information regarding iPhone-users to make Android the best it can be. More importantly, Google can leverage the ad-targeting data AdMob collects from iPhone users to determine the best ways to monetize Android in the future- something Apple was interested in too.

AdMob is a big deal in the mobile world, especially a mobile world filled with cutting-edge smartphones that are only getting smarter. It would have been a big deal if Apple had acquired AdMob and the potential possibilities that would have provided, but it's an even bigger deal that Google got them first. It will undoubtedly shape the future of Android.

Applying Email Strategies To Mobile Marketing

Email marketing has been a useful tool for a long time, and even though mobile is a new-age channel for marketing, the same strategies and optimization used for email campaigns can and should be implemented in mobile campaigns as well.

There was an interesting article on Marketing Vox recently that talked about SMB's increased interest in email marketing, citing several surveys showing that nearly three-fourths of all SMBs plan to implement email marketing due to its high ROI. A recent report from the DMA states the average ROI for email campaigns is $43.62 for every dollar spent, and that it remains a top marketing medium for its low cost and high ROI.

The article also listed several tips for email marketers, including priorities such as targeting and relevance, which seem to mirror the tips and strategies necessary for successful mobile marketing as well. Advertising to email and mobile devices is very similar in nature, especially if you're comparing email and SMS marketing. The years of trial and error and experience in the email marketing industry provide valuable lessons to any mobile marketer.

Here's some strategies that apply to email marketing and how it's beneficial for mobile as well;

Keep it relevant. Relevance is necessary in all forms of marketing, but nowhere is it more important than with email and mobile marketing. Some 40% of all consumers who receive email marketing say the messages are completely irrelevant. With mobile
marketing, relevance can be increased by using mobile features such as location, but it's also vital in growing and maintaining your opt-in database.

Incorporate social media. Social media is increasingly becoming a lifeline for brands to communicate with potential customers. By incorporating it into both email and mobile campaigns, you increase the chance for viral exposure and increased impressions.

Create a landing page for each campaign. Email campaigns in particular can benefit from specific landing pages for each campaign in terms of tracking and optimization. It makes it easier to see who's responding to what particular campaign and which messages and/or keywords are working the best. Same goes for mobile as well. For SMS campaigns, while tracking is somewhat easier than email, it's still important to incorporate fully optimized WAP landing pages for each campaign.

There's several other tips, tricks and best practices that have been applied to email campaigns for years, that are now becoming increasingly relevant for today's mobile marketing campaigns. Email marketers have had several years to optimize their process and find out what works the best, and those venturing into mobile advertising need to take note.

Black Friday Sees Mobile Shopping Explosion

Looking at the data of Black Friday purchases over mobile phones, one would wonder if we're recovering from a deep recession.

On Black Friday 2009, mobile online payments through PayPal were up nearly 650 percent year-over-year, according to the eBay-owned payment company, in data reviewed by Dow Jones.

The data was compiled from eBays PayPal and TheFind.com, a product search engine. Searches from mobile devices increased from about 5,000 on Black Friday 2008 to about 200,000 this year according to product search engine TheFind.com. Consumers were using mobile phones for comparing prices while inside stores.

According to TheFind, Amazon got the most volume which was roughly six times that of Wal-Mart, and attributing the difference to Amazon’s lower prices and lack of sales tax.

Cyber Monday or Mobile Monday?

Are you shopping on your mobile phone today for Cyber Monday deals? Mobile phones are predicted to make an impact on retail sales this year. Cyber Monday shoppers are more frequently using their phones to make a purchase.

The rise of Cyber Monday and growth of mobile shopping is significant for mobile marketers. With more consumers turning to online and their mobile devices to shop and purchase items, there is a greater opportunity to target customers with marketing and advertising messages via mobile devices.

About 96.5 million Americans plan to shop online during this year's Cyber Monday, up from 85 million in the prior year, according to Shop.org, the National Retail Federations online division. Of those shoppers, 3.8% will shop from a mobile device such as an iPhone or a Blackberry, according to Shop.org.

A small percentage of shoppers, 1.5% say they will shop from another location such as a coffee shop or a friend's house. The survey, conducted Nov. 26 through 28, 2009 by BIGresearch, suggests that 41.5% of Cyber Monday shoppers plan to hit the Web early in the morning. About 38% expect to shop late morning, 32.9% will shop in the early evening, and 22.7% will shop in the late evening.

Cyber Monday is gaining traction compared to the in-store traditional Black Friday of the week earlier. A recent survey found that 87.1% of retailers will have a special promotion of Cyber Monday, up from 83.7% last year and 72.2% in 2007.

What does Google’s $750M purchase of AdMob mean for mobile advertising?

EDITOR'S NOTE: This was last week's block-buster news in the Mobile Advertising business. I was tickled when a prospective client called me and asked if we were the company that Google just bought.

Google Inc. has signed a game-changing agreement to acquire mobile ad network AdMob for $750 million in stock in a move that validates mobile advertising as an effective marketing medium.

Google is hoping that this acquisition will enhance its existing expertise and technology in mobile advertising, while also giving advertisers and publishers more choice in this fast-growing area. The deal will help Google in its efforts to develop more effective tools for creating, serving and analyzing emerging mobile ads formats and expand beyond its traditional focus on search advertising.

“We’ve been talking about the awesome opportunity that mobile marketing brings to the world,” said Mike Wehrs, president/CEO of the Mobile Marketing Association, New York. “Some people understand that, and this deal shows that the largest and best-known advertising company—Google—understands the awesomeness of the opportunity, and they understand where this is going.

“If anything, it’s absolutely proof-positive of the value of the mobile channel and it encourages brands to take a very hard look at their priorities,” he said. “If they’re not already increasing their mobile spend, this is a wake-up call.

“It sets to rest any questions as to whether mobile ad networks had a sustainable, profitable business model, and this will cause people to pay attention, wow, there is significant large-player interest, so it spells opportunity.”

Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google is a top Web property in all major global markets, albeit largely monetarily successful in its search advertising business. It has recently made mobile an increasing focus of its business.

AdMob, San Mateo, CA, is one of the leading mobile ad networks specializing in banner ads for brands such as adidas, MTV, Land Rover and Toshiba that run on publisher sites such as CBS, AccuWeather, Cellufun, MovieTickets.com, Lonely Planet and Stitcher. These ads run across iPhone sites and applications, as well as those based on Google's Android platform.

Founded in 2006, the 140-employee AdMob won $47 million in funding from investors such as venture capital firms Sequoia Capital and Accel Partners.

Google’s rationale
Mobile advertising is a rapidly growing and competitive space, and Google and AdMob are currently specializing in different areas.

Though Google offers many forms of mobile advertising, its focus to date has been on mobile search ads, while AdMob's focus has been mobile display ads and in-application ads.

Google dubbed AdMob the quintessential Silicon Valley startup and claims that it is generating impressive year-on-year revenue growth.

The company claims that, by improving the performance of mobile advertising, publishers and developers will be able to monetize their content more effectively, which will hopefully have benefits for the wider mobile ecosystem.

Google also claims that users will see more relevant ads and ultimately get access to more free or low-cost ad-supported content and applications, improving their mobile experience.

Industry analysts are buzzing about the news of the acquisition, and many were eager to chime in with their thoughts about the potential impact of the deal.

“This definitely puts Google in a good position—it really helps them with display ads,” said Tole Hart, Philadelphia-based research director of consumer services at Gartner.

Many analysts believe that mobile advertising has nowhere to go but up, so there will be plenty of room for multiple players in the space.

This definitely helps Google position itself well for strategic growth in the ecosystem.

“We think the mobile advertising market is going to grow a lot, and to me it seems like a pretty good deal,” Mr. Hart said. “If it’s going to help you in this market going forward, it’s money well spent—the current revenues aren’t going to add up, but if it gets you going and gives you some assurance that you’ll be a leader, it’s worth it.

“Five years from now, everyone will have a smartphone or a really good feature phone, so there will be a lot of eyeballs and a lot of revenue,” he said.

Gartner projects that the worldwide revenue for mobile advertising will be $13.5 billion in 2013, up from around $500 million in 2008. This includes mobile banner ads, SMS, text links, search and maps, ads in applications and games, ads in videos and TV shown on a mobile phone.

“The potential is rather high to reach more mainstream users, because even mid-tier phones come with browsers and more people are signing up for data plans that come with Web browsing, so they can search and discover things that are entertaining and can have advertising in some way.”

“...this is a big deal, both in deal size and what it could mean for Google,” said Michael Boland, San Francisco-based senior analyst and program director at BIA/Kelsey. “Google is clearly keen on replicating its online dominance to the mobile world as growing smartphone penetration drives the growth of the mobile Web."

[This extensive article can be viewed in its entirety by clicking on the headline above.]

-Dan Butcher

New "txtNpix" Adds A Burst of Color To Your Text Messages

Plantation, FL -- Enhance your mobile advertising by adding pictures to your text message using a new service from Brandel, Inc.

"txtNpix" is a feature that enables advertisers using Brandel's mobile systems to include a custom image in all their text messages. Brandel's variety of SMS text messaging systems include Text Broadcast, Bounce Ad, ComboText, and the newly-released content delivery system, TextCandy. The "txtNpix" feature can easily increase advertiser interest in any of the Brandel texting products, which in turn allows publishers to command a higher fee for their mobile advertising services.

"txtNpix" boasts multiple applications in that advertisers can use the feature to send their customers an image which will immediately complement as well as add instant inpact to their SMS text message. Advertisers can design their custom image display to suit many applications, including:

• Promotional Coupon
• Featured Real Estate Property
• Simple Display Ad
• Photo of Storefront
• Auto/Boat for Sale
• Restaurant Daily Specials
• Inspirational Image
• Product Shot
• Snapshot (for models, personals, etc.)
• Business Card (ideal for professionals)

"The best feature of the new "txtNpix" is that it can really drive home a point as soon as the consumer sees it," stated Benjamin DeLeon, President of Brandel, Inc. He continues, "The visual impact of an image or a graphic is very memorable and immediately differentiates itself from a standard SMS message. The old adage of 'a thousand words' is true indeed."

"txtNpix" is viewable by consumers using the mobile Web on a smartphone or similar popular handset. Ease of use is a key feature in that to see an image, a smartphone user simply has to click on the link which appears in the advertiser's text message.

When you order "txtNpix" with any of the Brandel Private Label (aka White Label) Mobile Advertising Systems, the image feature is made available througout your entire domain and website. All advertising clients will automatically be able to utilize this hip new feature. The advertiser's back office includes a function that enables them to upload their custom image. If an advertiser turns off this feature, consumers will simply receive the text message without any image link. Those with standard phones still receive the text message. Each advertiser gets one custom image per advertising account, which can be updated at any time.

"txtNpix" differs from the Mobile AdPix System, (another product in the Brandel arsenal) in that AdPix is a mobile Web publishing tool which enables publishers to produce an Advertising Showcase, or any variety of themes, for use by consumers on-the-go. AdPix does NOT support SMS text messaging.

Here are some txtNpix samples to try...

To sample the txtNpix for Broadcast,
text FONEALERTS REALTY to DOTCOM (368266)

To demo txtNpix with a BounceAd,
text BOUNCEAD PIZZA to DOTORG (368674)

To sample txtNpix with ComboText,
text TEXTCOMBO COUPON to DOTCOM (368266)

To sample txtNpix with TextCandy,
text FONETIPS INSURANCE to DOTCOM (368266)

Please find pricing and further details about Brandel products at http://AdKing.com.

Consumers want more marketing messages

Growing consumer interest in mobile marketing and customer loyalty programs has created a significant opportunity for brands to connect with customers on their mobile devices.

The second annual HipCricket Mobile Marketing Survey shows that 37 percent of consumers would participate in a mobile customer loyalty program from a brand they trust. However, 83 percent say their favorite brand has yet to market to them via their mobile phone.

“As strange as this might sound, consumers aren’t receiving as many marketing messages as they want,” said Jeff Hasen, chief marketing officer of HipCricket, Kirkland, WA. “Mobile marketing programs succeed because, in most cases, the consumer initiates the interaction and is as involved as he or she wants to be.

“It is truly permission-based, all on the mobile subscriber’s terms,” he said. “As a consumer, I might respond to an offer, and then decide to further give you permission to market to me by joining a mobile club.

“Small opt-out rates prove we are giving consumers what they want. Obviously, the portability and personal nature of the mobile device are huge drivers for brands who literally can reach consumers anywhere and at any time.”

The 2009 HipCricket Mobile Marketing Survey is a national survey designed to provide insight into consumer attitudes towards mobile marketing and their mobile behavior.

The survey was conducted in September 2009 via email and is based on 511 respondents.

A key finding of the study is that mobile marketing campaigns are becoming significantly more influential and effective.

HipCricket found that of those consumers who have received mobile marketing offers, 47 percent have brand recall and 94 percent of those remember the specific call to action.

Aside from phone calls, 73 percent of people said they use their mobile device most for texting friends and 34 percent have received a marketing offer on their mobile phone via text message (up from 28 percent in 2008).

The study revealed that the mobile Web continues to be an increasingly important information resource for consumers.

A whopping 85 percent of respondents agree that the mobile Web is a valuable source for information that interests them.

Twenty-one percent of respondents access the mobile Web at least once per day and 37 percent access it at least once per week.

Additionally, 41 percent of respondents have visited a retailer’s Web site from their mobile phone. The most popular reasons include:

• To find store locations – 70 percent
• To find store hours – 51 percent
• To get directions – 39 percent
• To look for coupons/promotions – 29 percent

HipCricket's advice to marketers:

“HipCricket advises clients to think of a mobile pyramid where brands use SMS as a foundation for reach, then build on richer brand experiences through the mobile Web, apps and social networking,” Mr. Hasen said.

-Giselle Tsirulnik

Remy Martin mobile campaign attracts 1,200 SMS opt-ins

Cognac maker Remy Martin ran an integrated marketing campaign to reintroduce its flagship VSOP label to a new generation of drinkers and was able to drive 1,200 SMS opt-ins.

The campaign targeted consumers ages 21-40. Remy’s digital agency ID Society selected Neighborhood America’s MOVO to tie together all of the elements of the campaign with mobile marketing.

“Mobile was an ideal channel for Remy because they wanted to target customers while out and about,” said David Rippetoe, senior product manager at Neighborhood America. “They used in-venue calls to action to draw people into the campaign promoting special tasting events.

“Mobile offered them high value because of reach and low cost of entry and strengthened brand awareness,” he said. “They used an SMS/WAP campaign as a way to get people to RSVP to the events. During the day of the event, Remy sent out a broadcast SMS to remind people to attend.”

The Remy Chill Zone campaign promoted new ways of enjoying the traditional drink at over 300 tasting events scheduled in six metropolitan areas across the United States, including New York, Newark, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area.

Signage and a virtual display invited consumers to text a keyword to receive a special invitation and be placed on the Remy Chill Zone VIP list at ultra-exclusive nightclubs.

Those who opted-in were given a link to a mobile Web site.

To follow up, RSVP reminders went out to the VIP’s 3-4 days prior to the event, and allowed them to make reservations for up to two people.

In just three months, the campaign was able to drive 1,200 SMS opt-ins from table-top advertising in just a few venue bars.

The tastings in all six metropolitan cities all sold out as a result of the campaign.

The campaign helped Remy build brand loyalty through exclusive offers to the database of consumers, which was built by providing consumers incentives to participate.

“I think the biggest benefit that mobile provides to brands is that the consumer is raising their hand and telling the brand that they want their product or service by opting-in to a campaign whether it is SMS or a mobile banner on a mobile Web site,” Mr. Rippetoe said.

“One of the bigger issues with brands not being successful in mobile is the lack of integrating a visible or interesting call to action in their overall campaign strategy,” he said. “Because Remy is a luxury brand with a dedicated following, the agency did a great job with the creative and giving the feel of exclusivity for the events.”

-Giselle Tsirulnik

Survey: Future Spend For Mobile Marketing

We hear a lot from so-called industry experts or analysts who make huge claims as to how mobile marketing is going to take off this year, or that this year isnt quite the year for mobile marketing and so on. Most of the time these claims are based purely on opinion and lack any real substance.

A new survey sponsored by a partnership between Millennial Media and DM2PRO decided to go directly to the source meaning major brands and advertisers themselves to see just how mobile marketing is working out for them, and to get an understanding as to how they plan on spending their marketing dollars using the mobile channel in the future.

100 leading agencies were surveyed to compile and in-depth analysis of mobile advertising performance and forecasts of future spending. Dubbed The State of the Industry, the survey compiled data to provide a critical view on where the industry stands today, where the industry is and is not, and why agencies and publishers are planning to buy mobile in the future.

The survey indicated that 60 percent of non-mobile marketers are planning to employ some form of mobile advertising in 2010. Subsequently, the increase in mobile spend was one of the more surprising aspects of the surveys results. Out of those surveyed; 31 percent of agency respondents stated they will invest between $100K and $249K next year, while more than 15 percent stated they plan on investing over $1 million.

More than half of Q4 mobile campaigns will represent between 1 percent and 10 percent of their clients total spending, but for a few, the number could be an impressive 40-50 percent. Overall though, nearly three quarters of the respondents stated that they had developed mobile campaigns for themselves or their clients, while around 28 percent hadn't utilized mobile at all. To me, a leading agency that doesn't utilize the mobile channel for their clients shouldn't be a leading agency at all.

When it comes to how mobile marketing is performing overall, 78 percent of respondents said the medium met their campaign goals, while an additional 9 percent said mobile performed beyond our wildest expectations. Nearly one third of respondents stated that mobile has become an indispensable part of their media mix, while another 67 percent ranked mobile as somewhat valuable and only 2 percent said it wasnt valuable at all.

It's interesting to note that nearly 89 percent of respondents indicated that mobile was only a small part of a much larger multi-platform buy, and that internal resources remains the number one barrier to entry into the mobile channel. More than 80 percent of agency surveyed who have participated in mobile campaigns have hired or developed internal resources to support them.

Still, it's always interesting to get a better understanding of how mobile is being used and what the future plans are for those who are actually involved in mobile marketing.

-Mobile Marketing Watch

Mobile marketing no longer a year away

NEW YORK – Panelists at ad:tech’s Mobile Mix session made a case for mobile marketing by letting audience members know that it isn’t as hard as everyone thinks it is.

The speakers at “The State of Mobile Marketing: A Must in the Multichannel Mix” panel all agreed the mobile marketing is no longer a year away, it is here now and is being practiced by Fortune 500 companies.

“The most important thing that a lot of people lose sight of is the fact that mobile marketing is easy and much easier than it sounds,” said Marcus Startzel, senior vice president of sales at Millennial Media, Baltimore.

“Mobile outperforms online,” Mr. Startzel said.

SMS is the largest most ubiquitous way to do mobile marketing, according to Matthew Valleskey, head of marketing for mobile services at Neustar, the Sterling, VA-based common short code registry.

Mr. Valleskey said that 1.3 trillion SMS messages were sent in the first half of 2009, just in the United States alone.

“Everyone has a mobile phone and it is always with you and always on,” Mr. Valleskey said. “And almost all of the phones if not all are SMS capable.

“With SMS there is no software to install and no Web needed,” he said. “The last year or so there has been this huge app craze because of the iPhone, but the iPhone only has like 9 percent marketshare.

If you are looking to do a marketing campaign, make sure you are using and integrating SMS marketing into your overall advertising.”

SMS can be used as a call to action to get consumers to let you provide them with content. SMS also gives legs to other media and makes other channels work harder.

There are currently 3,000 short codes in existence, with about 25,000 (give or take) campaigns running on them.

Mr. Keenan also said that Radio Shack is currently pushing an SMS effort in circulars to promote its Black Friday campaign. Consumers sign up to get information on Black Friday merchandise.

Radio Shack is using its existing media and making it work harder through the addition of a mobile component.

Some brands are getting mobile, according to Mr. Startzel.

Millennial Media conducted a survey of 100 advertising agencies. Sixty percent said they were increasing their mobile ad spending in 2010.

“Executing a mobile display campaign is nearly identical to running a digital display ad,” Mr. Startzel said. “The networks have scalability and reach.”

Marc-Henry Magdelenat, director of Microsoft Mobile Advertising, Kirkland, WA, said that the mobile industry is at a point where the major brands and retailers understand that it is essential to include mobile in one’s media mix.

He talked about the Discovery Channel campaign that aimed to promote awareness of the “Deadliest Catch” show.

“Adding mobile to the mix definitely increased the campaign’s results,” Mr. Magdelenat said.

Mr. Startzel also talked about the fact that mobile consumers are different than consumer online.

When it comes to SEO for mobile sites, mobile is different than online. The mobile searcher is searching very differently than then online searcher.

Mobile searchers want instant gratification and online searchers have more time on their hands and are more focused on researching something.

“You have to take into account why the consumer is searching from their mobile phone,” Mr. Valleskey said. “They are most likely not home.”

-Giselle Tsirulnik

RFID Enabled iPhone a Boon to Mobile Marketing?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Although this is a bit off the beaten track when it comes to Brandel marketing products, it gives us a glimpse of how absolutely vital mobile phones will be for us in the future.

The future of monetizing mobile marketing campaigns will be greatly simplified in tandem with the advent of newer, more convenient payment tools for consumers.

As a result, the mobile marketing community is buzzing this week over the recent speculation by Einar Rosenberg, Chief Technology Officer of Narian Technologies, Apple is currently tinkering with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip for possible inclusion in the next generation iPhone.

Apple's impetus for seeking an RFID enabled iPhone is obvious. For Apple, turning the device into a handy payment tool makes the iPhone a far more convenient device than it already is. For mobile marketers, however, a group that has not yet had widespread opportunities to piggy-pack on such technology, the benefits could be equally bountiful.

Some mobile marketers have been gearing up for this eventuality just as aggressively as the tech world has.

In June, for example, Dairy Queen began testing an RFID-based customer loyalty program in Indiana. Customers who signed up for the program subsequently received coupons on their mobile phones via text message. The coupons were redeemable using RFID labels attached to the phones.

Apple's potential foray into this arena could conceivably change the landscape of mobile technology forever in the US. And the impact on mobile marketing could be just as significant.

-Mobile Marketing Watch

Mobile ad spend expected to increase significantly in 2010

Mack McKelvey is vice president of marketing at Millennial Media

The consumer-packaged goods, retail, entertainment, travel, and restaurant categories are expected to lead mobile spending in 2010, according a new study by Millennial Media.

The same industry sectors are spending the most in mobile advertising today. The report also found that engagement leads the No. 1 sought return for an investment in mobile marketing, though opt-in, or list building, was cited as the most likely goal for fourth quarter campaigns.

“The significant increase in projected mobile ad spend in 2010 both by agencies and brands signals that they have found mobile to be a highly effective and efficient channel to reach their consumers," said Mack McKelvey, vice president of marketing at Millennial Media, Baltimore. "We anticipate the mobile Web audience will continue to grow at, or faster, than the projections reported by the Kelsey Group and numerous other organizations.

"If this is the case, it is likely that more brands will place even more focus on mobile advertising in the remainder of 2009 and in 2010,” she said.

Nearly 75 percent of the 100 leading agency respondents stated that they have developed mobile campaigns for themselves or a client.

As an average value, brand respondents forecasted at least a 15 percent increase in spend in 2010.

Among those who have executed mobile campaigns, 78 percent said the medium met their campaign goals and an additional 9 percent said mobile performed “beyond our wildest expectations.”

Nearly a third (30 percent) of agency respondents said mobile has become an “indispensable” part of the media mix. Another 67 percent ranked mobile as somewhat valuable.

-Giselle Tsirulnik