MMA publishes expanded mobile advertising guidelines

NEW YORK, US/LONDON, UK/SINGAPORE/SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL: The MMA (Mobile Marketing Association) has published the fifth edition of its Mobile Advertising Guidelines. They are designed to provide marketers, agencies, wireless carriers, media companies and other ecosystem members with industry-standard technical specifications and best practices.

The MMA has also published two complementary documents for emerging opportunities in mobile marketing: Draft Guidelines for Rich Media and the Universal Mobile Ad Package.

First published in 2005, the Mobile Advertising Guidelines provide recommendations for the global ad units used in mobile advertising across the following mobile media channels: mobile web, messaging, applications and mobile video and TV. The fifth edition of the MMA "Mobile Advertising Guidelines" features several major additions and updates, including:

Additional ad-unit sizes
Elimination of aspect-ratio requirements for banner ads
More considerations for mobile rich media advertising.

The Rich Media Draft Guidelines provide a high-level overview of rich media mobile ad units, criteria for creating and executing successful campaigns as well as proposals for how the MMA will continue to provide guidance to the market going forward. Mobile rich media is an emerging category that goes beyond text, static and animated graphics, or video. It enables multimedia applications to be encapsulated in virtually any context that displays on a mobile device and provides consumers with a more compelling, immersive brand experience.

The Universal Mobile Ad Package is a subset of the MMA's widely adopted Mobile Advertising Guidelines, designed to streamline the creative and publishing processes. By producing creative material according to these universal ad units, brands and agencies can more easily advertise with all publishers that are compliant with the MMA's universal mobile ad package.

"The MMA's advertising guidelines have become the industry standard, providing the best practices that are key for maximising the mobile channel's reach and effectiveness," said Greg Stuart, global CEO of the MMA. "With the addition of the rich media and Universal Mobile Ad Package guidelines, the MMA continues its commitment to providing the ecosystem with the frameworks necessary to capitalise on emerging opportunities."

The MMA welcomes public feedback on all three documents through 4 March 2011. Submit comments and suggestions to moc.labolgamm@seettimmoc.

The MMA guidelines are the result of ongoing collaboration across the MMA Mobile Advertising Committee with representation from companies in Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Latin America (LATAM) and North America (NA). Committee members are representative of all parties in the mobile marketing ecosystem, including handset manufacturers, operators, content providers, agencies, brands and technology providers. The fifth edition of Mobile Advertising Guidelines is available immediately as a free download at mmaglobal.com/mobileadvertising.pdf. The Rich Media Mobile Advertising Guidelines can be downloaded at mmaglobal.com/rmma.pdf, and the Universal Mobile Ad Package can be downloaded at mmaglobal.com/umap.pdf.