Mobile Monday looks at mobile value-added services
Mobile Monday aims to foster co-operation and cross-border business development through virtual and live networking events by sharing ideas, best practices and trends from global markets. This month's was held on Monday evening, 15 March 2010, in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg, as a live session with local and international speakers and offered an opportunity to network after the sessions.
The theme, ‘A look at Mobile Value Added Services' was covered by Paul Berney (Mobile Marketing Association, Europe) who said there are “50 billion mobile ad impressions" recorded per month globally and "if this does not get you paying attention, then I don't know what will.”
He quoted numerous case studies in Europe using value added services to improve customer relationships (including acquisition and brand building), for example European airlines and rail receiving feedback from customers and proactively responding to issues based on the SMSs received. These cases were extended to the retail industry, such as getting SMS feedback from customers and being responsive about re-positioning of items in the shop floor.
No benchmarks
According to Michael de Souza (Buzzcity), the increase in branded mobile content value added services is a noticeable trend creating better utility of that marketing budget. The visual cues by Thabiet Allie (Vodacom's content management division) illustrated the point that people still buy based on strong emotive associations and not necessarily money value, for example You magazine - people like to feel comforted that TV or film stars also have the same issues as the rest of us.
Brett St Clair (Admob, the international mobile advertising network) asked the question, "Where are we heading with mobile considering South Africa is a developing country?” According to Paul Berney, there are no benchmarks and they see new countries springing up like mushrooms developing strong revenues even from an emerging infrastructure perspective. The current case to watch is Turkey (just getting into 3G). Turkey has many similarities to South Africa, one which is notably the tendency of earlier mobile value added service adoption by younger market segments encourages highly ramped revenue generation for newer value added services e.g. in the social networking space.
Mobile Monday objectives
- Encourage innovation within the mobile sector;
- Facilitate networking between small and large, local and foreign companies;
- Help local companies effectively participate in international initiatives through the import and export of visions, concepts, technologies, know-how and best practices;
- Present innovative visions, trends, studies and forecasts from the mobile marketplace;
- Facilitate and create partnerships;
- Contribute to the education of the broader public through its publications, online presence and media partnerships.
To contact Mobile Monday South Africa for upcoming Mobile Monday dates, email or go to www.mobilemonday.co.za for more information.
