Mobile marketing - the new channel

With mobile phones, we have seen the success of ringtones, games, logos and wallpaper in a world where people might illegally download a song off the web, but would then pay for a ringtone of the same song.

Currently one in four people of the total global population owns a mobile phone - soon this will be one in three which really does make it a massive medium. As mobile phone technology grows, more and more is possible in terms of multimedia. We now see downloadable and streaming video being possible but as it is a service that people pay for, it must deliver content that people want.

The replacement rate of mobile phones is also very fast, where users upgrade to newer phones with more capabilities and features on a regular basis. Add to this the fact that it is a media device that people will always have with them. When people leave their homes, they take their keys, wallet and mobile phone with them. They go to bed at night with their mobile phone next to them, so it really is the only media platform people will always have access to and this makes it a very attractive medium for content producers and especially for marketers.

Take a 30-second TV ad - in the linear broadcast world, the consumer needs to be sitting in front of their TV set to watch the ad at the scheduled time - with mobile however, the ad can be delivered to them at any time and it is a far more interactive and targeted experience whereas the TV viewer might be distracted or even not watch the ad breaks.

Consumers will however not pay to watch a standard 30-second ad unless it is a viral type ad or is humorous, unique, etc - we've all seen these types of ads been emailed across the world. This type of mobile marketing media needs a new creative approach. Mobile media and mobile marketing is not about re-purposing existing content or ads for a mobile device. At MIPTV, we were presented with a number of "Made-for Mobile" content solutions using video which varied from Topless News (where the presenter strips down) to Rock on the Roll (a location triggered guided tour of rock and roll London) and Mobile Cooking and Cocktails (a "how to" guide).

Mobile content is 'snack media' - short, snappy, entertaining and engaging content - it is meant to be on-the-move and is viewed when mobile users have a minute or two to spare. It has very wide appeal and might be sports or news highlights, movie trailers, music videos or even Mobisodes of existing television programmes, which are short episodes that are either unique or add to the broadcast experience.

Mobile is the new marketing channel and it is a very large and powerful medium. For brands wanting to target the ever elusive youth market, it should be the first channel of choice. As the technology reaches more and more people, the demand for content will grow and in this, as in any media, content is and always will be king.