Mobile Behavior: an Omnicom Group Company

We were recently discussing with a fellow industry colleague in Singapore how the mobile phone has become so unbelievably entrenched in our daily lives. Now we're all for stats, but when it comes to measuring just how entrenched, sometimes we get caught up in compiling graphs like 3G data usage, mobile handset penetration, etc. Numbers can tell a great story, but how else can we gauge the reach and pervasiveness of the mobile phone besides pouring over cold hard country telecommunications data tables?

How about asking yourself this question: "When was the last time I turned off my mobile phone?" If you're like us, you don't switch it off - you charge it. Our phones have become the heartbeat of our social lives. By turning it off, we risk being disconnected from our friends, our calendars, our memories and our media. How do you place a measure on that?

The implications for mobile marketing are profound. Consumers and their personal device aren't just numbers we blast for gauging feedback and response rates. We need to approach mobile phone users with a great measure of respect and offer utility amidst a blanket of permission-based access. We've recently been exposed to some awesome mobile marketing platforms happening in Asia and Europe, and what they all have in common is a desire to bring users a superior mobile experience while meeting marketing objectives. This is, of course, much easier said than done, but the evidence is overwhelming that our mobile audience isn't ad adverse. They are simply ad aware.

In the case of Out There Media, they have achieved what most advertisers are struggling with: A model that seems to satisfy everyone. They offer free minutes and SMSes in exchange for a maximum of three targeted mobile ads a day. Users sign up and fill out what kind of advertising they would like to receive, which gives them the measure of control that we mentioned earlier, bundled with a personal touch of unique relevancy. According to founder Kerstin Trikalitis, her advertisers are happy, but so are her customers.

Now, this is just one model that works and there are many more, but there are certain common denominators for sure. Understanding that the mobile phone is a personal tool is one thing. Respecting it is another. Social media has given rise to a change in power when it comes to brand marketing. The youth and mobile audience has the potential to become your biggest brand advocate but first you need to come up with a plan that tells them that you're on their side too.

- Melvin Kee, MobileBehavior Singapore