Nokia to open Ad Labs to teach mobile marketing techniques

Nokia is planning to open a series of training labs called ‘Ad Labs’ which will teach traditional advertising agencies the art of mobile marketing. Nokia revealed its plans at the Cannes International Advertising Festival 2008. Mike Baker, the VP and the head of mobile advertising in Nokia, said that Nokia’s traditional advertising staff will benefit tremendously from this training and the long time goal is to make them competent enough to create highly targeted mobile marketing campaigns for their clients. To begin with, Nokia will start Ad Labs in Boston and London.

This is a very important move as far as Nokia is concerned. Of late, Nokia has been trying hard for an image makeover – from just a mobile manufacturer to a mobile marketing conglomerate. If you take a look at Nokia’s actions in the recent past, there is a definite pattern. It acquired Enpocket, developed its own mobile internet platform Ovi, it joined hands with France Telecom, and now it’s planning to open Ad Labs for mobile marketing training. Could it get any more obvious? Surprisingly, yours truly predicted a Nokia vs. Google scenario some time back and it seems it might come true after all. What do you say?

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, Nokia.

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Cellphone advertising in 2007 - A review

2007 is almost over and we’re eagerly expecting the arrival of the New Year. So, it’s that time of the year when people look back at their silly mistakes, achievements (if any), resolutions they made, and all other useless stuff. I’m not gonna do any of them; don’t worry. Instead, I’m gonna look back at the cellphone advertising and marketing industry and share some of my thoughts with you.

The single biggest event that changed the course of the cellphone advertising and marketing industry was the launch of the Apple iPhone. It was more than just a phone and the truckload of features made it a favorite with users instantly. At a time when cellphone advertisers were thinking about advertising via text messaging and banner ads, the Wi-Fi enabled iPhone offered them a hell lot of options. Interestingly, iPhone is not the only phone in the market with such features. Blackberry, AT & T and T-Mobile Network phones, and a few models from Nokia also have Wi-Fi facility and other features that the iPhone boasts of. But the most important difference was in the way Apple marketed their product. The enormous hype created before the launch of iPhone was simply never heard of in the market before and thankfully, it lived up to the hype.

The second biggest event, in fact the one that almost outshone Apple iPhone was the launch of Google Android. Google had been timing the market to take the plunge for a long time and speculations were running wild. A lot of market experts and market watchers (including yours truly) had predicted that Google would come up with Google Phone, which could be the fitting answer for the iPhone. But when Google announced that it will not develop its own phone, at least in the near future, they had their foot firmly in their mouth. But Google Android proved out to be a bigger success, considering the buzz it created in the market. With its Open Handset Alliance with 30 plus big names, Google simply stole the show from the iPhone. I’ve already explained why Google Android could lead to the undoing of iPhone and it remains to be seen whether I’ll be proven wrong in 2008.

2007 could possibly go down as the most eventful year as far as cellphone advertising industry is concerned, as the year saw some major names like Microsoft, New York Times, Coca Cola, Facebook, MySpace, Fox Interactive Media, and of course Google enter the market in full fledge. Most of the industry experts and research firms predicted a huge growth for cellphone marketing and advertising industry whose revenue was estimated at around $1 billion. Also, it is said that in just about five years, this revenue could increase tenfold.

Also, 2007 was the year of acquisitions. Big players in the market realized the enormous potential of cellphone advertising and marketing and started acquiring cellphone advertising firms. We saw Nokia acquire Enpocket, AOL acquire Third Screen Media, Microsoft acquire ScreenTonic, Publicis acquire Phonevalley, and so on. This definitely marked the arrival of cellphone marketing and advertising in a big way.

Though 2007 is undoubtedly the biggest year for cellphone advertising, there are still some unconquered territories within the industry. First of all, mobile internet facility should be within the reach of the majority of consumers for advertisers and marketers to be able to reach them fully. A lot of companies have realized the potential of mobile websites and for consumers to be able to make the most of it, the price of high-end mobile phones should be brought down. Already, Apple has started the process with a hefty price cut on its iPhone and we can expect other handset makers to follow suit, hopefully. Also, thanks to mobile advertisers, the price of premium services has come down drastically and in a lot of cases, these services are available free of cost, thanks to ad-funded services. With some operators even offering free talk time to customers who opt in for cellphone advertising, I really think cellphone advertising has hit the target big-time. Its continued success though, lies only in the hands of operators, advertisers, and handset makers for they are in a position to lead the industry in the right direction next year.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising.

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Nokia vs. Google?

Nokia’s arrival into the mobile advertising industry has made all the leading players in the industry take notice, especially Google. Google has been one name which has constantly been generating news ever since it set its eyes on the mobile advertising industry. Especially with its new Google phone in the pipeline, Google has been the single biggest newsmaker in the mobile advertising industry for some time now. But with Nokia’s arrival into the market, I sense a stiff competition between Nokia and Google.

When you come to think of it, Google and Nokia have a few similarities between them. Both are market leaders in their respective industries and have been known for their innovation at best. Both are tremendously successful in their respective industries, yet they have realized the huge potential of mobile advertising and have decided to cash in the opportunity. While Nokia has just entered the market and is yet to make a big impact, yours truly and a few other experts, predict a Nokia vs. Google scenario.

When it comes to competition, Google has been one name which you can find almost in every other mobile phone. Google has partnered with a lot of carriers and has made its applications available in mobile phones around the world. Also, Google’s strong experience in advertising industry and its tremendous brand value will help it to a great extent in reaching out to customers all over the world. At the same time, the combination of Nokia, the leading mobile handset maker in the world, and Enpocket, one of the most well known names in the mobile advertising industry, is just too good to be ignored. So, a stiff competition is expected in the days to come.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, Google, Nokia.

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Nokia Buys Mobile Advertising Firm Enpocket

Nokia has officially confirmed that it will buy Enpocket, a famous mobile advertising firm based in the US. Nokia Corp has not disclosed the financial details but it has confirmed that the deal would be completed by the end of this year.

Market experts feel this could be a significant move as far as the mobile advertising industry is concerned, as Enpocket is one of the significant mobile advertising firms with an elite clientele. By acquiring Enpocket, Nokia has made its intentions very clear. Its transition from mobile handset maker to a mobile service provider should not be surprising, given the kind of potential mobile advertising industry has. Also, Nokia, in a move against its rivals like Apple iTunes, launched a new site called ‘Ovi’ last month, which includes lots of internet services and gadgets, including an online music store where customers can download music, games, and lots more.

Enpocket has an elite list of clients including MasterCard, Pepsi, Vodafone, BT, Sprint, and more. It has 120 people working for it who are thoroughly experienced in the nuances of the mobile advertising industry. By acquiring such a firm, Nokia has arrived well and truly in the mobile advertising industry.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, All things mobile phones, Nokia.

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