Yet another interesting report on mobile advertising

Media analyst Screen Digest recently released a report on mobile advertising which brings out some interesting points.

The report emphasizes that mobile advertising is still in its nascent stage and will grow rapidly in the next few years. However, this is something we’ve all been told about mobile advertising for quite some time now. So, my focus is on two points which I thought stood out from the rest.

Mobile TV will be the major revenue generator as far as mobile ads are concerned. However, it needs to have its own set of metrics in order to be considered an important advertising medium by advertisers. While mobile TV is touted as the next big thing in mobile advertising by many, people need solid data to assess how effective the ads have been and to calculate the ROI. This, I think, is a valid observation.

By 2012, ad-funded mobile games will become hugely popular and over 60 million of such games will be downloaded per year. That is a huge number and should give a lot of hope to mobile advertisers. In my opinion, ad funded mobile games are a great way to reach users without actually ramming ads down their throat. We’ve already seen some examples like product placement in mobile games which have been quite successful in sending a subtle message to viewers through strategically placed ads within the mobile game. However, the report also says that such mobile games will not be the major source of revenue. Even then, I think mobile based games and other such content are a great way to interact with customers which can popularize the brand well.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, All things mobile phones.

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A look at the growth of mobile TV worldwide

I’ve discussed the concept of mobile TV a lot of times in this blog and ever since Verizon and AT&T launched their mobile TV service, I see a lot of debates going on in the internet and people taking sides for or against mobile TV. Just so you know, this concept doesn’t start and end in the United States. It’s a global phenomenon and let me broaden the horizon for you.

Italy, which is considered one of the most developed mobile phone markets in Europe, is also the leader when it comes to mobile TV in Europe. There are a dozen channels available in mobile TV in Italy and there is a loyal user base of more than one million subscribers who pay 19 Euros every month.

In Switzerland, there is a 100-second news broadcast on mobile phones and it is very popular with mobile users there. There are more than 40,000 people who watch this TV news broadcast in their mobile phones every day. People here can get up to 20 channels in their mobile phones and they pay around 13 Swiss Francs every month.

Japan is the undisputed leader when it comes to mobile TV. There are around 20 million mobile phones in Japan which are equipped with TV receivers. South Korea, another market leader in Asia, has more than 8 million mobile phones equipped with TV receivers. India, with more than 250 million mobile users, has also shown a strong inclination for mobile TV and is considered a potential market in the near future. Thanks to these markets, mobile TV in Asia is growing rapidly and is miles ahead of the U.S. market.

This apart, countries like Britain, France, and Germany have plans to start mobile TV service this year.

Do you see the complete picture? There are people all over the world who pay money for mobile TV and it’s considered one of the most successful revenue-generating services for operators.

So, in my opinion, mobile TV will not remain a niche service in the U.S. for long. I think it’s a pretty useful service for people who are always on the move and it will find its takers eventually. Also, with mobile advertisers eyeing mobile TV, we could soon have free, ad-supported TV on our mobile phones, just like television.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, All things mobile phones, Mobile TV.

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Will AT&T buy EchoStar to offer mobile TV services?

While Verizon and AT&T caught our attention in the FCC auction, EchoStar is one company that went unnoticed. It bought 168 E-block licenses at a hefty $711 million. This has created a buzz in the market as a lot of experts think that EchoStar will try to offer mobile TV services more effectively than ever through Sling Media.

It’s a well known fact that SlingPlayer Mobile, introduced by EchoStar, has become quite popular and by acquiring a considerable number of licenses in the E-block spectrum, EchoStar might plan to broadcast its service in a better way.

Now, here’s the scoop. Another hot talk in the market is that EchoStar might not do any such thing, as it might change hands very soon. The buyer? You got it right – AT&T. This is almost a certified rumor which has been going on for ages now, but there is one thing which makes me think it might not be a rumor after all. AT&T has decided to hold off on its mobility services. Now, this sounds too preplanned to be a coincidence. After all, acquiring EchoStar will make AT&T strong in all three sectors – broadband, mobility, and TV.

So, will it happen? Your guess is as good as mine. But one way or the other, we can be sure of one thing. Mobile TV, soon, will have a very big market not just in the U.S., but around the world.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, All things mobile phones, Mobile TV.

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iPhone 2.0 from Apple - Are you ready for the future?

Few days back, on March 6, Steve Jobs made an announcement which made everyone sit up and take notice. It focused on something called iPhone 2.0, based on which Apple has planned its moves for the iPhone.

As we all know, the iPhone is what it is today, because it stands out from other phones. In fact, we can’t even categorize Apple iPhone as just another phone. It’s almost like a handheld computer in which you can make calls. So, Steve Jobs has stated that he considers the iPhone to be a platform. Or even better, a multipurpose, handy device meant for both computing and communication. This is what the idea of iPhone 2.0 is based on.

Steve plans to categorize the mobile phone market into two main categories – ordinary mobile phones and the iPhone. While the ordinary mobile phones can be used for calls, text messages (SMS), MMS, songs, radio, and mobile TV, the iPhone platform, as it’s called, will offer superior mobile web browsing, email, instant messenger, multimedia applications, and other things that you can run on a PC.

Ever since its release, iPhone has got 28% of the smartphone market in the U.S. under control which is amazing. As we all know, the U.S. smartphone market is generally dominated by Blackberries and the iPhone is slowly changing that.

Steve Jobs has also mentioned that the next version of iPhone will support Microsoft Exchange Server. Now, this is a very significant move on the part of the iPhone. The reason is quite obvious. Microsoft Exchange Server is the system used to manage applications like email, address book, calendar, and more for big companies around the world. With the iPhone supporting this server, most companies will switch from Blackberry to the iPhone. And that should make Steve a happy man.

Categories: Apple iPhone.

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Watch 2012 Olympics on mobile TV

Olympics 2012 will mark the beginning of a significant technology that can change the very way mobile phones are being used. I’m talking about Mobile TV. Err… is there any correlation between Olympics and Mobile TV? Yes, there is.

London Olympics would be the most watched event in 2012 without a doubt and mobile operators and mobile advertisers are thinking of ways to make the most out of this opportunity. The answer for that could very well be Mobile TV.

A lot of operators are testing the waters already and they’ll be ready to help you check out Olympics events right on your mobile phone, come 2012. The most important things that could decide the way operators will bring you mobile entertainment are the auctions for L Band Spectrum, 2.6 gigahertz spectrum, and analogue television spectrum. The reason is simple – these auctions will decide which technology can be used to take mobile TV to consumers in the most effective way. Operators are already very busy working on various technologies to make 2012 Olympics go mobile. Check out this list.

Vodafone, in Italy, brings mobile television to users through DVB-H (digital video broadcasting handheld) technology, backed by Nokia.

Orange and T-Mobile use TDtv technology for mobile television and will soon launch about 24 mobile TV channels to test the market.

BT and Virgin used DAB technology for their BT Movio mobile TV, which is now a defunct service.

Qualcomm’s MediaFLO is yet another technology that can work well with the L Band Spectrum.

The only way mobile operators can profit from mobile TV is through mobile advertising. So, there are talks on that too. I’ve already stated my opinion on mobile TV advertising and I think it will open new avenues for both mobile advertisers and mobile operators. Not to mention, we, mobile users, will end up getting so many options in our mobile phone that we’ll find it difficult to choose one.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, All things mobile phones, Mobile TV.

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