Watch what you say about Apple

Regular readers of this blog might know that I’m not exactly a politically correct person and I say just what I want to say. I’ve written for and against a lot of issues regarding mobile phones, mobile phone advertising, and other things. But from now on, I shall restrain myself when I write about Apple iPhone. Or anything Apple for that matter. Not that I’ve changed my writing style or taken a course on political correctness or something. I read the New York Times today. Dan Mitchell had something to say about Apple fans and their so called ‘thin skin.’ Read it and decide it for yourself.

Categories: Rant, Apple iPhone, All things mobile phones.

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On how mobile advertising could be improved in the US

It is a well established fact that the Asian market is far more sophisticated and developed than the West, when it comes to mobile advertising. Services like MMS, mobile internet, and mobile video, things which are considered premium services in the U.S., are commonplace with mobile users in Asia. Thanks to this, mobile advertising is far more developed in Asia.

Mobile advertising experts point out that in Asia, mobile phone is an integral part of any advertising campaign, while in the U.S., it’s only considered an afterthought. There are several reasons for this. The relationship between mobile content providers and network carriers is not good, as they have disputes over revenue sharing. Also, the U.S. market in general needs to be educated a lot about mobile advertising and the kind of impact it can have in making a product/service reach out to its target customers.

What could be the solution? Firstly, mobile content providers and carriers need to settle their disputes and understand that by working together, they can profit way more through mobile advertising. Also, the market in general needs to be educated a lot about mobile advertising.

For example, I still get mails from people who read this blog asking questions like “I’m not selling my mobile inbox to anyone”, “Why do you want to know where I am and what I am doing?”, and “Why should I let someone profit from my mobile phone?”, yada, yada, yada. You get the drift? These people need to be educated and made to understand the point that mobile advertising is not some kind of a monster trying to gobble you. For which, I suggest you guys read this, this, and this.

Well; a lot of changes need to be made. But when you look at this on a positive note, you’ll realize that despite all these issues, mobile advertising has become notably important in the market today. So, let’s just hope that the West will soon catch up with Asia in mobile advertising.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, Rant.

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On why experts shouldn’t talk for people

When I read this post, I almost had an impulsive urge to ask the writer to read this post of mine. But, I decided against that. After all, if I did that, I would be considered “yet another desperate mobile advertiser”, which I’m not by any stretch of imagination.

One of the problems of being an expert is that you start thinking on behalf of people. Like the writer, who has already decided that cell phone advertising is going to be a big turn-off for consumers and has warned them against it. It’s like telling people, “Listen up people; you don’t have to think about anything. You don’t have to analyze anything. After all, we’re here to tell you what’s right, what’s wrong, what’s good, what’s bad, what amounts to intrusion of privacy and what doesn’t, and everything else you need to know. So, let’s do all the thinking. You just read what we write and make a decision.” Nice work fellas.

Categories: Rant.

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