Since there are mobile phones available, which can display more then phone numbers and names, the industry is talking about the huge potential of mobile advertising. When is it coming now, and why?
In the last year, we have seen an increasing interest in mobile advertising within the industry (see graph below). With the increased availability of services, which are not linked within operator portals, the interest of mobile advertising has increased. An additional driver is the diversification of the addressable consumer segments. Different segments have to be addressed in a different way with the help of e.g. mobile advertising.
Let’s sum up: The increasing interest in mobile advertising seams to be a sign of maturity in the mobile internet space. What has proved to work in the desktop world is now also applied in the mobile world.
Hmm, I don't know.. just because everybody is babbling about a topic doesn't mean it takes off. Think about UMTS, it was a HUGE buzz and it took years till it finally gets some traction. Even though I hate Gartner, I think their hype cycle aptly describes the relation between media attention and reality of technology adaption.
Regarding mobile advertising: So far I didn't come across a solution that's not right out annoying to the (potential) customer. Spamming a user with SMS is about as bad a manner as sending unsolicited e-mails. For banners there's simply not enough real estate on the display without getting as obtrusive as pop-ups. What's next? Free calls if you listen to a 20 second commercial before you get forwarded to your girlfriend?