vnunet.com analysis: Brands warm to mobile marketing

Vendors and the general public still have negative perceptions of mobile marketing

Mobile marketing is continuing to pick up, according to a survey of 50 global brand-name companies commissioned by mobile messaging firm Airwide Solutions.

The number of firms considering implementing SMS and MMS marketing campaigns during the next 12 months has doubled to 28 per cent, compared with a similar survey in 2006.

The results also revealed that 28 per cent of companies have already launched live SMS campaigns and 18 per cent have launched live MMS campaigns.

However, nearly half of the companies surveyed are not intending to implement any kind of SMS or MMS marketing in the next 12 months, a two per cent increase from the 2006 survey.

The survey also discovered that more brands are looking to spend a greater proportion of their marketing budget on mobile campaigns in the near future.

Some 71 per cent of brands intend to spend up to 10 per cent of their budget on mobile marketing within two years.

However, a recent round table hosted by Airwide to discuss the survey and its findings highlighted several major inhibitors to the growth and adoption of mobile marketing.

The primary hurdle revolves around negative perceptions of mobile marketing, from the point of view of vendors and the general public.

All panellists at the roundtable agreed that the progression of mobile marketing will be held back until mobile operators make it easier and cheaper to send and receive MMS messages.

Technical difficulties also plague the uptake of mobile marketing, particularly in terms of MMS and mobile internet. MMS, unlike SMS, is perceived as being very difficult to use.

Furthermore, the necessity to deal with each operator independently, and the added complication of formatting adverts for each phone screen and mobile operating system, are seen as hindrances by many marketers.