Think mass mobile, think Asia

I just attended a conference on Saturday and Scott Rafer spoke on “Market Opportunity, Not Magic.” (His slides are available on slideshare here.) His main takeaway was that “size matters,” meaning that the market size in which you want to succeed needs to have enough numbers to give anyone a sustainable revenue per head. It convinced us more and more that in Asia the mobile market represents more than just blue oceans, it is the blue ocean. Asia makes up 40 percent of the global mobile market which is 21 percent more than Latin and North America combined, yet the ad spend in this region is so minuscule, it’s hard to even find the numbers.

China alone possesses 618 million mobile handsets which, as a single market, is a staggering number. Compare that to India, where about 500 million users are expected by 2012. We know the mass and the market are here, so what’s stopping mobile from taking off in a big way? Instead of posting yet another 10 reasons why we aren’t nearly there yet, let’s look at some good initiatives happening in and around Asia to get a feel for where we’re going. We’ll be spreading these over the next couple of weeks in what we hope will be an enlightening series of case studies.

Today’s spotlight is on Vietnamese mobile operator Viettel Telecom who announced a SIM card that is targeted directly at tourists in Vietnam. The aim of this service is to provide tourists with all the information they need during their time in the country. From hotel to transportation to weather news, all of these useful facts are available via the prepaid SIM card’s services.

Utility SIM cards that come pre-packed or linked with services is a great idea. In many developing nations within Asia, prepaid SIM cards outnumber postpaid SIM cards and so utility SIM cards make a lot of sense. Imagine the usefulness of pre-packed data such as applications or pre-saved RSS/mobile internet links easily. Taking this idea to countries dependent on prepaid SIM cards such as Philippines and Indonesia, we can start thinking about native branded utilities that give real meaning to the long tail.

When it comes to issues such as fragmentation and adoption of service, mass can be a double-edged sword. But as we make great strides in technology and user behavior, the only certainty is that the numbers will continue to swell and push the mobile agenda deeper into marketing proposals. It’s not just mobile as a medium that marketers need to consider, it’s also mobile as a mass.

Song of the blog

"Break me out" by the Rescues

QR codes. Relevant?

Having just come back from a mobile marketing forum where the focus was on visual code technology or QR codes, there was a lot running through my mind on the subject. Is there a place for QR codes in mobile marketing especially here in South East Asia, where not only is there a disconnect in software but also, a huge gulf in visual code services?

Unlike Japan, where the technology is native to the camera, users here in Asia require separate code readers for different codes. This lack of singularity makes QR code marketing seem troublesome and complicated.  Besides the obvious answers like embedding the technology in handsets and unifying readers, there are other less obvious ways QR codes in my opinion can still be a powerful mobile marketing weapon.

Remembering that QR codes evolved from shipping product barcode scanning, why not return to its origins? I would love to see additional information I could scan on products sold in supermarkets or Hyper marts. From nutritional information to price to even recipes, these QR codes could be a source of value to say diabetics who want to know if certain products are sugar free. It would make sense for the supermarket to develop its own in house reader since it would stocks all these products on their aisles and present these information as their VAS.

How about Libraries? Scanning a QR code unavailable book covers would tell you when the book was going to be available, allow you to reserve via WAP access. How about Concert tickets? I would love to read more about an artiste and access a content portal to listen to songs or download lyrics whilst waiting for the opening act to start. The mobile phone has replaced the lighter in many gigs and I think singing along from your screen could be the next big thing.

So even though we may not have the same ease of access as our sushi loving neighbors from across the ocean, QR codes are useful as long as it presents a real time value to our consumers. The issue of singular readers will undoubtedly affect nationwide adoption but if your business is in it for the long term; and you see QR codes as a long term investment to bring mobility solutions to your customers, then surely the answer to the topic question is : YES.

Song of the blog
Sometime around midnight by the airborne toxic event
Sometime Around Midnight

What's the winning formula for mobile marketing?

I had a chance to talk to a fellow industry colleague last week and we got to discussing how the mobile phone is so unbelievably entrenched in our daily lives. Now I'm a stats jock, but i think sometimes we get caught up in compiling graphs like 3G data usage, mobile handset penetration etc. Don't get me wrong, i'm a huge advocate for knowing your markets and numbers tell a great story but how else can we gauge the reach and pervasiveness of the mobile phone besides pouring over cold hard country telecommunications data tables?

How about asking yourself this question: "When was the last time you turned off your mobile phone?" If you're like me, you don't switch it off. you charge it. This is a statement of powerful intent. My phone has become the heartbeat of my social life. By turning it off, i risk being disconnected with my friends, my calendars, my memories and my media. How do you place a measure on that?

The implications for mobile marketing are profound. Consumers and their personal device aren't just numbers we blast for gauging feedback and response rates. We need to approach mobile phone users with a great measure of respect and offer utility amidst a blanket of permission based access. I've recently been exposed to some awesome mobile marketing platforms happening in Asia and Europe and what they all have in common is a desire to bring users a superior mobile experience whilst meeting marketing objectives. This is of course, much easier said than done, but the evidence is overwhelming that our mobile audience isn't ad adverse. They are simply ad aware. 

In the case of Out there media , they have achieved what most advertisers are struggling with. A model that satisfies everyone. By offering free minutes and SMSes in exchange for a maximum of 3 targeted mobile ads a day, they have hit a home run in personalized advertising. Users sign up and fill out what kind of advertising they would like to receive, this gives them a measure of control which i talked about earlier, bundled with a personal touch of unique relevancy. The result is astounding and according to founder Kerstin Trikalitis , her advertisers are not just happy, her customers are too.

Now, this is just 1 model that works and there are many more, but there are certain common denominators for sure. Understanding that the mobile phone is a personal tool is one thing. Respecting it is another. Social media has given rise to a change in power when it comes to brand marketing. Our youth and mobile audience have the potential to become your biggest brand advocate but first you need to come up with a plan that tells them , you're on their side too.

Song of the blog ( An oldie but goodie)
"Banquet" by Bloc Party