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