CBS Mobile chief Cyriac Roeding speaking at a conference in New York lamented about the utter complexity of the mobile ecosystem and the problems facing mobile advertising. His quotes are just money: “How do we expect anyone to take this seriously as an advertising device… So let’s make it simpler–let’s talk about usability, let’s not talk about the next 15 menu items, and let’s not try to copy another medium … If you are trying to make this the next online page, you will fail…because this is a new medium in its own right.”
The “re-purpose” mentality may be the single most detrimental attitude in adaptation of new possibilities. Those that are making the calls are often more concerned with the level of control and channels of production they now hold, forsaking innovation for comfort. In my field of publishing I battle this on a daily basis, the “thirty second spot”, the “full page ad”, and last but not least the “the ownership of content”. It is hard to teach the concept of the value of relevance or quality of content over ownership of content.
Derek,
U said it best. I think this is the same thinking which is pushing the CPM logic in blogs and other social media as well. It is new mindset that one needs from the otherside of the equation in my opinion.
You should have heard Cyriac Roeding when he was still head honcho of the mobile marketing company 12snap in Munich / Germany! He was saying exactly the opposite, praising the mobile phone as most effective marketing device because it’s so personal.
Whom to believe? After all he is a marketing manager, telling what sells best for him.
The carriers operate a little differently in Europe, Markus. Cyriac hasn;t changed, but the context in which he operates certainly has.
Most of the US carriers have prioritized control over growth for too long, and the result is a zero sum game among them which hurts the whole industry. It’s time someone called them on it in a public forum, and – like Steve Jobs in the music business – that person needs to be someone who matters to them.
Ugh… I guess I agree and disagree.
Agreed – focus on usability for mobile and don’t blindly plug and play content focused for a different medium. I also definitely think that the immediacy in literally “call”- /click- /text- -to-action has it’s own aspects around context capabilities. Along with GPS, definitely the whole “minorty report” aspect of advertising gets more real.
Disagree on the following, based on known ‘snack-size’ or ‘while-you-wait’ advertising techniques:
– I think that bus advertising, or web-page wait page ads, and even CD movie-trailers can accommodate instances where users can be entertained or present a positive and clever interaction while waiting for normal connection time.
From that perspective, the message attractiveness behind mobile advertising isn’t the issue. It really becomes a conversation around creating a focus on business model. Perhaps deal with device manufacturers and carriers to subsidize branded and unlocked phones and services for inobtrusive ways to bring value.
One of the problems with many apps and web sites is that it already comes with a perception of being free. In the earlier days of internet, people were willing to put up with ads for the perception of free service, like NetZero (when it was free and ad supported).
So, I guess I am saying.. it’s not the “usability”, but the value proposition and/or focus on entertainment value.