What makes a mobile application truly useful is the context. Walk around the mall and you'll notice that young women like to shop in pairs. If a girl can't be with her BFF (best friend forever) at the time, she, and another 48 percent of her demographic, will browse with the phone plastered on her ear as she describes the color, size and cost of the garment she is eyeing. If Mom is nearby, listening carefully, the daughter might resort to sending SMS or MMS text messages, or using instant messenger to privately communicate with her friends in real time.

According to Forrester Research, more that one-third of U.S. online teens text friends while in offline stores. Applications like Twitter enable kids to post their whereabouts, as well as the latest sale at The Gap, in real time for mass consumption. Developing tools that promote viral messaging through SMS and MMS channels can successfully incentivize youth to reach out from the store to their friends.

Another innovative use of the tool is to tie online browsing with offline purchasing by letting kids generate a shopping list and then text it to themselves for purchase at a later date.

Another great example of reaching teens through text messaging is found in concert stadiums. Users are being provided with the opportunity to sign up to text messaging networks to win prizes and even play with famous bands. Up to 20 percent of Gwen Stefani's audience paid 99 cents to send text messages to get the chance to have their seats upgraded. For a fee, teens will send text messages to a short code and see them broadcast on a screen behind popular performers like Howie Day. Other artists are trying even more sophisticated interaction through the mobile web, including creating video clips, which were then sent to their phones.