When Nokia launched its first mobile device in the early 1980s, I doubt anybody predicted that less than 30 years later, we'd be using mobile to not only stay connected with our loved ones, but also to stay connected with the world around us -- to stay up to date on news, check our stocks, write emails, take photos and find information. It seems that we've stepped "into the future."
As 2008 draws to a close, industry players wonder what we can expect from mobile advertising in 2009.
I think we'll see two main things happen: more brands will move to mobile and the range of things brands do will expand as devices become more feature-rich.
As advertisers continue to struggle to reach consumers with traditional media such as print and TV, mobile advertising is becoming -- and will continue to become -- an increasingly attractive channel for brands.
Brands that want to cut through the noise will look at mobile as an increasingly viable option, as more consumers begin to access the internet from their mobile devices. With 318 million mobile subscribers in India, and counting, this is a very exciting time as mobile becomes the primary medium for accessing digital content.
Brands looking for high-quality mobile media will turn to the mobile advertising networks that can deliver on the potential promise of reaching the 3.3 billion mobile consumers around the world. They'll also look to networks that can most effectively target consumers.
Mobile is unique in that it is the most personal advertising medium -- the only medium consumers bring with them almost everywhere, almost all of the time -- and brands want to capitalize on this uniqueness by targeting their advertisements in as detailed a way as possible.
This shift in the sophistication of mobile advertising will be led by the mobile device itself and by mobile applications. As people can do more with the device, so will advertisers.
In 2009 and beyond, mobile applications will become much smarter. We're already seeing location-aware advertising emerging, near-field communication being used so that your mobile becomes a payment device or bus pass, and the use of picture recognition software increasing, and soon we'll see it become applied in more areas by more people.
These applications will present a whole new realm of possibilities for brands wishing to not only reach, but engage with their target consumers.
Applications like these will assist advertisers in reaching consumers at the most useful point in time. Information will be presented to the consumer when they're on the go or at the point-of-sale.
In this way, advertising content can be useful -- telling you where the nearest store is or what number to dial; presenting you with a list of local restaurants, guiding you there, and allowing you to pay with your device.
We may not have been able to predict that this is where the first mobile device would end up, but it is certainly making leaps and bounds in that direction. So welcome to 2009: the future!
Sandy Agarwal is director, Southeast Asia & Pacific, for Nokia Interactive Advertising.
