1. Mble advtg @ web 2.0
“ Wb 2.0 took d mble engmnt nd usr intrfce to d nxt lvl.
What are you doing here? ”
You have a new message.
The consumers are always on the LOOKOUT (sub-consciously) for their favorite brands
where they socialize! Be it a multiplex at Bangalore, or at the metro rail in Delhi or at
the café coffee day in Mumbai or at a mall in Chennai or in the blogs, mobile forums…
The question is, does you brand present there?
Today, Most of the companies are AGGRESSIVELY spending on online communication.
(Sadly their AGGRESSIVE budget is around 1% -1.5% of their total marketing budget).
When it comes to Mobile advertising, the numbers look very less compared to even the
printing cost of their brochures. The main reasons for this:
1) Lack of knowledge about the mobile advertising
2) Lack of forecasting ability to know where the consumer is heading
3) Lack of understanding of the mediums that the consumer fiddle with
But the winds are changing in the Indian market, for sure. Few brands like Unilever
India, Reebok, United Colors of Benetton etc., are taking the first bold step.
Mobile engagement is way beyond Sms (bulk) communication:
For instance, I’m paying my mobile bills, book bus tickets / movie tickets through my
mobile. I can even send flowers from ferns&petals/ send a gift from Archie’s, or buy a
book from Landmark or can book flight tickets in Yatra.com, and MUCH more.

2. Simply my mobile is my wallet. All these activities happen through a single app,
ngpay. Al I need to do is to link my credit card to my ngpay id. It is safe, mobile and
time saving.
I get all the news on my mobile through The Times of India, Economic Times (beta
version for mobiles!) For more news I can always surf the wap version of ibnlive, NDTV
or CNN.
During the cricket matches I get scores from wap version of cricbuzz.com. When all
these get boring I surf youtube (m.youtube.com) from my mobile or simply lookout for
cool apps for my mobile.
After all this, checking my gmail, orkut or google search is a child’s play.
Like me there are almost millions of users for mobile apps, and double the number of
potential users. Surely we can bet on mobile advertising than online advertising.
Why?
1) The consumer is focused when he is on the mobile device
2) Can target specific groups (All 3D enabled phones in a football stadium!)
3) GPRS and VAS charges have become a part of monthly expenses!
4) The name says it all. It is Mobile. Everyday almost everyone spends at least 2
hours of traveling due to work or meeting. What one does apart from indulging
in music?
5) More and more advanced handsets are in the pipeline

3. For the number geeks, here’s some:
- As per TRAI’s numbers, the number of Indians using their mobiles to logon to the
internet has increased from 16 million in 2006 to 38 million in 2007 (both GSM and
CDMA).
- While broadband numbers stay at 2.69 million and there are just 22 million PCs in
the country (of which only 30-40% have Internet access), mobile Internet seems to be
the logical area of growth.
- Most operators have witnessed a 10% of user base using mobile Internet and even
analysts are of the view that data usage is becoming a very significant source of
revenue and will outpace voice-based VAS services by 2011.
Source: Plugged. in
Acceptance:
When on the mobile, the ratio of acceptance for the content is tremendous! Brands
thus have a huge scope of activities. Be it Bluecasting (PULL content through
Bluetooth in a mall, stadium etc.), advergames download, sponsored content or cool
apps or contests or widgets, downloads (games, wallpapers, and ring tones) the mobile
users try it all! (At least I do ;)
Mobile advertising is measurable. We can track the statistics of our brand’s
engagement with our consumers. Hence helps the brand managers to focus the core
target segment. And yes, it’s affordable too!

4. What does the future holds? (Some fictions)
Might be we have a BILL MASTER app to which we have to linked our credit cards.
Any shopping we do, just point your mobile to a unique mcode the bill (restaurants,
shopping etc...), the shopkeeper receives a confirmation sms. Done.
You are on a highway with your family on a vacation. Imagine you get a message via
Bluetooth (Bluecasting) about a motel just 1 mile away (they tracked you on GPS),
the menu and a 15% discount on the bill value if you order now. Yummy!!!
You’re ill. The mobile app called “The pulse” sends your pulse reading and audio
bytes of your heart beat to your doctor via internet, based on which she prescribes
the medicine. Then you just need to call you chemist and request of delivery of the
medicines, and pay through our BILL MASTER app!
Mobiles have been replaced the usage of alarm clocks, organizer, wrist watch (few of
our friends don’t wear a wrist watch!). In the future, it might replace the mobile
phone itself.
I have a gadget, which also be used to make phone calls.
Good day,
Manoj Kandasamy.