What about Mobile...is that an option?

There is something in the air as we roll toward autumn in cold economic times. Australia's advertising market and economy is strong yet small in global terms and that has seemed to of dragged us into a recession. It's been a shame as there have been some great success stories from small to medium businesses over the past few years in the digital space.

Brands are in a dilemma as they decide between spending on marketing to differentiate themselves to gain a larger piece of a smaller pie or do they cut marcomms. budgets and ride out the storm. This decision back in the 80's might have been much easier as we didn't have the digital medium or mobile. If the brand execs. are smart in the Australian economy they will shift spending to digital and mobile marketing.

Unlike the traditional "scatter-gun" push with TV, Radio & Outdoor, Digital is now mainstream and somewhat measurable, mobile is the same however has the unique advantage of being personnel. The ROI on digital/mobile is immediate, and fully accountable something that ad agencies have struggled with over the past year and perhaps the reason mobile has not exploded onto the scene.

The Australian mobile industry landscape snapshot looks very good in Australia with 3G penetration to the handset nearing 50%, carrier data plans falling (although no on is aware), and people now wanting to go exploring off-the-deck. With a population similar to southern California yet with a boundary the size of the whole USA mainland it truly is a market to watch by all carriers and marketers alike.

Never before has a new marketing medium been segregated so much, the behaviour of the "Tween" market (14-26) being completely different then the 50+ on the handset compared to say TV. The mobile phone has created the largest generation gap since the birth of Rock & Roll.

Some Stats:

- There are more mobile phones in Australia then total population

- Over 50% of respondents had purchased and/or subscribed to information services in 2008.*

- 33% of respondents said that they had created content on their mobile phones to share with others (UGC).*

- True Tone & games grew by over 170%*

- Teenagers free rate pre-paid credit over free music downloads

*Source: AIMIA | The Australian Mobile Phone Lifestyle Index | August 2008

( http://www.aimia.com.au/i-cms?page=1491 )

Some predictions:

- Mobile content will surpass Fixed Line Web this year.

- Mobile client Apps. will be huge and most brands will have one by 2011

- Children below the age of 9 today, when they reach teenage years will wonder why people used fixed line Internet

- Gen-Y don't save there money they spend it albeit in small denominations...watching their parents and grandparents loose there Retirement funds recently has cemented that strategy even more

- Always on/connected Internet enabled phones will make cloud computing massive in 2010 for the mobile handset

- People will depend on the mobile device as first point of communication and other media as second if at all, strangely print media will survive as it has become a personal space medium like mobile

- Content will remain King and will reign till the end!