Blyk

The news hit this week that Blyk, a new MVNO, is up and running in the UK. Basically, an invite-only free service where 18-24 y.o's are rewarded with free minutes and text messaging for completing surveys on an ongoing basis over the phone. As the internet is currently changing the way business is done by fostering the growth of the ad-supported model (for the latest on how this continues to grow, read about the NY Times move this week to shun subscription for their Times Select service and move to the more lucrative ad model.)

When we look at these emerging business models, you can't help to think about the endless possibilities mobile offers for a new model that utilizes the trade-off of free service in exchange for what a mobile user can offer that companies/advertisers will pay for. In fact, I think I should start a new MVNO whose business model changes every half-year to accommodate the new companies that will support my service for each six-month period. And (of course), here are a few ideas for models that might support a free, or at least very cheap, service.

• Traffic information- Users can text travel times and accident information during their commute.
• Photo indexing- Photos taken with cell phones can be used for companies documenting everything from residential and commercial property to what Google maps does with their street-level zoom.
• Health- Texting or emailing heart rate and other medical conditions for companies doing medical research.

OK- so some of this may not be viable enough to support an entire service but the point is that the nature of what mobile is can offer another level of creativity that marketers are just discovering. Maybe it is a little far-fetched to think these types of ideas could spur a new business model but they are certainly enough to get the creative juices flowing for the design of your next mobile campaign.

Taking Mobile Marketing to the Mainstream

We all know how Mobile Marketing has been hanging out in the "buzz rooms" of the Marketing and Media industries for the past year or so. We also know the buzz is well-deserved considering the potential it has to one day be the best way to personally interact and communicate to the consumer or potential consumer. But what is it going to take to bring it into the mainstream consciousness. I don't mean bring the meaning of Mobile Marketing to the consumer but more the idea that Mobile campaigns can not only do the job of creating awareness or revenue for their products or services but also lend a big hand in growing usage of the mobile internet. Which, will in turn, help make consumers understand that the mobile handsets can be as of much of a resource of information and anything else they use the internet on their home PC for. And we know that a larger and more engaged audience on the mobile will continue to grow this industry.

With that said, here are my thoughts on what it will take to bring the Mobile Marketing craft/industry from it's current state (think iPod early 2002-there is a growing buzz -my neighbor's kid got one for Christmas and I start seeing the white headphone wires on people in the street like once a week) to the present state (kids don't buy CDs anymore, the few who don't have them just haven't figured out how to convince their parents that an iPod is the perfect Christmas present and 1/3 of the senior citizen early morning mall walkers are sporting the white wires):

• Think big- We need more comprehensive campaigns from the largest brands to create the awareness. Something like what the American Idol text voting system did to educate a whole new audience on the capabilities of a cell phone and how it can be used to interact with a favorite brand.
  
• Time- Every point I bring up and my ramblings about the mainstream probably apply more to the the older demo as we all know that events like American Idol enabled parents to either watch their kids text or get a tutorial on how to text. As time goes by, texting and use of the mobile internet is going to naturally grow as teens move into their 20's and a whole new crop of 8th graders begin utilizing the cell phone.
• Technology- Introduction of Q-Codes in the US, improvement in mobile banking and use of other technologies like GPS and image recognition will lead to more creative campaigns.
• Integration with other Marketing- Promote a mobile campaign in a TV spot, tagging short code campaigns in print, billboards, and online campaigns or any other way to integrate mobile into into other parts of the marketing mix. In other words, don't think of it as a "Mobile Promotion" but another tool in the entire Marketing Campaign.
  

And my inspiration for this post? This article I saw on the The Wireless World Forum site about the campaign for the release of the movie The Bourne Ultimatum last month in the UK. I know there has been some creative and engaging mobile campaigns in the US but this still gave me "Mobile Marketing envy".