1. Augmented Reality It is evident that Augmented Reality is still in the "buzz" state but the potential for it to be the Marketing world's next big thing is there. The important factor will be how quickly it spreads into the mainstream. We should know by the end of 2010 if AR will emerge as the next "App Store". Check out this article,
Mobile Augmented Reality Builds Deep Consumer Engagement for the many creative ways AR is already being used in Mobile. Download the
Layar App onto your iPhone or Android device to get a first hand look at this technology
2. MMSThe smarter step-brother of SMS never gets it's due. As smartphones move more to being mainstream in 2010, this technology will become more commonplace. Why is this on the list? SMS has become very effective and has the highest reach of any mobile marketing tool- why shouldn't a version with more features flourish? How many of you are managing an MMS-only list and pushing creative to your opt-ins? Could also emerge as the easiest way to distribute Mobile Coupons but still costly.
3. AndroidiPhone? What matters in the end is the footprint. Marketers want to go where the audience is, but in the case of Apple, the iPhone's stickiness (and hype) is making everyone forget that the technology eventually ends up being copied by everyone in the space. Android is poised to have a large base 18-24 months from now with probably every bit of technology that the iPhone currently has.
4. iPhoneThis could be a defining year. Will Apple keep it's exclusivity deal with AT&T and become a Cadillac of mobile phones or will they decide to go wide and disrupt the entire industry as much as they already have?
5. GoogleGoogle has been touting mobile for the past couple of years and it seems, based on recent moves, that their strategy is starting to gel. Android, Admob,
Goggles,
Local Business Center,
Google Favorite Places and the rumored hardware- all moves that will thrust Google into being the next decade's equivalent of a Tier One carrier.
6. New platforms/FragmentationIf you think it is confusing now, wait until the end of 2010. With a new App store being announced once every six weeks and the battle between Smartphone Operating Systems, it will be an ongoing market study to determine what platform/App store and operating system to align with for each project.
7. QR Codes/Image RecognitionGoogle just put a big flag in this space. The growth here will always be restricted by the number of devices that come with or are capable of getting the Code Reader or enough awareness that will drive usage of the camera/shortcode solution. Google's campaign that has dumped
100K barcode decals out to businesses everywhere should definitely drive some awareness.
8. Location Based Social NetworksI really think this space is about to move to the next level. Mobile Social Networks such as
Brightkite and
Loopt have been around but the location aspect of those services has not been enough for the masses to ditch Facebook or adopt as an additional network.
Foursquare and
Gowalla have joined in on another level. By adding a gaming/competitive element, the network becomes not just another Social Network to connect with people you know but a place that offers a fun competition that awards you for something we all do- going from place to place. Anyone can play and be good at it. There are so many features that can be added into this model for both fun and marketing purposes.
9. LocalWhen a local business can begin to utilize a new form of marketing then it is a good thing. Having that ad in the Yellow Pages with one graphic that made it stand out from the other local shops was worth an extra $300/year in the pre-internet days. With GPS becoming standard on Smartphones, Google Maps is the new Yellow Pages (actually it would have been the equivalent of carrying your phone book with you) All SMBs should spend the time to do some research and learn to utilize the Google Business Center and other similar tools to make discovering their business easy through Mobile.
10. Facial RecognitionWell, this most likely will not make a dent this year but with Microsoft's
Project Nadal on the horizon and the Nokia video pictured in my last post, you can see it is a very cool technology that might eventually rise to prominence if Google decides to incorporate it into Goggles.
The following should also be on the list but have been well covered in the blogosphere recently:
Mobile Coupons, Mobile Commerce and
Mobile Advertising & Search should also be a part of this list but I felt that all three have been well covered in the press recently.
Posted via email from Dimo Mobile
The talk and hype over the past several years about Mobile has been how it is the most personal device, it's always on, it's always in your pocket etc. etc. Well, location is another piece of the puzzle that plays perfect into all of those in that the message has more relevancy due to the proximity of the recipient. The industry has been so excited about SMS and the conversion rates there. Can you imagine how the conversion improves if, say you are a restaurant near a busy shopping area, and every Saturday and Sunday around Noon, you blast an MMS with a picture of your most popular dish to every user on your list within 3 miles of your establishment? When considering location, you could actually build an entire campaign around location by including ideas like the above and by utilizing upcoming location based ad platforms like 
Add to your campaign a component involving Gowalla and/or Foursquare or Mobile coupons from 
