Coming soon to a mobile near you.adverts and lots of them.
Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange, O2 and 3 confirmed in a joint statement that they plan to appoint the Internet Advertising Bureau to help push mobile advertising as a marketing medium.
With mobile data speeds steadily improving and the ability to surf graphic rich web pages on phones now commonplace, the mobile operators now see the humble mobile or smartphone as prime advertising real estate that has so far gone largely untapped.
Some mobile operators are battling falling voice call revenue as users increasingly turn to email and text messaging, both yielding lower profit margins, and see advertising as a powerful revenue stream as it allows brands to target consumers based on their location and at times of the day when they are otherwise hard to reach.
The IAB said a survey towards the end of 2007 with 40 senior-level marketers found that mobile advertising was viewed in much the same way as online advertising was in 2000 - lacking standards, measurement systems and case studies to support the medium.
"These are exciting times for the industry -- consumers are becoming more acquainted with mobile as a marketing medium and increasingly accepting of relevant, targeted advertising on their handsets," said Shan Henderson, head of mobile advertising and industry development, at Vodafone.
-
Vodafone Smart Platinum 7 reviewReviews The network own-brand phone that looks surprisingly luscious
-
Vodafone Smart Prime 7 reviewReviews This £75 smartphone might be cheap, but it’s subprime
-
Mobile phone operators hike up access chargesNews The price increase affects calls to 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers
-
Vodafone re-enters broadband market with cut-price fibreNews Connect fibre service sports free router and companion app, but expert questions availability
-
BT returns to mobile market with super-cheap 4GNews But can the telco muscle in on mobile without offering top-end consumer phones?
-
Dell ties up with O2 to punt out-of-box mobile connectivityNews NetReady PAYG Sim pre-installed in laptops and tablets
-
O2 splits tariffs to allow early phone upgradesNews Mobile operator to allow customers to get the new phone they want without ditching airtime contract.
-
Orange and T-Mobile customers hit with 3.3% price hikeNews Pay monthly customers to pay around 70p more a month, operators confirm.
