GoMo Mobile Search News

A Crisp response to mobile advertising

Rating: number crunching of the best kind

By Annie Turner

Crisp Wireless’ 1.0 release of the mLogic MicroSite Builder tool, has been developed to enable mobile publishers and advertising agencies to create robust mobile websites for advertisers quickly and easily.

The Weather Channel Mobile signed on to be the exclusive beta customer of the MicroSite Builder tool which was released in mid-March, which is certainly a considerable endorsement.

mLogic apparently offers robust device detection and site optimisation, plus sites built using MicroSite Builder report unique visitors, page views, time spent and opt-in data including emails and phone numbers.

Crisp Wireless powers mobile websites for USA Today, Hachette Filipacchi, Time Inc., Internet Broadcasting Systems and Bravo, all who either currently sell or plan to sell advertising on their mobile websites.

Certainly accessible, accurate metrics are needed if mobile advertising is to appeal to the big brands, but a hugely underestimated and under-exploited aspect is search engine optimisation, so bully for Crisp. It’s good to know someone apart from us here at GoMo News has their eye on the SEO ball.

AskMeNow adds Wikipedia

Rating: don’t tell me, ask me now

by Bena Roberts

AskMeNow has announced a preliminary agreement with Wikimedia to offer a mobile search version of Wikipedia. Its in beta but it will allow users to perform natural language searches on the Wikipedia knowledge base. After beta testing the aim is to launch a free mobile search Wikipedia database.

From the press release
"AskMeNow is extremely excited about the opportunity to provide a unique service to one of the worlds most popular user generated sites," said AskMeNow CEO Darryl Cohen. "We look forward to working side by side with the many volunteers that make Wikipedia one of the Internet's top ten sites. Together with the Wikimedia Foundation, we will establish new ways to interact with Wikipedia's content without jeopardizing the uniqueness that has made it so successful."

What we think
Great idea. GoMo News loves Wikipedia and the fact that the service is available for free will ensure that it is an immediate success on mobile.

Mobile Advertising marketing is expanding in all directions and BKI Media predict who is next on the purchase hitlist

Rating: hi ho, hi ho consolidation we go

By Bena Roberts

A company called EJL Wireless has said that mobile advertising will reach USD 9.5 billion in gross revenues by 2011 (source).

What we think?

BKI Media, GoMo News’s parent company thinks that consolidation is the way forward. Following the sale of Third Screen Media mobile advertising companies are being viewed as “must haves” on any multi-national’s portfolio.

Last night I had a chat with one of our clients and we spoke candidly about who would be a prime target. The company AdMob came up more than once in the conversation. But there are two arguments. The first is that AdMob has just received USD 15 million in funding so that a take-over is not on the agenda.
The second is that AdMob has users and has conducted a launch on the consumer mobile market and could save a company such as Yahoo! Google or Microsoft a lot of start-up costs when trying to inject a new mobile advertising strategy.

We think that AdMob will be sold sooner rather than later and our list of juiciest companies in the space will be published in the Mobile Advertising and Marketing Analyst and The Mobile Search Analyst.

Yellowpages.com adds send to mobile features

Rating: interesting

The boring news is that AT&T’s Yellowpages.com has expanded its sales office. The interesting new is that it has added a “send to mobile”. This means that content from the Internet can be send to mobile via SMS.

There was a rumour about Vodafone and Google offering something similar and it seems that this is the trend.

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Gameloft Real Soccer 3D Game wins award

Rating: we lurve Gameloft

Mobile gaming hasn’t hit its peak but that doesn’t mean that the games aren’t hot. Gameloft’s 3D Real Soccer 3D has just won Best Game of 2007.
Go Gameloft!

Third Screen Media and iLoop Mobile partner for Ad Service Enabled Mobile Internet sites

Rating: Hovr, iLoop; what about AOL?

by Bena Roberts

Usually when companies get acquired they go silent. Not Third Screen Media. In fact CEO Tom Burgess is simply shouting and carrying on as normal.
Indeed the show must go on and yesterday Third Screen said it was partnering with HOVR for mobile game advertising and today with iLoop Mobile.

iLoop Mobile who?
iLoop Mobile is a mobile technology company that creates interactive text message based mobile marketing and content distribution. Together with mobile advertising company Third Screen Media both vendors will serve the market for automated ad serving systems and metrics. Basically iLoop Mobile will make the Third Screen MADX ad management platform available on the mFinity iLoop Mobile platform that serves the needs of mobile content marketers, enterprises and mobile content owners.

From the press release
"We are committed to offering a broad range of mobile advertising and
content distribution capabilities to mFinity platform customers," said
Michael Becker, executive vice president of business development for iLoop
Mobile. "By offering mFinity users access to Third Screen Media's
technology platform, we are helping them to not only create, connect and
control their mobile sites, but also add business-critical capabilities to
mobile Internet site deployment. Mobile sites can now offer the familiar ad
revenue streams, metrics and analytics of traditional web sites."

"Advertising has become a key enabler for the delivery of personalized,
innovative mobile media," said Tom Burgess, CEO, Third Screen Media. "Our
partnership with iLoop Mobile enables organizations using the mFinity
platform to effectively reach individual mobile device users and to reap
the financial rewards of mobile advertising in a simple and cost-effective
way."

What we think
Basically Third Screen is opening up the advertising market for iLoop’s customers. Existing content owners can now drag and drop in the right code in the right place on the WAP site and add mobile advertising simply.

More: http://pushingthebarrier.typepad.com/pushing_the_barrier/2007/05/aol_and_third_s.html
Also see analysis of AOL's strategy and Third Screen Media in The Mobile Advertising and Marketing Analyst at www.bkimedia.com

Simyo goes 3G

Rating: Happy Birthday zoom zoom

Simyo the German mobile discounter celebrates its birthday by launching 3G SIM cards. The low cost discounter is going up market and filling a need in the market.
Moreover its giving EUR 15 back to any new subscribers. This means that actual cost of the SIM goes from EUR 19.95 to EUR 4.95.

German survey looks at attitudes to mobile advertising and marketing

Rating: no **** Sherlock

By Annie Turner

The German Internet Economy Organisation (ECO) has published third part of its results of a survey of German consumers’ attitudes towards mobile marketing and advertising. There are no surprises.

The survey asked specialists in the telecoms, Internet and TV industries what they felt about the acceptance of German consumers of mobile advertising. Some 63% believe that in 2007 and 2008 there will be change in attitude and that consumers will be more willing to accept advertising on their hand sets. Only 31 % think that this will definitely not be the case. Hard to say what they do in their spare time.

The participants were also asked which areas of mobile advertisement they thought would be most successful. The answers were surprisingly old-fashioned: at the top of the list came banners and sponsored links came out top with 28%. Video and music downloads came a poor second with 13% while in-game advertising got the vote of just 7% and product placement in video clips were seen by only 6% as having a role to play anytime soon.

This could be for any one of three reasons. The participants are more realistic than those of us who are up to our necks in the mobile advertising and marketing, and who have a tendency to look forward rather than at where we are now. Secondly, which I favour, the experts (that is someone who knows a lot about very little) totally underestimate the savvy of mobile consumers. Or thirdly, the survey would have been more convincing if they’d asked the consumers.

Dr Bettina Horster of ECO reckons it takes two to three years for consumers to become accustomed to new forms of marketing and expects much to change over that time. In particular, she says that better responses results are being achieved already through cross-marketing methods, which consumers tend to view as interesting offers, not advertising. For example, a mobile user downloads a piece of music to their phone and when the download is completed, they are offered tickets for the next concert.

Holy smoke, joined up marketing. What will they think of next?

Miyowa adds mobile advertising to mobile instant messaging

Rating: nifty

by Bena Roberts


Miyowa is an instant messaging provider now dabbling heavily in mobile advertising. Last week it launched a ad-funded game service in France and this week its pushing its new Mobile Advertising Ready service.
MoveMessenger is a new platform that injects mobile advertisements into IM.

This is achieved by using splash screen, tabs or pop-ups and virtual buddy services. This IM advertising solution can connect to all branded or private mobile instant messaging solutions.

From the press release
Stéphane Hareng, VP marketing of Miyowa declares: “Miyowa continues to pioneer the mobile IM market and is the first to implement advertising within the MoveMessengerTM client. As of now, operators and end users will be able to choose within the application between a paying or a free model, financed by advertising.“

What we think
We spoke to Pascal Lorne a few weeks ago and once he is a nice gifted French man. His vision is for instant communication via IM over any platform. He has travelled the world as a back packer and his vision for communication and connection come from his journeys far and wide.
Annie is writing a feature on IM services and advertising in the next issue of The Mobile Advertising and Marketing Analyst.

Vodafone Germany launches Energy Saving Initiative

Rating: GoGreenMo says jolly well done

by Bena Roberts

As part of GoMo News initiative to promote any environmentally friendly initiatives we are delighted to commend Vodafone Germany. Vodafone Germany is taking the environment extremely seriously and is creating a two year plan to reduce energy and save. Friedrich Joussen, GM of Vodafone Germany is at the forefront of the initiative which will help the environment by saving on energy transmission, electricity, creating a more efficient network and improving the cooling systems of the base stations.

Sign-up for our new GoMo BETA newsletter here: http://www.bkimedia.com/contact.php

Mobile local search is a hit close to home

Rating: repeat usage rules

By Annie Turner

Local search is finally coming into the mainstream. Forget being a stranger in a strange land trying to find an emergency pizza, local search is about checking out local stuff, from what’s on at the cinema to traffic updates. In other words, repeat usage that mirrors stuff we all do everyday.

The m-spatial Winter/Spring Mobile Local Search Index charts local searches made on mobile phones in the first quarter of 2007. The Index highlighted a 100% increase in consumers checking traffic cameras, enabling them to plan routes and miss traffic blackspots, even on familiar journeys. Cinema searches still top the index, with Odeon and Cineworld swapping positions at the top of the brand charts, while Halfords has entered the top ten brand searches as people’s thoughts turn to outdoor pursuits like camping and cycling.

More obscure searches logged during the quarter include for lime kilns, toilet hire, diving services, marine engineers, genealogists and historians, model villages and animal transportation. No data was provided on the success of these more esoteric searches, but at least the cinema is doing a roaring trade.

From the press release
Top Ten Local Search Brands* January - April 2007
Ranking Brand Percentage*cent*
1 (▲1) Odeon 18
2 (▼1) Cineworld 17
3 (-) Tesco 14
4 (▲1) Domino’s Pizza 9
5 (▼1) Pizza Hut 9
6 (▲2) Asda 8
7 (▼1) Vue 8
8 (▼1) Premier Travel Inn 7
9 (-) Sainbury’s 6
10 (New Entry) Halfords 5
* based on the final chosen result of each individual mobile search by brand. Percentage figures based on breakdown of searches to top ten brands. Ranking changes relate to January - March Mobile Local Search Index figures.

Top Ten Local Search Categories* January - April 2007
Ranking Business type Percentage*cent ankin
1 (-) Cinema 18
2 (-) Fast food 17
3 (-) Drinking 16
4 (-) Taxi 11
5 (-) Supermarkets 8
6 (▲3) Bed & breakfast 7
7 (▼1) Clubbing 7
8 (▼1) Electrical & electronics 6
9 (▲1) Home 5
10 (▼2) Clothing and fashion 5
*based on the final chosen result of each individual mobile search by category. Percentage figures based on breakdown of searches to top ten categories. Ranking changes relate to January - March Mobile Local Search Index figures.

Andy Walker, CEO of m-spatial said: “The Index again highlights the breadth of local content that users are demanding while on the move. Perhaps more significantly, this quarter’s search index highlights the growing trend of repeat usage of mobile local search services with consumers increasingly realising the value of search, not only when in an unfamiliar area, but on a regular basis near home, when making regular journeys and when planning a night out. This is a significant step in the development and mass market adoption of local search.”

Bena adds: m-spatial has clients in the UK and Italy. Orange remains m-spatial’s largest client in the UK at the Orange Partner Camp in Orlando – Orange announced that from this summer the mobile local search service will become a free to use service including browsing costs. Also the service will be tailored and targeted with in the new mobile portal. See analysis of the new Vodafone live vs the new Orange World out on Friday.

Google spokesperson mute on new Vodafone and Google rumours

Rating: the DJ falls silent

Because we are edgy, companies tip us off on juicy new happenings. We’ve received a goodie about the Vodafone/Google partnership, which so far has failed to ignite.

Apparently Vodafone’s PC to mobile initiative, for which Google powers the mobile search services (on the all new Vodafone live), has gained an “add to Vodafone” facility via a simple button. This will allow those accessing the Internet, through the Vodafone services to incorporate a search link, piece of content or promotion to their own personal space.

I did try to get DJ Collins at Google to confirm or deny the rumour, but apparently he is too busy to talk to me on the grounds GoMo News is not sufficiently important.

Never mind do no evil, the press office has become more like the three wise monkeys – you know, one has it’s hand over its mouth and its motto is speak no evil, the next has its fingers in its ears and lives by the principle of hearing no evil and the third has its hands over its eyes to avoid seeing evil.

All of which is an interesting strategy for a department whose raison d’etre is communicating with the outside world.

GSMA and Microsoft test the water for mobile broadband

Rating: give us the money, we can tell you how

By Annie Turner

The GSM Association (GSMA) and Microsoft are embarking on a global research programme to determine consumer trends and the mass market potential of notebook PCs with embedded mobile broadband. They could save their breath to cool their porridge.

The bottom line is that most people can't afford a top-end handheld or laptop, mobile data rates are too slow and data charges much, much too high.

Those are the inhibitors to a mass market and those in emerging economies whipping out their laptop to send email from their nearest town.

It's amusing that the telecoms industry at large defines anything under 2Mbps as narrowband, whereas most of us are lucky to get beyond the realms of kilobits per second via GPRS or 3G. Sure, the HSDA (high speed packet data) rate of technologies is being rolled out around the world, generally starting with HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access), but the maximum possible uplink speed is an inadequate 384kbps ­ nowhere near enough to upload a video of your dog doing backward somersaults to MySpace.

MMA Global: The wrong end of the binoculars?

Rating: metrics raise their ugly head again

By Annie Turner


According to Channel NewsAsia, the newly formed Asia-Pacific chapter of the Mobile Marketing Association has launched to mixed reviews. For instance, a ploy that has worked well in the US for Virgin Mobile is offering a few free SMSs in return for customers watching ads. This isn't likely to prove much of a hit in the Philippines though where people send an average of 240 texts a day each. For one thing, they wouldn't have the time!

Sandy Agarwal, Chairman (Asia Pacific), Mobile Marketing Association, acknowledged this and said, "One of the ways you can do it is about understanding the customers. Now whether it's cashback, or whether it's discounts or whether it's a suite of promotions, it's the balance that can be worked out. In markets like Japan, it's actually the most successful market with mobile marketing the ad spend is in excess of USD 350m."

However, not everyone is so fired up. Channel NewsAsia quoted Leonardo O'Grady, Integrated Marketing Communications Director, Coca-Cola Pacific, saying, "For us, it's becoming less and less about reach, and more and more about clear effectiveness. We're unable to get really clear metrics around how this is affecting the business, driving sales other than very specific type of tactical things where it gets really exciting is where you can connect with people on an emotional level, a personal level, if you could build a relationship."

The trouble is that so far in the West this has been a very big if indeed and there is little chance of standardised metrics any time soon.

Interesting that Japan is the world's most advanced mobile advertising market. It was also the first in the world to open up its networks to all-comers to do business starting with i-Mode back in the 1990's and to offer an affordable, open, mobile Internet. Surely there's a lesson in there somewhere?

TIM launches Vitamine service to enhance its pioneering Tribu offer

Rating: pump it up

By Bena Roberts

Telecom Italia Mobile has launched a new vitamine service to enhance Tribu. Tribu is the youth tribe focused mobile calling offer. The vitamin cost EUR 0.25 per day. But once activating everything or all communication to the number on which it has been activated is free. This is not for all mobile phone use but only for the number that is activated (called) by the Tribu user.

So – for a flat rate free of EUR 0.25 all calls, video calls, MMS and SMS will be free for the whole day (24 hours).

The vitamines are capped but they are capped very generously at 1000 SMS or MMS or video call minutes per day. To take advantage of this offer you have to have a Tribe phone service. If you don’t and you want one TIM will reimburse the EUR 7 sign-up free for anyone on Tribu that signs up before August 31, 2007.

What we think?
TIM rocks. Promotions such as these shouldn’t be restricted to Italy and let’s hope that TIM can influence Telefonica (has 18% of Telecom Italia)to push similar promotions in O2 territories across Europe.

Icefone adds mobile coupons to Bebo

Rating: ice ice bebo; ice ice bebo

by Bena Roberts

The youth focused social networking site Bebo has signed up Icefone to push mobile coupons to users for free. The vouchers are sent to the mobile phone and retailers can target Bebo users that consent.

Advertisers using the Icefone coupon service include Apache Pizza, Eddie Rockets and Leisureplex and McDonalds is also trialling the service across Ireland.

What we think
Apparently 1000 users have signed up for this. User will need a WAP phone and users will also need to download the application and download the coupons. This is not free and data charges occur – so it’s not that great is it. The coupons are updated weekly and some are re-usable and others expire. Most of the advertisers for the coupon service are for fast food restaurants or take-away services. This is again not the Bebo target market which is mainly kids and youth.

Mobile coupons are coming of age and increasing in popularity but perhaps lower cost concert tickets would appeal more to the Bebo target market?

Cartier does mobile advertising on mobizines

Rating: bling bling

by Bena Roberts

Cartier will run a mobile advertising campaign via GQ and Glamour mobizines. Mobizines are downloadable on device applications that can be downloaded onto mobile devices. Once downloaded they are updated over the air. There are 60,000 subscribers to GQ and Glamour mobizines.

Mobizines are created by Refresh Mobile and have been embraced by many mobile operators or they can also be downloaded directly by the consumer. GoMo News is also available on the blog mobizine from Refresh.

More info:
http://pushingthebarrier.typepad.com/pushing_the_barrier/2007/05/gomo_news_is_fo.html
http://pushingthebarrier.typepad.com/pushing_the_barrier/2007/04/gomo_news_mobil.html

Deutsche Telekom is after Orange NL and France Telecom is officially thinking about it

Rating: gulp, slurp once more time

by Bena Roberts

Deutsche Telekom’s strategy in the Netherlands has been one of eating up small players. First T-Mobile bought the funkiest smallest and most dynamic player in the Netherlands Ben and now its eyes are on Orange NL another innovator in the space.

I have been to the Orange NL offices many a time – but every time I am there the offices are the same but the staff different. It’s an extremely competitive environment and Orange NL is a small, aggressive but only sometimes hits the mark with its promotions.

France Telecom is thinking about it and let’s see what happens. There are many pros and cons to this for both players but its very early days – more as it or if it happens.

GoMo News and the first premium sponsor is.....

Rating: iOTA Sphere!!

So, many thanks to iOTA Sphere for advertising on GoMo News. We aim to take care of our sponsors and instead of just having a banner ad we are going to do a short interview and where possible push a special offer or promotion.

The guys at iOTA have created a special GoMo News service for us that people in the UK can sign-up to by texting 60060 (see banner at the top of the page). For WAP users and those readers not in the UK (almost 50% of our readership) you can download the services for FREE by typing into your mobile browser:

So I asked iOTA’s VP of marketing Bruce Eley three quick fire questions:

Bena: What does iOTASphere mean?
Bruce: iOTA equals information Over The Air. iOTA is the ninth and smallest letter in the Greek alphabet and in English means small. Sphere just means that is has its own medium like atmosphere.

Bena: When did you launch?
Bruce: Company launched in August 2006. The iOTA products launched in January 2007. MYiOTA just launched.

Bena: Who is behind iOTA Sphere and where did you meet?
Bruce: Founders are Bruce Eley, Ben Farr and Ghazi Ramadan. Ghazi brought the team together, he knew Ben from the On Device Portal Market and Bruce from developing early stage businesses in the mobile industry. First met in Covent Garden which is where the office is now.

Wanna get special treatment and advertise on the hottest edgiest mobile news site? Contact adam@stonkmedia.com or caroline@bkimedia.com.
Remember; we will treat you very well but we remain fiercely independent and there are no “disclaimers – they are sponsors”. We say it as it is!

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GoMo News Newsletter - Alpha

Rating: let’s give it a go

We have had several requests of late for a newsletter from GoMo News either daily, weekly or three times a week. We are trying to decide as a team if it’s necessary and we are going into Alpha mode.

If you would like to receive a newsletter and test it in the Alpha stage with us – Please sign up here:
http://www.bkimedia.com/contact.php

It’s the Receive Updates box on the right hand side under the comments box. Please just type in your email address.

The Mobile Advertising and Marketing Analyst headlines

Mobile Advertising: Medio vs JumpTap and FAST
Medio Systems is playing catch-up in the mobile advertising space. JumpTap has been promoting itself as the mobile advertising leader for at least a year in the consumer arena, while Medio has embarked on a quieter, more structured marketing assault. In the meantime, FAST has pretty much had mobile advertising in enterprise to itself...

Killer ad models generate user activity and content
Mobile advertising is already stale. Just as the mobile browser needs to be made for mobile, so mobile advertising needs to be fit for purpose too. Banner ads, pay per call, pay per click, organic links or sponsored links are only the tip of the iceberg. Vendors need to shift their focus away from copying Internet business models to creating new ones for mobile and, in particular, to cash in on the apparently insatiable appetite for and the viral spread of user generated content (UGC)...

Will ScreenTonic provide the lift to realise Microsoft's ad ambitions? Mobile has moved up the agenda
It's a big task. In 2006, Microsoft's chair, Bill Gates, and its CEO, Steve Ballmer, were vocal about their aim of catching up with Google's online revenue. They've made little progress. Google made a cool USD 1bn last quarter while Microsoft's MSN business lost USD 205m. MSN's platform adCenter is only being used in 11% of searches compared with Google's 48%, according to comScore...

Gaming industry divided over the ad-funded business models
So this is the received wisdom: the global games industry is worth around USD 5bn annually, but is stagnant and in need of another business model. The mostly younger people who play games simply can't afford the EUR 5, USD 5, GBP 5 average price per game and the way forward is for big brands to subsidise games. This would mean that are free or at a discounted price to players in exchange for them viewing adverts in some form or another (see panel)...

Voice is still the killer application and how
As everybody knows, mobile operators' chief source of income comes from phone calls – with SMS a good second. The expectation is that eventually revenues from voice account for a smaller portion of income as it becomes a commodity and as revenue from data services increases...

Can made for mobile communities triumph over Internet models?
One British mobile community thinks so. Martin Bowley, CEO of Pitch (www.pitch.mobi) tells BKI Media' Annie Turner why and how they can. Previously Mr Bowley was CEO of British TV channel Carlton Media until it merged with the larger ITV in 2004. At Carlton, he was responsible for the TV and cinema sales business, and developing new, interactive advertising streams to match the arrival of new free-to-air channels...

The would-be setters of mobile advertising standards
Who’s who in ad standards and who cares?
The intended purpose of this piece was to look at the role of three organisations, each of which is promoting itself as the key player in moving mobile advertising forward. BKI Media wanted to establish who was doing what concerning the establishment of standards of ad types, sizes and resolutions, as well as in developing metrics comparable to those provided for advertisers in other media, taking the fact that every operator does things its own way and that there are some 3,000 different mobile handsets in use around the world.

Also see: www.bkimedia.com

Google Calendar for Mobile

Rating: why would you pay data charges to see your calendar?

by Bena Roberts

OK. Google is following a dumping strategy where everything fixed gets dumped to mobile and the Calendar is a prime example.

The app might be fine and simple and all that... but (and there always is a but...)
One thing that mobile phone manufacturers targeting the business market have cornered is the calendar. The Calendar on any S60 or S90 device is free and its off-line and synchronising from PC to mobile is fast, free and easy. Even on older devices or ones from LG boast a nifty on device calendar app.

With data rates for off-portal as expensive as they are and business users already tech savvy in the mobile/ calendar space it’s unlikely that this Calendar service will be a god send for anyone apart from the army of Googlite nerds out there.

Mobile TV ad metrics begin

Rating: tough job, but someone has to do it

By Annie Turner

Rentrak has entered into an agreement with Hiwire to conduct a joint measurement trial of mobile TV viewing by consumers in Las Vegas. Hiwire specialises in delivery of mobile TV entertainment and is a subsidiary of Aloha Partners, the largest owner of 700MHz spectrum in the US.

During the trial, Rentrak will anonymously monitor mobile TV viewing data from Hiwire to provide a web-based statistical reporting service. In effect, it will serve as Hiwire¹s primary data analytics and third-party verification provider, delivering audience viewing metrics, such as the total number of viewers, of video and video advertising watched on mobile phones. The joint trial will begin this summer.

Mobile TV is very new and there is a lot of contradictory information about viewing habits and preferences floating about in the market. The only way that mobile TV will become an ad-funded or supported channel is if reliable, accurate metrics are available. All parties need to remember that this is NOT bog standard TV on a smaller screen and therefore the metrics used for TV will only be applicable in part and that entirely new modes of behaviour are of most interest. In other words, in this emerging market, it's important to be measuring the right things.

For more information see http://www.rentrak.com/mc_press_release?file=052307

MTV launches VMTV virtual community to create avatars and Pimp My Ride virtual cars

Rating: bad, man, bad and GoMo News to give away MTV goodies

by Bena Roberts

MTV has launched vMTV its virtual sister. At the moment it’s an online community that is free to join and users can create avatars and pimp out their virtual cars. (As huge fans of Pimp My Ride; GoMo News is going to create its own virtual car this morning!).

It’s not mobile yet – but it probably will be as MTV has MVNO co-branded VIVA services in Europe in Belgium and Germany.

Watch out as we will be running a Give Away promotion with MTV for the best pimped out car or avatar or just for fun.

More information:

What we think?
I love this video because the advertising is subtle. Pepsi must be a sponsor but you see Pepsi for less than a second. Its well promoted and subtle. Definitely the way forward for advertising to youth market segments.

T-Mobile chat with Web 'n' walk Guru

Rating: where there’s a will there is a Web ‘n’ walk

by Bena Roberts

I had a chat with T-Mobile’s Head of Web ‘n’ walk today, Dario Betti. He’s a friendly Italian man and has been with the company about two years. We spoke intently on Google and T-Mobile – the relationship, the future and mobile advertising.

What is clear is that at the time we all questioned the Web ‘n’ walk strategy – but as Dario pointed out in reality after a few years of a disappointing WAP strategy: T-Mobile did actually set the Google trend. He is bullish on T-Mobile’s Web ‘n’ walk and promises some very exciting new things.

Anyway – it was also great talking to T-Mobile as it gave me a great comparative point for my forthcoming analysis on the new Vodafone live! vs the new Orange World. Vodafone’s convergence PC to mobile strategy vastly contrasts that of Orange Worlds’ personalised approach. I predict that one of these brands will have to review its strategy soon rather than later – but you will just have to read to see which one!

More as usual in The Mobile Search Analyst.

GupShup mixes social networking, ads and SMS

Rating: recipe for success?

By Annie Turner

Webaroo is a curious hybrid of being US-based, focused on India. It¹s
charismatic and very successful founder, Rakesh Mathur, has introduced an
SMS service called GupShup (www.smsgupshup.com) to bring social networking
to the mobile.

People using either GupShup's Web site or short number code on their mobile
phone can start a group based on common interests, from wine tasting to
whining, then invite people to join.

The service is free of charge, except of course paying for the messages
themselves, but GupShup intends to make money by attaching advertising
messages to the ones that group members send to each other, using
keyword-based software and databases to make a good match between recipient
and advertiser.

The service has been on in India for just over a month and has a 10,000
members, but is doubling in size every week.

It¹s a pioneering attempt to combine three strands of everyday life in the
West in a country where many people can¹t use MySpace because they haven¹t
got access to a PC and the fixed Internet. It could spawn a completely
different type of communities, so long as the ads are done well and don¹t
get in the way.

Cingular close to bottom of the class on portal usability

Rating: could do better ­ much, much better

By Annie Turner


AT&T (Cingular as was) came out second to bottom in the Click Index ­ that is, how many clicks it takes on the mobile portal to get what you want. The leader, Sprint, has nothing to be too proud of though ­ apparently it takes
17 clicks to buy a game.

AT&T was found to be the least helpful to visitors trying to find content, but again, the leader, Helio in this category, has work to do. Its user interface failed to impress.

AT&T needs to pull its socks up. Not only is it delivering a poor user experience, but it's looking the wrong way as the parade goes past. For reasons beyond me, it thinks being big is enough. As its new name should tell it, this is living in a fool's paradise ­ just look what happened to the apparently unassailable, original AT&T, which was also looking the other way when the fixed line industry evolved.

AT&T (Cingular) likes to throw its weight around and has stated publicly it has no time for initiatives striving to provide a uniform, mobile platform for big brand advertising, although it has now signed up to the new GSM Association Programme.

The thing is, it has two choices. It can fit into the evolving ecosystem which will see mobile become another medium for advertising and marketing or it can go the way of the dinosaurs and the original AT&T. And if it is going to remain a force in mobile, it needs to become much, much more customer orientated ­ and fast. The i-Phone won't be enough.

For more info on the survey see
http://www.strategyanalytics.com/press/PR00426.htm

American idol gets 74m texting

Rating: winning formula

By Annie Turner


Last night some 74m Americans texted to vote for 17 year old Jordin Sparks to win the TV talent competition, American Idol. We feel suitable motivation will be far more successful in getting Americans to send SMS than town meetings proposed by one operator. Lower prices would certainly help, as well as not charging sender and receiver, which is just too greedy.

With perfect timing, the Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF) has just published a draft Code of Practice (Code) outlining best practices for Participation Television (P-TV) in the US. Often voting or answering quiz questions is billed for as at a premium rate.

The final draft is expected in a couple of month's time. After all the scandals in Europe, particularly the UK, about people being charged GBP 1 or more per text when the decision has been taken already, or their text is otherwise disregarded, we wish the MEF luck, as always.

Car club MVNO in Portugal?

Rating: broom, broom, vroooooooooooom

by Bena Roberts

Apparently, The Portuguese car club is planning and MVNO for its 400,000 subscribers and its president Carlos Barbosa is in talks with network operators.

This is interesting as it touches on the aspect of loyalty and mobile.
The Portuguese car club is obviously full of loyal members that all love cars. So, why only offer them a mobile phone service? A mobile in Portugal would be foolish to miss this opportunity – but instead of allowing the club to launch a full scale MVNO it should first consider offering a tailor made package to the club and look at the German mobile discounter model.

Why?
Well for one. Just think of the potential. 400,000 customers all fans of cars. Why not go ahead and build them a mobile portal with a search and tag function so that a community can be built. Merely offering a phone service would be a waste of time. Offering a data service that enables them to send in pictures of their car, share tips on washing or cleaning it and perhaps starting fan clubs for certain models is the way forward.

No, I am not joking. I am a huge Formula 1 fan. Even though I would never by a Mercedes and I have had a different BMW every couple of years for the past ten years – I am a huge fan of McLaren. So basically, I am now looking for a Vodafone contract in Germany for the sole reason of getting F1 highlights and gossip on Lewis Hamilton.

Cars breed loyalty and loyalty is what mobile needs. But there is potential here for mobile operators to make active moves to capture these communities. It should be the operators doing the finding and not the car clubs doing the asking.

Nokia Widsets and Foreca makes the weather sexy

Rating: cool as a cucumber

by Bena Roberts

Nokia has announced that it has 1 million registered users on its Widsets service. Widsets are widgets for mobile. They can be downloaded from the Widsets website to mobile for easy access to the service.

Foreca
So I saw the Foreca Widset today on the Nokia site and I remembered a great story and would like to highlight how the weather can be very, very sexy.

At Orange Partner Camp I was offered a taxi ride to the airport by an impressive woman. This woman turned out to be Tiina Asula, Sales Director at Foreca. Foreca is a mobile weather company. Initially, I thought “oh no” when she offered me a demo.

But I shouldn’t have done because Foreca boasts by far the most appealing, fun and interactive (YES, INTERACTIVE) weather service I have ever seen. She even used it to tell me the weather of what it would be like in Frankfurt when I landed.

After the demo I could vision a mobile community of weather nerds - but, why not?

Mobile social networking in South Africa with Mobimii

Rating: Mobime- me miiiii

by Bena Roberts

South Africa embraces the mobile social networking phase with the launch of Mobimii. Mobimii is a the latest mobile social networking site offering free content, free chat and free subscription. Ofcourse the data charges from the mobile operator are extra and that is always the killer.

GoMo News gets first site premium sponsor

Rating: Yippee

We are delighted to announce that we have our first paid sponsor of GoMo News. I am not going to tell you who it is yet – you will have to wait and see on Monday when the headline banner goes live.

But we are very excited and we are negotiating with three additional exciting brands.

In another note our WAP site is back online and I am going to try and make it funkier – but the RSS is back up. Sorry to all of you about that. I must also thank Lorraine from Wapple who helped me fix the RSS feed problem.

If you would like to know more about sponsoring GoMo News please contact adam@stonkmedia.com or caroline@bkimedia.com

Iqzone Snap Send Sell

Rating: snappy sending selling

by Bena Roberts

Iqzone offers broadcast ad technology via Snap Send and Sell solution.

OK, we haven’t tested this and the company is still in BETA. But like Celltick (also a broadcast idle screen solution) iqzone aims to broadcast adverts to phones.

Apparently the service is free, sponsored by targeted advertisers and SPAM free. On top of that it claims to be able to send any add in the space of 60 seconds.
The press release is a bit thin but we will do some digging and report back.

AdMob signs exclusive partnership with Peperoni

Rating: chilli, man, just chilli

By Bena Roberts

OK. Before I start I have to gasp as I nearly fell off my chair. The press release begins with AdMob the world’s largest mobile advertising network? Cough, tickle, choke; excuse me?

The WORLD’S Largest mobile advertising network? Not just in the US or Europe or Mongolia but The WORLD.... This is like saying GoMo News The WORLDS EDGIEST MOBILE BLOG.
Well actually, the latter statement could ring true (only joking).

Anyway,