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NOMINATIONS FOR MOBILE MARKETING ASSOCIATION AWARDS DUE THIS WEEK

November 2, 2005 Marks Closure Of The Nomination Process!

WHAT: The nomination process for the Mobile Marketing Association will close this week on Wednesday, November 2, 2005. The awards honor the contributions of leading companies and individuals that have significantly influenced the global mobile marketing industry.
“Our goal in running this annual awards ceremony is to provide recognition to the companies and individuals who are developing innovative technologies, services and programs to drive the use of the mobile channel as an integral component of the marketing mix,” said, Laura Marriott, executive director of the Mobile Marketing Association. “The nominations will be evaluated based on contribution, innovation, success and general influence on the mobile marketing industry worldwide.”

WHO: The Mobile Marketing Association is an action-oriented association designed to clear obstacles to market development, to establish standards and best practices for sustainable growth, and to evangelize the mobile channel for use by brands and third party content providers. MMA members include agencies, advertisers, hand held device manufacturers, wireless operators and service providers, retailers, software and services providers, as well as any company focused on the potential of marketing via the mobile channel. The Mobile Marketing Association’s global headquarters are located in the United States. For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com.

WHEN: The deadline for nominations is November 2, 2005. The Mobile Marketing Association Awards will be presented at the MMA Annual General Meeting Awards Dinner on November 29, 2005 in Los Angeles.

HOW: Nomination forms, and details, can be found on the MMA web site located at http://www.mmaglobal.com . All nominations should be faxed or emailed to [email protected]. For questions, please contact +1.303.881.9153.

Mobile Marketing Association Welcomes New Members
Rapidly Growing Membership Reflects Value Top Marketers Place in the Mobile Channel

BELLEVUE, August 23 — The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) today announced that 27 new members have joined the association in the last few months. The Mobile Marketing Association is an action-oriented association designed to clear obstacles to market development, to establish standards and best practices for sustainable growth, and to evangelize the mobile channel for use by brands and third party content providers.

“We are thrilled to have these industry leaders join our association,” said Laura Marriott, MMA Executive Director. “Industry awareness and excitement about the power of the mobile channel has been steadily increasing. The MMA is at the center of this opportunity and will leverage its member’s strength and commitment to create collaborative guidelines and best practices for using mobile data to reach consumers.”

New MMA membership additions include: Buongiorno USA; Distributive Networks, LLC; Dwango Wireless; I-Jump; Juice Wireless, Inc.; JumpTap; Lucent Technologies; M:Metrics; Mobile Information Access (MIA); Mobile Messenger; Mobile Phone Applications (Mophap); NeoMedia Technologies, Inc.; Opera Telecom USA; Phonebites; Quigley Simpson Interactive; Simplewire; Sony Pictures Digital; TextingNow, LLC; The Concept Studio (“TCS”); Tira Wireless; USATODAY.com; US Cellnet Information, Inc.; Virtu Mobile; VML; Wireless Services Corp.; Yahoo!; and, Zapptrio.

The MMA also welcomes Rouben Haroutoonian, Executive Vice President, Dwango Wireless and Joe Barone, President, Virtu Mobile to the MMA Board of Directors.

About the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)
The Mobile Marketing Association is an action-oriented association designed to clear obstacles to market development, to establish standards and best practices for sustainable growth, and to evangelize the mobile channel for use by brands and third party content providers. MMA members include agencies, advertisers, hand held device manufacturers, wireless operators and service providers, retailers, software and services providers, as well as any company focused on the potential of marketing via the mobile channel. The Mobile Marketing Association’s global headquarters are located in Bellevue, WA. For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com.

For more information:
Laura Marriott
Executive Director, Mobile Marketing Association
[email protected]
+1.303.881.9153

"We are extremely pleased that Laura will represent MMA and lead the organization's efforts in growing its membership, maximizing its reach, and helping shape the global mobile marketing industry’s future," said Jim Manis, Global Chairman for the Mobile Marketing Association. “The MMA is entering a new stage of development as the market evolves, and Laura will help us to grow with selected initiatives and events designed to foster sustainable, consumer-friendly growth in the marketplace.”
Ms. Marriott has over fourteen years of experience in the high-tech industry in the areas of business development, product management and marketing, including extensive experience in the mobile marketplace. Most recently, Marriott served as Intrado Inc’s Director of International Mobility Marketing, where she was responsible for the development and delivery of messaging solutions. While at Intrado she also managed marketing for the wireless 9-1-1 portfolio and helped to successfully execute Intrado’s acquisition of bmd wireless, a global leader in core network messaging. Before her tenure at Intrado, Marriott also held leadership positions at Cyneta Networks and Cell-Loc Inc. She graduated from the University of Alberta.
"This is an exciting time to be in the mobile marketing industry," said Marriott. "New technologies, wireless data adoption and true interoperability will result in tremendous benefits to MMA, its members, consumers and the industry as whole. Further, we have a tremendous opportunity to reinforce and extend the robustness and sustainability of the marketplace by serving as an effective forum for representatives of all major constituencies."
The Mobile Marketing Association Executive Committee includes: Jim Manis, Global Chairman (m-Qube); Louis Gump, Vice-Chairman and Treasurer (The Weather Channel Interactive); Carrie Himelfarb-Seifer, Secretary (Vindigo); Jerry Easom (Syniverse Technologies) and Jean Berberich (Procter & Gamble).
Peter Fuller, the MMA’s prior Executive Director, has resigned to pursue consulting opportunities in the mobile marketing space after five years of service to the organization. He will continue to be an active MMA member.
About Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)
The Mobile Marketing Association is the premier global association that strives to stimulate the growth of mobile marketing, m-commerce and supporting technologies. MMA members include agencies, advertisers, hand held device manufacturers, wireless operators and service providers, retailers, software providers and services providers, as well as any company focused on the potential of marketing via mobile devices. The Mobile Marketing Association’s global headquarters are located in Bellevue, WA. For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com
For more information:
Laura Marriott
Executive Director, Mobile Marketing Association
[email protected]

Mountain View, CA, February 22, 2005—The Mobile Marketing Association today announces the formation of two new working groups: the MMA Best Practices Committee and the MMA Metrics Research Committee. The Best Practices group is led by Mike Baker, President and COO of Enpocket and the Metrics group is led by Jean Berberich, Systems Manager for Procter and Gamble and vice-chaired by Irené Waldman of Visa U.S.A.

Best Practices Committee
The Best Practices committee will work this year to establish a set of guidelines and recommendations for effective, efficient execution of mobile marketing campaigns via SMS, MMS, wireless web and PDA. Core principles will focus on ensuring consumer privacy and a positive, welcomed experience with the medium. On the committee are the following MMA members: Mike Baker of Enpocket; Heidi Lehmann of Third Screen Media; David LaPlante of Twelve Horses; Neil Versen of AvantGo; and Eric Wheeler of OgilvyInteractive Worldwide.

“I am excited to form this working grouping for the MMA,” said Best Practice committee chair Mike Baker (Enpocket). “We will work this year to establish solid principles of execution based on domestic and international experiences with the medium to ensure all parties—brands, advertisers carriers and consumers—benefit positively from their mobile experience.”

The Best Practices committee will meet in Atlanta on March 3.

Metrics Committee
The Metrics committee will work this year to establish the parameters for accurate cross-media return-on-investment measurement guidelines for advertisers, brands and carriers using mobile marketing. Although mobile marketing drives the highest responses of any advertising medium, a central resource for ROI measurement principles has not yet been established for the medium, as it has with traditional advertising. This committee will work to provide those guidelines through the MMA this year. On the committee are the following: Jean Berberich of Procter and Gamble; Lisa Fields of go2 Directory Systems, Nihal Mehta of ipsh!, Karim Sanjabi of Carat Interactive; John Styers of Sprint; Irené Waldman of Visa U.S.A.; and Amy Wilson, of Cingular.

"As a leading brand and strong supporter of mobile marketing, Visa is excited to participate in this very important effort," said Irené Waldman, committee vice chair. "Mobile marketing could be the most effective and personal advertising medium available to brands, and having an universal set of established metrics will give brands the proper tools to measure the medium's potential for outstanding return-on-investment."

The Metrics committee will meet in New Orleans at CTIA on March 13.

Growing the Industry
With more than 165 million mobile consumers and 2.5 billion SMS messages sent each month, the United States is the second-largest single pool of cell phone users in the world (China is first). The cell phone is by far the most personal communication device for consumers and the most coveted media platform for advertisers.

“We will continue to see tremendous growth in mobile marketing this year,” said Jim Manis, MMA Global Chair. The formation of these and other committees will work to drive that growth and provide a stable, efficient and effective mechanism for brands and advertisers to communicate with consumers.”

# # #

About the MMA
The Mobile Marketing Association is the premier global association that strives to stimulate the growth of mobile marketing, M-commerce and supporting technologies. MMA members include agencies, advertisers, handheld device manufacturers, carriers and operators, retailers, software providers and service providers, as well as any company focused on the potential of marketing via mobile devices. More information is available at www.mmaglobal.com.

Jim Manis, the award's namesake, is award's first recipient.

Mountain View, CA, October 18, 2004-The Mobile Marketing Association today announces the first annual Manis Award for Outstanding Service and Dedication to the Mobile Marketing Industry. The Manis Award is the first such award in the industry. It is created to highlight an individual who exhibits impressive leadership and selfless dedication to growing the mobile marketing industry and promoting standards that benefit and protect consumers.


Jim Manis, senior vice president of m-Qube, was chosen by a unanimous vote of the four-member MMA Executive Committee to be not only the awards first recipient, but also its namesake.


Manis is currently the global chairman of the MMA, a position he has held since 2002. During his tenure, he has steered the organization through the economic downturn that forced many companies in the space to close their doors. Known for his collaborative leadership style, Manis helped restored confidence in the organization among its members and helped grow the industry by removing issues that prevented its rapid growth.


Following are some key industry accomplishment Manis has influenced since 2002:


- Creation of the Common Short Code. Short codes are used by brands to communicate via Short Message Service (SMS) to consumers. Before the common short code, a single short code did not work across all carriers simultaneously. Manis lead an MMA committee and worked with several key associations to help make the common short code a reality in 2003.

- Establishment of an Industry Code of Conduct. The CoC advises all brands, carriers, advertisers and technology partners to adopt a double opt-in standard for mobile marketing campaigns. This standard insures that consumers will not receive any advertising or marketing messages they do not specifically request. The CoC is now voluntarily included in many legal contracts.

- Global & Government Representation. Manis represented the organization to various federal agencies and committees and helped grow and develop the MMA in Europe. Neither he nor his company received re-imbursement dollars for travel, per MMA policy.

"Jim has been a tireless, dedicated leader of this organization for two years and has accomplished what many people said couldn't be done in that amount of time," said Peter Fuller, who has been with the MMA in various capacities for four years and now serves as its executive director. "His service gave birth to this industry in the United States."


The Manis Award will be awarded annually by the MMA executive committee and will be the industry's premiere leadership award.


"Jim's extreme dedication, global knowledge, and diplomatic business practices has helped mobile marketing become a reality and measurable advertising medium in North America." said Jean Berberich, P&G , executive committee member.

# # #



About the MMA

The Mobile Marketing Association is the premier global association that strives to stimulate the growth of mobile marketing, M-commerce and supporting technologies. MMA members include agencies, advertisers, handheld device manufacturers, carriers and operators, retailers, software providers and service providers, as well as any company focused on the potential of marketing via mobile devices. More information is available at www.mmaglobal.com

Mobile Pipeline News
CMP TECH WEB

A trade group of organizations that want to use wireless services and devices for marketing said this week it will examine ways to prevent mobile users from receiving spam.

The Mobile Marketing Association said in a statement that it has formed an anti-spam committee that will examine a national database that would enable users to opt in or out of various types of marketing campaigns aimed at mobile devices and their users. Last December, the group previously approved a code of conduct for marketers using wireless devices.

The group claims that, while marketers see mobile users as a target audience, they want to force users to accept unwanted messages.

"The industry is strongly behind this initiative," William Erickson, co-chair of the committee, said in a statement.


Mobile Marketing Association Gears Up to Get Tough on Spam
220 words
27 September 2004
WIRELESS NEWS

The Mobile Marketing Association has formed an anti-spam committee, the second phase in its program to ensure that wireless content applications remain spam-free.

The first phase was completed in 2003 with the release of the Code of Conduct.

The committee is lead by co-chairs Bill Erickson, CEO of M7 Networks, Gerry Christensen, director of Wireless Services for VeriSign, and Neil Kuruppu, CEO of Ecessor Corporation.

"I am pleased to announce the establishment of this committee, led by three of our industry's premier experts," said Jim Manis, MMA Global Chair. "The mobile channel is the fastest-growing medium for brand marketers and content providers today. The industry needs this committee to help ensure the consumer's right of non-participation, as well as to continue to build the foundation for the industry's long-term success."

The Anti-Spam Committee will research the merits of a national preference and privacy database designed to ensure a spam-free mobile experience. Such a system will allow consumers to opt in and out of various campaign types, based on the Code of Conduct, the group noted in a release.

By Riva Richmond

The Wall Street Journal

SEVERAL WEEKS after Lori Crispi got a new cellphone, trivia questions sent by a firm selling mobile services began popping up on her screen, accompanied by an annoying beep.

At first, Ms. Crispi, assistant to the head of a Colorado Springs, Colorado, real-estate brokerage firm, received five or six a day. Within three weeks, she was getting 15 to 20. And that's not all: She had to pay for the ads. Her cellphone company, T-Mobile USA Inc., charged her for every text message she received.

The spam was "beginning at 5 a.m., which is really unpleasant if you're not usually up that early," says Cathy Wickerd, the firm's bookkeeper, whom Ms. Crispi enlisted to get T-Mobile, a unit of Deutsche Telekom AG, to stop the onslaught and credit the firm's account. Although the bill amounted to only about $9 (7.30 euros), Ms. Wickerd was determined to get relief. After some elbow grease, including a complaint to the Federal Communications Commission, she succeeded.

The FCC considers experiences like Ms. Crispi's a warning. Now that text messaging is catching on in the U.S., the risk is rising that spam could one day flood cellphones, much as it has personal computers. The FCC -- along with wireless carriers, consumer advocates and marketers -- worries that unrestrained commercial messaging could spark a consumer backlash that would kill the mobile medium.

"Users are going to scream bloody murder" if the spamming picks up, says Alan Mosher, director of research at Probe Group LLC, a Cedar Knolls, New Jersey, telecom-focused research firm. That's particularly true, he says, since most consumers will be charged for receiving these messages. "If all of a sudden the consumer's handset is clogged up with unwanted messages, they'll just stop using it."

That's why the FCC, with the blessing of marketers and the wireless industry, last month issued rules prohibiting companies from sending commercial messages to wireless devices without the user's permission. But many say that the rules don't necessarily remove the risk to the industry: If the PC experience is any guide, legitimate marketers will comply with the law -- and fraudulent and unscrupulous ones won't.

Regulators, marketers and industry insiders look at other countries and worry. Wireless spam has run rampant in Japan in particular, where text messaging is more popular than e-mail. NTT DoCoMo Inc., Japan's largest cellphone provider, now stops an average of 960 million pieces of spam each day, or more than 80% of all messages, from reaching its 46 million subscribers.

Cellphone spam in the U.S. is still small, but there are signs it's rising. According to a June survey by research firm Yankee Group, 20% of U.S. mobile-phone users have received an advertisement or a commercial message, up from 13% a year ago.

"It's not a huge problem yet, but everyone's concerned about nipping the problem in the bud before it becomes unmanageable, as it has become with our PCs," says Susan Grant, vice president for public policy at the National Consumers League, a Washington, D.C., consumer-advocacy group.

"This is the last bastion that we are all trying to protect," says K. Dane Snowden, chief of the consumer and governmental affairs bureau at the FCC. "We're trying to watch the trends world-wide and trying to get ahead of them to protect the American consumer."

The good news: The wireless world has a number of advantages over e-mail when it comes to controlling spam.

For one thing, it's much easier to simply block spam from reaching the consumer. Carriers say filtering is easier in the wireless environment because, unlike the Internet, their networks are closed systems over which they exert near-dictatorial control. "Once something is knocking at the door of our network, we can let it in or not," says Jeffrey Nelson, a spokesman for Verizon Wireless, owned by Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC. "On the land line, the messages just travel. There isn't a gate, if you will."

For example, carriers can impose message-volume limits on SMS senders, which counteracts the automated mass blasts spammers must do to send messages economically. Carriers received a green light from the FCC to block unwanted commercial messages, and they have used that go-ahead and their gatekeeper power to exert considerable control over marketing campaigns that target their customers.

The FCC has set a high bar for mobile marketing. Under its "opt-in" plan, senders must gain consent from consumers -- using, for example, a phone solicitation -- before sending their first message. Compare that with the "opt-out" plan Congress set for e-mail marketing with last year's CAN-SPAM Act: Senders can contact consumers without permission as long as they give recipients a way to be removed from the mailing list. Congress told the FCC to set tougher rules for cellphone marketing because most consumers would be charged to receive their diet of spam.

The tougher rules also come before market practices have become firmly entrenched. This kind of early rule making can be effective. For instance, the FCC forbade telemarketer calls to cellphones in 1991, before the devices were widespread. The practice never took off.

"If the FCC had chosen an opt-out framework, we could have expected a flood of spam on wireless devices," argues Chris Jay Hoofnagle, associate director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. "If you can get ahead and set a legal norm that prohibits a certain marketing activity, chances are it will not take hold."

Meanwhile, marketers are making moves of their own to pre-empt spamming. They believe that consumer anger over spam has spoiled e-mail as a marketing medium, and they don't want that to happen again with text messaging.

"Spam is defined by the consumer," and usually just comes down to messages that consumers don't want, says Peter Fuller, executive director of the Mobile Marketing Association, or MMA, a Mountain View, California, group for carriers, advertisers, ad agencies and technology companies. "Brands must be careful about who they reach, when they reach them and the frequency of the messages."

The MMA has championed a strict code of conduct since 2000 for mobile marketers that it says has taken hold with big companies. The code mandates the opt-in principle, as well as requiring easy outs for consumers who wish to be removed from contact lists.

Verizon Wireless has already pursued several cases against spammers who have targeted its subscribers. And, as with PC spam, state attorneys general and agencies like the FCC and the Federal Trade Commission can take spammers to court.

In some cases, consumers themselves can sue -- depending on how the spam is sent. In its recent rule making, the FCC made a distinction between SMS messages, which travel from phone to phone, and e-mailed spam that reaches wireless devices via the Internet. SMS messages, the FCC said, fall under the Telecommunications Consumer Protection Act of 1991, which unlike CAN-SPAM allows consumers to sue marketers.

Why the distinction? The telecom act forbids telemarketers from using autodialer technology to make unsolicited calls to cellphones. The FCC concluded that SMS spamming is simply the latest iteration of that practice. Under the telecommunications act, consumers can win $500 per infraction, or triple that if they can prove the marketer was aware of the law. And consumers don't have to prove damages.

The problem: Spammers tend to favor spam e-mailed from PCs to cellphones, since they aren't charged a fee for sending the message. The FCC plans to create a list of e-mail domains used by wireless companies, which marketers won't be allowed to target for e-mail. But, again, legitimate marketers are likely to honor the list, while unscrupulous spammers may well use it to glean new targets. Stopping them could be the same hard slog it has been on the PC.

Taylor, Catharine P.

Long after Fantasia Barrino wends her way to the used-CD bin of history, the show that made her famous, Fox's American Idol, may be remembered for its role in an American revolution--one based not on music but on the idea that cell phones can be used for something other than making a phone call.

Observers credit American Idol and sponsor AT&T Wireless for jump-starting text messaging (aka SMS) in the U.S. During the past season, AT&T Wireless subscribers sent a total of 13.5 million Idol-related text messages involving everything from voting to participating in sweepstakes. That was 80 percent more than the previous season. Forty percent of the senders were first-time AT&T Wireless text messagers.

"The very first time [consumers] text, they usually need a reason," says Glenice Maclellan, vp of messaging services at AT&T Wireless in Redmond, Wash. Adds Avi Greengart, wireless analyst with Jupiter Research, New York, "American Idol probably did more to popularize SMS than anything else."

As its name implies, text messaging involves the use of a mobile device to send text. For most people, it is the first step in transmitting data over their phones, an activity that can encompass everything from downloading ringtones to forwarding a note to a spouse about what groceries to buy on the way home.

Those applications are increasingly a mainstream phenomenon in the U.S. Technology-research company In-Stat/MDR predicts wireless subscribers will send 30.2 billion text messages in 2004, up from 11.9 billion last year. An estimated 90 percent of the cell phones in the U.S.--which has 165 million wireless subscribers--have that capability.

What mobile-data users have in common, In-Stat says, is not so much demographics as a general affinity for their cell phones: They use 42 percent more voice minutes than non-users, leading to monthly bills that are 19 percent higher.

Yes, the U.S. mobile-marketing revolution is upon us, and marketers are grappling with what it means for their brands. "It's a means of communication that is untethered, so it's like walking around with a remote control," says Jeff Glass, founder of Boston-based wireless company m-Qube.

To this point, the rapid pace of mobile-data adoption has been lost on most marketers, says Wes Bray, chief mobile marketer at Mobilopia in Essex, Conn., which works with advertisers such as Major League Baseball, Clear Channel and MasterFoods on wireless campaigns. The former MCA executive says getting advertisers to use the platform isn't always easy. "They need to know that this is really mainstream," he says.

It might be getting there. This summer, major marketers such as Warner Bros., McDonald's, Anheuser-Busch, Nike and Kellogg began running campaigns that featured, or were entirely based on, a mobile component.

Before delving into how marketers are implementing the technology, here's an important word from its supporters: This revolution will not be telemarketed. Legitimate marketers are trying to create a wireless world in which users initiate contact, not vice versa. Thus, you most likely won't see what was once feared: a cell-phone user getting an unsolicited come-on from Ronald McDonald while walking by the fast-food restaurant.

"Like anything else, mobile marketing needs to provide value to both the consumer and the advertiser," says Carrie Himelfarb, vp of sales at Vindigo Studios, which has been involved in the wireless business since 1999.

The hope is that, unlike the Internet, mobile can live up to its promise without intrusions like pop-up ads and spam. Many programs ask users to opt-in not once but twice. The Mobile Marketing Association, an industry trade group, is working to enforce a strict code of content, telling its members to promise consumers six C's: choice, control, constraint, customization, consideration and confidentiality. "Everyone is scared to death about spam," says Peter Fuller, MMA's executive director.

Adds Jack Philbin, president of Evanston, Ill.-based Vibes Media, "It's too personal. It's on your hip. It's everywhere you want to go."

Some marketers, then, are tiptoeing into mobile with uncharacteristic restraint. On harrypotter.com/wireless, for example, users are told in no uncertain terms that they may be charged for the messages they send and receive, and that they must register to participate in a promotion for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. First they must fill out a Web form, then a registration code is sent to their phones that must be entered into the site to complete the process. Only then will they get movie updates, Potter facts, SMS polls, games, ringtones, wallpapers, etc.

Unlike in the free-for-all e-mail world, mobile carriers are gatekeepers of their networks, so they can more efficiently shut down spam. They police which advertisers want to run promotions and sometimes even refrain from sending unsolicited messages to their own subscribers. Giving customers a positive experience, they say, comes first. "We don't want to appear that we're spamming," says Amy Wilson, senior product manager at the QuickReach unit of Cingular Wireless, which manages the carrier's text-messaging platform.

As careful as companies are about protecting their customers, wireless companies are still the best place to look for what constitutes state-of-the-art in mobile marketing. Of course, for them, the benefits of such deals go a lot further than marketing; they introduce a bright and shiny new revenue stream. The basic cost per text message can range from roughly 3 to 10 cents, and as with pay phones, that small change tan add up.

Take, for example, Cingular's three-day "America's Tribal Council" promotion in May, tied into Survivor: All-Stars, in which subscribers from any carrier could, among other things, vote on which of the show's alums should win $1 million. Cingular subscribers could download the show's theme song, photos and other content directly to their phones. Over the course of the three days, wireless users sent 3 million text messages. "We're seeing a huge percentage of people who never sent us a text message before," notes Wilson.

Cingular's current "Rock the Vote" mobile effort marks the first time the youth-focused gel-out-the-vote program has had a wireless component. The initiative, also sponsored by MTV and Motorola, heavily brands the sponsors on all materials as it attempts to sign up voters (registration forms can be requested wirelessly), poll them on political issues and, as Election Day nears, give registrants lists of polling places. Users can also download ringtones from artists ranging from Kinky to the Dixie Chicks and participate in contests that could win them backstage passes to gigs on the "Rock the Vote" concert tour.

According to David Rudd, Motorola's director of emerging consumer marketing, the program isn't explicitly about selling the company's mobile devices. "We do get our name out there a bit," he says. "But one of the keys for us is to be able to show you that technological leadership."

Hooray for technology, but let's face it: The story of telecoms (and their relatives) finding ways to increase usage is older than AT&T Wireless' recently revived "Reach out and touch someone" jingle. The real clues about what mobile means for advertising will come when other marketers jump in. Some already have, and while the results are spotty, the potential seems vast.

For the first time this year, Anheuser-Busch has added a wireless component to its annual Bud Light/Maxim Double Exposure series of summer parties, targeted to the 21-27 age group. A-B has deployed teams in 31 markets to go into bars and use a laptop and a projector to broadcast text messages. Patrons are encouraged, for instance, to come up with a better caption than one appearing in Maxim; buy Bud Light for people in another part of the bar; and use text to get the attention of anyone in the bar. Messages are projected on a Bud Light-branded screen, setting off a chain reaction of user-initiated entertainment. The brand is also displayed on users' mobile phones if they participate.

"The challenge with Bud Light is that you've got to stay on the cutting edge," says Bill Decker, product manager for the brand.

The impact on sales, of course, is difficult to gauge. And an ongoing dialogue with consumers isn't assured. The company's main objective is to let consumers know that "Bud Light understands what they are all about," says Decker.

While A-B will reach only a small portion of its target, McDonald's, which launched its Olympics-related trivia-game promotion with AT&T Wireless late last month, will get a huge window into the potential of wireless due to its sheer size and scope.

"It was kind of a combination of objectives that came together," says Karlin Linhardt, senior director for young-adult marketing at McDonald's. Among them: a chance in see how embedded text messaging is within the fast-food giant's customer base. "We thought it was a fun way to dip our toe in the water," Linhardt says.

The promotion calls for 250 million McDonald's bags to be imprinted with one Olympics-related trivia question. (AT&T Wireless and McDonald's are both Olympic sponsors.) AT&T Wireless customers who enter the short code 2004 and answer the question will receive weekly trivia questions as part of an awareness-building campaign. For now, the company isn't offering prizes or conducting a sweepstakes but is billing the effort as the largest "on-packaging text messaging" promotion ever in the U.S.

The advantage of holding a promotion in real time at the point of purchase is startling: It's easy to picture someone playing the game while downing a few Chicken McNuggets, then throwing the bag away and moving on. It's harder to see someone taking the bag home to play.

Exactly what McDonald's can expect isn't known, as solid data on wireless response rates at this point is essentially nonexistent in the U.S. In text-saturated Europe, response rates often reach 8 percent, according to London-based mobile-marketing specialist Flytxt.

Of course, many European marketers know how to make mobile marketing work for consumers, offering enough payoff to ensure that opting in is worthwhile. According to some stateside experts, U.S. marketers still have a way to go.

Steve Weinswig, COO of Publicis' Arc Worldwide unit, points to Nike's New York-only mobile game launching its Air Force-X MID shoe in May as an example. Registrants received text messages urging them to find 16 posters around the city, with points awarded for speed and number found. "The payoff was that you get a pair of shoes early," Weinswig says. "To me, that's not a big payoff."

Perhaps Americans--and American marketers--are still mostly out of the loop on mobile marketing because they have been conditioned to think of U.S. wireless usage as woefully lagging that of overseas markets. If the predominant image in Japan is of fashionable schoolgirls text messaging friends while playing games on their personalized Hello Kitty mobile devices, the corresponding tableau here may be the casually dressed, thirtysomething executive drinking a latte in a WiFi-ed Starbucks while punching keys on his anorectically thin Sony Vaio. The ubiquity of the Internet has relegated our phones to a supporting role in the digital revolution.

"We're supersized [in the U.S.] with our Internet access," says Patrick McQuown, president of wireless specialist Proteus. "We have it at work. We have it at home. We have it at Starbucks. We have it at McDonald's."

Proteus is among a small number of companies that have successfully exploited mobile's big advantage: that users have it with them almost all the time. Among other efforts, the company has run real-time text-message song-request programs for live acts including Fuel, Ashanti and Barenaked Ladies, interactions that were virtually impossible before text messaging began to take off.

One way to tell that U.S. mobile marketing has truly become mainstream will be when the payoff isn't just entertainment but utility, which may also be the most likely way to tope in older demographics. In Europe, some grocery stores give visiting customers downloaded coupons that can be scanned at the register, a massive improvement over clipping coupons.

The idea is more talk than reality on this side of the pond, but there are exceptions. Some airlines, including United and American, offer text-messaged flight-status notification. Receiving a message that one's flight is delayed wouldn't be considered advertising, but over the long term, efforts like that can burnish the brand.

So when is it time to open the marketing purse strings? Wireless proponents, of course, say the time is now, but others are not so sure. Forrester Research, for one, said in December that even though mobile marketing has begun to gain traction here, marketers will see a better return from e-mail and online advertising through 2005.

Meanwhile, there's a good unscientific way to monitor the progress of the mobile revolution: seeing how much time people spend staring at their cell phones.

In this country, we often appear disconnected from our mobile devices--we talk into an earpiece while the unit is attached to a belt buckle or buried in a purse. In other parts of the world, where not only SMS but its sexier descendant MMS (which includes color graphics and sound) are commonplace, people spend a lot of time looking at their phones.

US Common Short Code Administration (CSCA) Participating Carriers Join CTIA and MMA to Sponsor Mobile Marketing Roadshows in Nine US Cities

Largest American carriers back seminar series that teaches brands and advertisers how to market on wireless devices.

Washington, D.C. and Mountain View, CA, April 26, 2004—The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) and the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) today announce that the participating carriers of the Common Short Code Administration Program (ALLTEL, AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, Cricket, Dobson, Nextel, RCC, SprintPCS, T-Mobile, Virgin Wireless,Verizon Wireless, and Western Wireless) have joined the CTIA and the Mobile Marketing Association to promote the nine-city seminar series on mobile marketing called the Mobile Marketing Roadshow.

Speakers include representatives from Fox Sports, Cosmopolitan, the EU chapter of the MMA, the Mobile Marketing Association, ad agencies and several of the largest carriers in the United States. Sponsors and speakers were targeted for their excellent case studies, success in mobile marketing and knowledge of cross-media marketing campaign execution involving mobile marketing. Advertising agencies and brand managers will learn the benefits and power of mobile marketing to increase branding, customer communication and drive product sales.

“All mobile marketing is done through the carriers and it is important for brands and advertisers to learn about this medium from the ones who created it. We are very excited to have these carriers sponsor this aggressive new joint undertaking by the MMA and CTIA,” said John M. Windolph, Senior Vice President, CTIA.

“Mobile marketing, when executed with a high regard for consumer privacy, can easily become a trusted source of valuable information. It is very exciting to have these carriers involved in the Roadshow series. Brands and advertising agencies will learn much from these telecom giants,” said, Peter Fuller, executive director of the MMA.

Called the Mobile Marketing Roadshow, the seminar is a one-day, information packed conference that will be held in nine cities throughout the United States from April to December 2004. The Roadshow series is the first to exclusively spotlight one of the hottest markets in mobile communications, mobile marketing, in the world’s second largest single pool of mobile phone subscribers—the United States. Each segment of the mobile marketing industry will be covered in the series: device manufacturers, carriers, technology partners, advertising agencies, content providers and brands. Attendees will learn everything they need to know to create, execute and measure advertising campaigns conducted on mobile phones.

Information on Mobile Marketing Roadshow can be found at: www.mobilemarketingroadshow.com. Members of the press who wish to attend for free should contact Peter Fuller at 650.996.0359. Case studies highlighted during these sessions can be used for articles on mobile marketing.

Spring session dates are:

New York City: April 29

Chicago: May 18

Los Angeles: June 16

Boston: June 24

“We are very excited to offer these conferences this year,” said Peter Fuller, executive director of the MMA. “When executed with care for consumer privacy, mobile marketing is the best, most effective communication tool to come along since the Internet.”

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About the MMA
The Mobile Marketing Association is the premier global association that strives to stimulate the growth of mobile marketing M commerce and supporting technologies. MMA members include agencies, advertisers, handheld device manufacturers, carriers and operators, retailers, software providers and service providers, as well as any company focused on the potential of marketing via mobile devices. More information is available at www.mmaglobal.com.


About the CTIA
About CTIA The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) is the international organization that represents all elements of wireless communication - cellular, personal communication services enhanced specialized mobile radio, and mobile satellite services - serving the interests of service providers, manufacturers, and others.

MMA & CTIA Join to Create First Mobile Marketing RoadShow Conference Series in the United States

Mobile Marketing Roadshows will be held in 9 cities throughout 2004 and targets brands and advertising agencies.

Washington, D.C. and Mountain View, CA, March 15, 2004—The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) and the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) have created a seminar series on mobile marketing in order to meet a growing demand by advertising agencies and brands for information on how to conduct effective mobile marketing campaigns in North America.

Called the Mobile Marketing Roadshow, the seminar is a one-day, information packed conference that will be held in nine cities throughout the United States from April to December 2004. The Roadshow series is the first to exclusively spotlight one of the hottest markets in mobile communications, mobile marketing, in the world’s second largest single pool of mobile phone subscribers—the United States. Each segment of the mobile marketing industry will be covered in the series: device manufacturers, carriers, technology partners, advertising agencies, content providers and brands. Attendees will learn everything they need to know to create, execute and measure advertising campaigns conducted on mobile phones.

“Mobile marketing is just beginning to gain traction in North America having demonstrated its utility and efficiency in Europe and Asia,” said John Windolph, senior vice president for business development of CTIA. “Our goal for these conferences is to introduce brands and their promotional agencies to a compelling new outreach medium that can be successful and effective when carefully planned and executed.”

Information on Mobile Marketing Roadshow can be found at: www.mobilemarketingroadshow.com. Spring session dates are:

New York City: April 29

Chicago: May 18

Los Angeles: June 16

Boston: October 14

“We are very excited to offer these conferences this year,” said Peter Fuller, executive director of the MMA. “When executed with care for consumer privacy, mobile marketing is the best, most effective communication tool to come along since the Internet.”

# # #

About the MMA
The Mobile Marketing Association is the premier global association that strives to stimulate the growth of mobile marketing M commerce and supporting technologies. MMA members include agencies, advertisers, handheld device manufacturers, carriers and operators, retailers, software providers and service providers, as well as any company focused on the potential of marketing via mobile devices. More information is available at www.mmaglobal.com.


About the CTIA
About CTIA The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) is the international organization that represents all elements of wireless communication - cellular, personal communication services enhanced specialized mobile radio, and mobile satellite services - serving the interests of service providers, manufacturers, and others.

Procter & Gamble Join Mobile Marketing Association Board of Directors Jean Berberich to Represent P&G and Help Steer Leading Global Association Mountain View, CA, May 27, 2003—The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), a leading global industry trade group for the development of wireless marketing and m-commerce technologies, today announces the election of Jean Berberich, Systems Manager for The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG), to its board of directors. Berberich is an advocate of mobile marketing within Procter & Gamble and has overseen many of its mobile marketing campaigns around the world. Mobile marketing is an additional medium where consumers can “choose” how they want to receive/interact with advertisements. As a brand develops a relationship, Berberich explained, consumers will get “only the offers they want, when they want them, and through a medium they have with them all the time.” Promoting Industry Growth A global organization, the MMA promotes the global growth of the mobile marketing industry, share intelligence across the regions and protect consumer privacy. Growth in the use of text messaging throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas has created a new medium for brands to communicate with and provide value to their customers. “Brands will make some of the biggest gains in mobile marketing this year,” said Jim Manis, MMA Chair and vice president of m-Qube. “I am thrilled to have one of the largest and most progressive brands join the MMA. As an industry, we will all benefit from Jean’s experience and advice.” # # # About the MMA The Mobile Marketing Association is the premier global association that strives to stimulate the growth of mobile marketing M commerce and supporting technologies. MMA members include agencies, advertisers, handheld device manufacturers, carriers and operators, retailers, software providers and service providers, as well as any company focused on the potential of marketing via mobile devices. The Association is committed to fueling the advancement of mobile marketing business opportunities across all appropriate industry sectors through ongoing research and the development of standards and guidelines that foster the introduction of sponsor and marketing-supported content and M commerce experiences that enhance consumers lives. More information is available at www.mmaglobal.com.

Jim Manis of m-Qube to Chair Mobile Marketing Association Manis will lead the global organization during 2003 Mountain View, CA, February 17, 2003--The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), a leading global industry trade group for the development of wireless marketing and m-commerce technologies, today announces the election of Jim Manis as its new chairman. He replaces Perry Allison, former vice president of SkyGo, as the new chair. Allison served the MMA with distinction for two years in numerous positions. Manis has 20 years experience developing international markets for technology-based companies, most recently in the wireless space. Before joining wireless promotion and advertising technology company, M-Qube, Manis held senior positions at OpenWave Systems, @mobile.com, Software.com and Westbridge International (CEO). His work with the Universal Wireless Communications Consortium helped develop policy and strategy for third-generation (3G) wireless technology implementation in N. America, Europe and Asia. He is actively involved with the SMS Forum and serves as a member of the CTIA's Messaging Task Force where is engaged in tracking and shaping consumer privacy protection in the industry and Congress. Prior to his work in technology, he held senior positions with the U.S. government shaping policy on education, trade and technology. A global organization, the MMA promotes the global growth of the mobile marketing industry, share intelligence across the regions and protect consumer privacy. Growth in the use of text messaging throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas has created a new medium for brands to communicate with and provide value to their customers. "Brands stand to make huge gains in the next few years with mobile marketing," said Manis. ""Consumer acceptance of targeted messaging provides companies with a tremendous opportunity to build a personal relationship with their customers. " Manis said the MMA agenda for 2003 will continue to focus on bringing brands, agencies, and carriers together to add value to mobile marketing, protecting consumer privacy, reinforcing an industry code of conduct that protects the rights of subscribers, advocating industry standards on accessing value added messaging and strengthening the MMA global chapters. # # # About the MMA The Mobile Marketing Association is the premier global association that strives to stimulate the growth of mobile marketing M commerce and supporting technologies. MMA members include agencies, advertisers, handheld device manufacturers, carriers and operators, retailers, software providers and service providers, as well as any company focused on the potential of marketing via mobile devices. The Association is committed to fueling the advancement of mobile marketing business opportunities across all appropriate industry sectors through ongoing research and the development of standards and guidelines that foster the introduction of sponsor and marketing-supported content and M commerce experiences that enhance consumers lives. More information is available at www.mmaglobal.com. About peter c. fuller WORLDWIDE peter c. fuller WORLDWIDE is a Silicon Valley-based integrated public relations and marketing firm specializing in product and company launches, non-profit industry association PR and event management. More information can be found at: http://www.petercfuller.com/.