• Chairman: Tom Daly, Group Manager, Strategy & Planning, The Coca-Cola Company
• Vice-Chairman: Gene Keenan, Vice-President of Mobile Services, Isobar
• Treasurer: Michael Bayle, Senior Director, Global Mobile Monetization, Yahoo!
• Secretary: Maria Mandel, Executive Director of Digital Innovation, OgilvyInteractive
• Director at Large: Michael Becker, EVP, Business Development, iLoop Mobile, Inc.
• Laura Marriott, President, Mobile Marketing Association

• Amanda Richman, SVP, Director of Digital Services, MediaVest USA
• Chirag Bakshi, Vice-President. Messaging, VeriSign Inc.
• Craig Kirkland, Director, Messaging & Voice Services, Alltel Wireless
• Cyriac Roeding, EVP, CBS Mobile, CBS Interactive, CBS Corp. & Chairman Emeritus )Global & NA), Mobile Marketing Association
• David Oberholzer, Vice-President, Corporate Development, Limbo Inc.
• Diana Pouilot, Director of Mobile Advertising, Google, Inc.
• Doug Busk, Vice-President, Industry Relations, SinglePoint
• Greg Clayman, EVP, Digital Distribution and Business Development, MTV Networks
• Jeffrey Glass, Partner, Bain Capital Ventures
• Jeremy Wright, Global Director, Mobile Brand Strategy, Nokia
• Jim Manis, President & CEO, 1024 Wireless Services
• John C. Burris, Vice President Wireless Data, Sprint Nextel
• Jordan Berman, Executive Director of Media Innovation, AT&T Mobility
• Louis Gump, Vice President, Mobile, The Weather Channel Interactive
• Matt Champagne, Director, Product Management, Microsoft )MSN & Windows Live)
• Mitch Feinman, SVP, Fox Mobile Entertainment
• Nick Macilveen, Director of Carrier Relations, OpenMarket Inc.
• Ryan Hughes, VP Digital Media Programming, Verizon
• Steve Livingston, Chief Marketing Officer, mBlox
• Venetia Espinoza, Group Manager, Mobile Applications and Partner Programs, T-Mobile USA
• Webster Lewin, Director of Mobile Marketing, R/GA

• March 26, São Paulo )Sofitel São Paulo)
• April 15 & 16, London )Hilton London Metropole)
• June 10 & 11, New York )Marriott Marquis Times Square Hotel)
• September 2008, Latin America )City TBD)
• October 7 & 8, Europe )City TBD)
• November 13, San Diego )includes MMA Global Awards Ceremony)  )Loews Coronado Bay Resort)
• Q4-2008, Asia Pacific )City TBD)

Direct: +44 )0) 207 017 4246
[email protected]

• March 26, São Paulo
• April 15 & 16, London
• June 10 & 11, New York
• November 13, San Diego )includes MMA Awards Ceremony)

- MMA announces its First Mobile Attitude and Usage Study for five key Western European markets -

London UK, 15 January 2008 —

To help brands and marketers identify key market trends, mobile subscriber usage patterns, and success metrics for mobile marketing in Western Europe, the Mobile Marketing Association )MMA) )www.mmaglobal.com) today announced the results of its inaugural Mobile Attitude and Usage Study for five markets in Western Europe. The study surveyed 1,535 participants in the UK, Germany, Italy, France and Spain and provides actionable insights into the region’s consumer mobile usage by demographic group and awareness. The report also identifies usage of mobile phone features and services, and interest in and concerns about specific applications.

The study’s key findings include:

One in ten mobile users in the Western European markets is highly interested in mobile marketing and another three in ten indicate moderate interest.   This level of interest translates into an overall growth opportunity for mobile marketing.

Italian and Spanish consumers are most interested in mobile marketing. Over half of all users in Italy and Spain are at least moderately interested in mobile marketing and similar proportions express potential to opt-in.

2-way text messaging is the most important mobile feature across all age groups. The ability to send and receive SMS was at the top of the list for all age groups except teens, for whom it ranks second to camera functionality. Across the Western European markets surveyed, seven in ten have experience with text messaging, with the most text-savvy consumers in Italy and Spain. Over half of all users surveyed use SMS at least weekly and 37% are daily users. Daily use is most common among 13 – 24 year olds.

Western European consumers poised for an increase in mobile marketing. 15% of all consumers surveyed have had some experience with mobile marketing. Mobile phones are almost universal and most phones are equipped to receive mobile messages. More than half use text messaging at least weekly and 7 in 10 are familiar with the technology.

Interactive voting, receiving ads and product/service information are the most common applications of mobile marketing. 18 – 34 year olds have the highest rate of participation in mobile marketing efforts. However, age is not strongly predictive; interest levels are similar across ages 13 – 54.

Across all regions surveyed, mobile coupons, status alerts about accounts/purchases and special sales have greatest appeal. Over half the users have increased data usage to some extent in the past year vs. slightly under half reporting an increase in voice usage.

"This study confirms that mobile users in Western Europe already appreciate mobile marketing and have a desire to opt in to receive relevant product and services," said Richard Saggers, MMA EMEA Chairman and Head of Mobile Advertising, Vodafone Global Services. "These results indicate Italy and Spain are significantly advanced users of mobile, and already have the most experience with mobile marketing and are therefore more likely to participate. At least 60% in all age categories surveyed have experience with text messaging, indicating a big opportunity for marketers.”

“Western Europe represents a significant opportunity for mobile marketers.  One in three consumers surveyed indicated that their mobile phone is highly important to them and they are very dependent on it. With consumers acknowledging their mobile is always on them, brands need to begin integrating mobile into their marketing campaigns ASAP. Clearly, mobile is proving its potential value as a marketing tool,” said Laura Marriott, President of the MMA.

The 2007 Mobile Attitude and Usage Study was conducted by Synovate, a global market research firm, on behalf of the MMA. The study is available, free of charge, to all MMA members today. The MMA has conducted similar studies in the U.S. and Asia Pacific which were also conducted by Synovate and released in Q4-07.

ENDS

The Mobile Marketing Association )MMA) is the premier global non-profit trade association established to lead the growth of mobile marketing and its associated technologies. The MMA is an action-oriented organization designed to clear obstacles to market development, establish mobile media guidelines and best practices for sustainable growth, and evangelize the mobile channel for use by brands and content providers. The 500+ global member companies, representing over forty countries around the globe, include all members of the mobile media ecosystem. The Mobile Marketing Association’s global headquarters are located in the United States and in 2007 it formed the Europe Middle East & Africa )EMEA) and Asia Pacific )APAC) divisions. The Latin American )LATAM) division will be launched in Q1-08. For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

What:     The MMA-IJMM uniquely provides industry and academic insights into the mobile channel and its use for marketing. Issued twice annually by the MMA Academic Outreach Committee, the MMA-IJMM article contributions are made by industry experts, thought leaders and other global academic leaders. Articles in this edition address:

·          How text messaging is being used by the presidential campaigns
·          How consumers perceive free offers and the implications for mobile marketing
·          Image recognition as an opt-in method
·          Participation TV
·          Business models used in Asian countries
·          Legal issues for interactive promotions

2007: A Banner Year for the Mobile Marketing Association
Focus on leading the development of the mobile marketing industry world-wide

Denver, CO, & London, UK: Dec. 18, 2007 — Throughout 2007, the Mobile Marketing Association )MMA) )www.mmaglobal.com) and its 500 associated member companies demonstrated that mobile is clearly beginning to be viable marketing channel for brands globally.  The MMA experienced a 110% membership growth rate and expanded its presence into more than 40 countries.  

Significant milestones achieved in 2007 included:

Global expansion; launch of Asia Pacific )APAC) chapter in Q1 07 and the Europe Middle East and Africa )EMEA) chapter in Q2 07.  Plans for the Latin America )LATAM) chapter are being prepared for a Q1 08 launch. 

“Launching on a global scale in 2007 is a significant milestone for the MMA, having worked to achieve this over the last few years,” said Cyriac Roeding, Executive Vice President, CBS Mobile, CBS Interactive, CBS Corp. & MMA Global Chairman.

Global mobile advertising guidelines; the MMA has developed mobile advertising guidelines for:

•North America )May)
•EMEA )September)
•APAC )December)

Sir Martin Sorrell, executive of ad holding company WPP agrees on the need for consistent mobile ad standards stating in an article on global mobile content site, MocoNews, “I think they [operators] see that having a standard in place would accelerate the growth of the mobile ad business across the board. But that’s not enough of a reason to combine efforts. Usually in these situations, a common threat is more effective than the promise of simply improving a business.” 

Matt Champagne, Director of Product Management, Microsoft )MSN and Windows Live)  explains why Microsoft is one of the first MMA members to adopt the mobile advertising guidelines: “Following the MMA’s guidelines means our campaigns are delivered consistently on the majority of mobile devices, which ensures a positive and consistent consumer experience.  Without the help of these guidelines, we wouldn’t have been so enthusiastic about enabling mobile marketing campaigns via Microsoft’s advertising solutions.”

Metrics & measurement: to identify key market trends, mobile subscriber usage patterns, and success metrics for mobile marketing, the MMA conducted its annual Mobile Attitude and Usage study in the United States as well as key markets in Europe and Asia. The research provides a profile of mobile usage and early indicators of receptiveness to mobile marketing efforts.

Association and industry collaboration; the GSM Association and dotMobi Advisory Group collaborated with the MMA to support the EMEA, APAC and NA mobile advertising guidelines. 

“2007 has been the Mobile Marketing Association’s best year yet as evidenced by our growing collaboration with key industry associations,” said Laura Marriott, president, MMA.  “We appreciate the support of all of our association, media and event partners as we work together to drive the development of a sustainable mobile marketing industry world-wide Industry collaboration will be a key factor to the growth and success of the industry.”

MMA’s events & awards; the MMA’s Mobile Marketing Forum )MMF) was held four times in 2007; twice in North America, once in Europe and once in Asia. The events attracted a combined audience of over 2000 delegates and speakers. MMF New York, held in June, served as the launch pad for Coca-Cola to unveil its Sprite Yard campaign.  MMF Los Angeles in November, hosted the MMA’s annual awards ceremony, recognising the industry’s innovators and leaders. The 2007 awards saw a 130% increase in submissions over 2006. 

The first of the MMA events for 2008:

•Mobile Marketing Forum, London, April 15 & 16
•Mobile Marketing Forum, New York, June 10 & 11

Education; 10 educational tools were developed to help drive the adoption of mobile marketing globally, downloadable from the MMA website, which includes:

1. US, APAC & EMEA Mobile Marketing Annual Attitude & Usage studies
2. MMA Member Directory
3. Mobile Marketing Industry Glossary
4. Understanding Mobile Marketing: Technology & Reach
5. Off Portal - An Introduction to the Market Opportunity
6. Mobile Marketing Sweepstakes & Promotions Guide
7. Mobile Search Use Cases
8. Introduction to Mobile Coupons
9. International Journal of Mobile Marketing; published twice a year

Committees: have participation from over 400 MMA members, with several new committees launched including; Measurement, Mobile Commerce, Mobile Communities & User Generated Content, Urban, Interactive Voice Response )IVR), Marketing to Children, Mobile Web, Content Leadership, Industry Logo, Participation TV, Women in Wireless and Proximity. 

“2008 is staged as a turning point for the mobile marketing industry. We look forward to taking the industry to the next level and seeing the results of the industry’s collaborative efforts.” concluded Sandy Agarwal, Head of Mobile Ad Business, Nokia & MMA APAC Chairman.

Newest MMA members, from around the globe, include:

1. 12snap AG
2. 2waytraffic USA, Inc.
3. 3rd Dimension Inc.
4. Avenue A | Razorfish     
5. Cellnet S.A.
6. CommerceTel   
7. Empowered Wireless, Inc.
8. IceBreaker
9. Intera Group, Inc.
10. i-Pop Networks Private Limited
11. MangoMOBILE 
12. Mobiento AB    
13. Mobile Data Systems    
14. Mobile Media Cast
15. mSnap Inc.
16. MyThum Interactive Inc.             
17. mywaves inc.    
18. NexPerience     
19. RockeTalk, Inc. 
20. SPH Search Pte Ltd      
21. Thin Multimedia
22. Wieden+Kennedy

About the Mobile Marketing Association )MMA)

The Mobile Marketing Association )MMA) is the premier global non-profit trade association established to lead the growth of mobile marketing and its associated technologies. The MMA is an action-oriented organization designed to clear obstacles to market development, establish mobile media guidelines and best practices for sustainable growth, and evangelize the mobile channel for use by brands and content providers. The 500+ global member companies, representing over forty countries around the globe, include all members of the mobile media ecosystem. The Mobile Marketing Association’s global headquarters are located in the United States and has recently formed the Europe Middle East & Africa )EMEA) and Asia Pacific )APAC) divisions.  The Latin American )LATAM) division will be launched in Q1-08.  For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com

* Product and service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

NA & APAC
Valerie Christopherson or
Kirsten Woodard
Global Results Comm. )GRC)
+1 949 608 0276
[email protected]
[email protected]

EMEA
Hinda Smith or Jen Allen
Mi liberty Ltd
+44 )0) 20 7751 4444
[email protected]
[email protected]  

Mobile Marketing Association Releases U.S. Consumer Best Practices for Cross-Carrier Mobile Marketing Services

Rules include new Free-To-End-User )FTEU) messaging guidelines
 

Denver, CO – Dec. 11, 2007 — The Mobile Marketing Association)MMA), )www.mmaglobal.com), which represents more than 500 member companies worldwide, today released the latest edition of its Consumer Best Practices )CBP) Guidelines for Cross-Carrier Mobile Content Services in the United States. Updated twice annually, the CBP have become the baseline set of rules for cross carrier mobile content services in the United States.

The guidelines are produced by the MMA’s CBP Committee, whose mission is to develop and continually update a cross-carrier code of conduct that balances consumer protection with the revenue opportunities. The guidelines provide measures of acceptable and unacceptable practices for all players in the ecosystem to follow for cross carrier messaging, interactive voice response )IVR) and mobile web services in the United States.

"The success of a mobile marketing campaign is measured largely by the user experience,” said Chris Black, director of Mobile Marketing at AT&T Mobility and Co-Chair of the CBP Committee. "By representing a cross-section of carriers, technology companies, brands, media companies and consumer advocates, the CBP Committee is uniquely qualified to provide the level of timely, hands-on guidance that the industry needs as the mobile channel grows.”

Highlights of the December 2007 CBP Guidelines include guidelines for:

• Free-to-end-user )FTEU) guidelines for messaging services
• Sweepstakes and contests
• Mobile Web and Interactive Voice Response )IVR) opt-in and billing modifications
• Affiliate marketing
• Participation TV
• Word-of-mouth verification
• New Code of Conduct reference )as developed by MMA Privacy and Preference Committee)

 "The CBP have been instrumental in creating a play book for cross carrier services in the United States,” said Laura Marriott, president of the MMA and Co-Chair of the CBP Committee. "We applaud the efforts of all in our industry in creating a model which will be replicated in markets around the globe.”

 The new guidelines also reflect contributions from new CBP sub-committees, including IVR, Marketing to Children, Participation TV and Mobile Web. The sub-committees were formed to help facilitate the rapid development of the guidelines to ensure the MMA stays at the forefront of industry development and self-regulation.

The MMA Consumer Best Practices Guidelines Committee is comprised of the following member companies: Alltel Wireless, AT&T Mobility, Bango, Chapell & Associates, denuo Group )a Publicis Company), Jamster, Lavalife Mobile, mBlox, Inc., MMA, MTV Networks, MX Telecom, NeuStar, Inc., Qmobile, Inc., SinglePoint, Sprint Nextel, Sybase 365, Telescope, Teligence, The Walt Disney Company, T-Mobile USA, VeriSign, Inc. and Verizon Wireless.

The guidelines can be downloaded at www.mmaglobal.com/bestpractices.pdf

The MMA will host its annual CBP Industry Forum in Denver on January 16, 2008. The Forum provides the opportunity for participants to comment and input into the guidelines and best practices for the mobile marketing industry in the United States. Information can be found at www.mmaglobal.com

About the Mobile Marketing Association )MMA)

The Mobile Marketing Association )MMA) is the premier global non-profit trade association established to lead the growth of mobile marketing and its associated technologies. The MMA is an action-oriented organization designed to clear obstacles to market development, establish mobile media guidelines and best practices for sustainable growth, and evangelize the mobile channel for use by brands and content providers. The 500+ global member companies, representing over forty countries around the globe, include all members of the mobile media ecosystem. The Mobile Marketing Association’s global headquarters are located in the United States and has recently formed the Europe Middle East & Africa )EMEA) and Asia Pacific )APAC) divisions.  The Latin American )LATAM) division will be launched in Q1-08.  For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Valerie Christopherson or

Kirsten Woodard

Global Results Comm. )GRC)

+1 949 608 0276

[email protected]

[email protected]