The trend prognosticators and the digital savants appear to have gotten it wrong. 2009 was not, as it turns out, “The Year of the Mobile.” And 2010 doesn’t look like it will do any better. Smartphone growth is in full swing, yet marketing budgets haven’t been giving mobile marketing its due.
So why is this? A couple of things: Mobile is notoriously hard to measure. Most transactions occur off the device. Consequently, it is difficult for marketers to justify shifting marketing dollars to mobile. The other thing is Internet advertising formats still don’t transfer well. (Banner ads, for instance.) Plus, a lot of mobile content isn’t paid media. Texting programs seem to be the best route for the present.
But there is good news. The FTC has just approved Google’s acquisition of AdMob, a mobile advertising start-up. The plan is to work overtime to develop new apps and solutions for mobile advertisers. With Google deepening their commitment to mobile, we are likely to see plenty of game-changing results. Who knows? Next year may actually be “The Year of the Mobile.” But you didn’t hear it from me.
