Mobile internet: dead before it's even born?

The end of Mowser - RussellBeattie.com: "I think anyone currently developing sites using XHTML-MP markup, no Javascript, geared towards cellular connections and two inch screens are simply wasting their time, and I'm tired of wasting my time."

This bitter quote was made a few days ago by web developer and entrepreneur Russel Beatie, one of the founders of mobile web transcoder Mowser. Mowser is closing up shop: "Sadly, Mowser is closing its doors due to lack of funding."

What followed was a blog storm of modest size, based around one question: Is Mobile Web Dead?. The answer is: it's not even born yet, and it's already hugged to death by advertisers, marketeers and mobile operators. To be honest I hope that consumers will run the show this time: most people I know see their mobile phone or smartphone as an extension of their identity. This means they are willing to pay for services that they really want (like staying in touch with their friends), but also that they are very reluctant to receive messages from any party they do not see as "part of their social circle". This is bad news for mobile advertising and mobile marketing. But good news for all kinds of mobile-based social network services.

Tom Fishburne's inspiration after reading SethGodin new book Meatball Sundae. Self-explanatory really. Makes me think about the French movie with Daniel Auteuil 'Mon meilleur ami' (my best friend) on how a friendless businessman in order to win a bet tried to convince some of his relationships to be(come) his best friend. Obviously not working till the day he realised friendship is not about 'proclaiming' but about 'engaging' - such a hype word marketers often proclaim engagement without understanding what lays behind it. Quoted from Sarah Mahoney (Mediapost) : "You don't launch a social media campaign. You being a social media effort".

Hands-on guide to UGC and social media

Interactive Advertising Bureau released the whitepaper "User-Generated Content and Social Media Advertising Overview” (PDF, 3.4 MB), a hands-on guide to social media, focusing on terminology, practices and standarts.


Interesting Snippet by lynetter

The document intends to clear some of the fears that brands and agencies might have on using this dynamic medium, framing the whole UGC movement and reminding brands that user reviews are just like personal recommendation, one of the most effective forms of advertising.


Source: eMarketeer

Blogs, wikis, UGC and Ad Networks are described, with several examples how to integrate advertising with social media. The myth that Social Networks it's kids stuff was also debunked, by showing that "more than half of MySpace users were over 35 years old" and "LinkedIn, reports that its average user is 39 years-old and has an annual income of $139,000".

With all the buzz surrounding social media, it's easy for brands to jump into the bandwagon, and try to push their messages instead of engaging into conversations with their audience. Marketing author and blogger Seth Godin brilliantly states it on his latest book "Meatball Sundae", reminding companies that just because they put money into new media that doesn't necessarily translate into effective customers. Be ready to fail, experiment, optimize and most important, be ready to listen.

The document is a valuable first time reading for professionals that want to get acquainted with social media. For a 17 page paper, it manages to get a good overview that you can enrich with several web resources , such as Paul Isackson's recent presentation, or from Fallon planer Aki Spicer:

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Content is king on and offline

An article in "The Guardian" on 15 April called "survey shows darker picture for the TV channel" caught my eye. Although the story, for me, stated the obvious - it did make we wonder if others saw the world differently.

The article by Katie Allen starts: "Television remains people's favorite mass communication format but viewers are more loyal to a program than a channel, according to a survey of TV viewing around the world" (The survey was done by Accenture among 7000 people).

Isn't this obvious? Content is always the king. That is what I have always thought. In fact, during the dotcom boom and bust days this was a hot issue and topic. The point being that the survivors would be and were not the ones with clever technology and functions - but the ones with great content (where content may be enabled and realized due to technology like the Amazon "you may also like" content feature). Boo.com, which blew some crazy amount of money ($100 million) being one of the most dramatic examples.

But I have always believed in any interface with consumers that content is the king. Even a presentation that is dry but has relevant and great content will beat the no content showy one.

I guess though that the rapid expansion of the multi-channel mass media has possibly made this more obvious. Any user of Sky Plus/ Tivo knows it is all about capturing the content you want to consume. Not about the channel.

The massive success of the BBC iPlayer that allows people to catch up online with shows they missed in the last week also shows how it is all about content. The study suggests that in the US 46 percent of 18-24 watched a show on something other than a traditional TV.

Content has to be king, and getting the best content has to be the goal. Be it if you are a TV station owner or a brand marketer talking in advertising, PR, booklets and on your website. It is not about how technological advanced your site is, but what the content is.

For more visit my blog Gary Bembridge's Unleashed on Marketing