Sound Bites from SM2: Mobile Brings Marketers and Consumers Closer

NEW YORK, Oct. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), the leading global trade association for the mobile marketing industry, started Day 2 of its SM2 conference, Smarter Mobile Marketing, with the theme "reinspire," and a line-up of media visionaries to speak about mobile and media inspiration.

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Nicholas D. Kristof, New York Times Pulitzer Prize-Winning Columnist, began the event by empowering the marketing community to use mobile to inspire social change. Kristof started his keynote with a story about a village in rural China, and how money was raised to ensure that girls finish school versus dropping out for financial reasons. To advance his mission of education and human rights advocacy, Kristof teamed up with Games for Change to create mobile games that inform people of health, wellness and the world, including a game in which the user deworms children. "Mobile is a promising platform to change social behavior to make aid and action more effective," said Kristof. His PBS documentary, Half the Sky, will feature Games for Change. 

Jim Stengel, CEO, The Jim Stengel Company, LLC, was interviewed by Greg Stuart, Global CEO, MMA, and discussed his former tenure as the CMO of Procter and Gamble, including the risks he took in that role. Additionally, he addressed the hurdles that brands face in the evolving mobile marketing space. "One excuse on why we don't want to go into mobile is that we claim it is complicated. That no longer works and is far from the truth," said Stengel. He also praised mobile as a channel for brands to develop engaging interactions with consumers. "Historically, we talked about getting closer to consumers, but that was through focus groups and product testing. Mobile has enabled us to be closer than ever to consumers," said Stengel. "As marketers, we've never had this kind of potential." He closed his discussion by citing the need to take risks and create compelling content that excites consumers to share and interact.

Jeffrey Hayzlett, Bestselling Author, former Fortune 100 C-Suite executive, opened with a warning to any marketer. "Right now, most marketers approach their CEO with this mobile strategy…I have an iPhone app. We need to move beyond that. We need to involve more platforms so when my CEO asks for our mobile plan, I have a compelling strategy to reference," said Hayzlett. He also discussed the evolving roles that marketers play, and the need for the CMO to act as a change agent when it comes to envisioning new marketing ideas. It is not about only using online or offline elements, but rather integrating throughout, in order to be relevant and everywhere. Hayzlett stated to those marketers that want to "go viral" without focusing on ROI, "If you keep talking about buzz campaigns, buzz yourself out the door."

Laura Desmond, Global CEO, Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG), also took to the stage in a fireside chat with Robert Safian, Managing Director and Editor of Fast Company. Laura offered a different view on mobile, versus the other speakers. "There is an obsession of wanting to lead in mobile. Mobile as a channel is powerful, but the real power is not mobile, it is mobility. And mobility is the constant layering of experiences," said Desmond. To further explain how SMG plans to integrate mobile across human experiences, she referenced the network's "Greatest Imaginable Challenge" in which upwards of 50% of marketing spend will be allocated to content, data and digital—including mobile. According to Desmond, the future for mobile looks bright as long as marketers are willing to offer consumers engaging experiences across screens. "Mobile spending will grow—just looking at consumer time spent with the device it will grow," said Desmond. "It's going to get to a critical mass of 7-10% and some of the best-in-class marketers are already spending more than 10%. They are layering different screens and different devices with the mobile experience."

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 use of the mobile channel. The more than 700 member companies, representing nearly fifty 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 it has regional chapters including North America (NA), Europe (EUR), Latin American (LATAM) and Asia Pacific (APAC) branches. For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com. For information relating to the MMA's Mobile Marketing Forum series, please visit www.mobilemarketingforum.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Rebecca Laming
Director of Communications, MMA
M: +1 917-558-1828
E: [email protected]

Valerie Christopherson
Global Results Comm. (GRC)
Phone: +1 949 608 0276
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Mobile Marketing Association