- 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]

Mobile Marketing Forum Opens in Hong Kong Showcasing Asia Developments

MMA Asia-Pacific Industry Leadership Continues as Leaders Discuss
Mobile Marketing Advancements

Hong Kong, Mobile Marketing Forum  – Dec. 6, 2007 — The Mobile Marketing Association )MMA) )www.mmaglobal.com), which represents more than 500 member companies worldwide, today opened its Asia Pacific )APAC) Mobile Marketing Forum )www.mobilemarketingforum.com), which takes place in the Hong Kong Convention Centre, in partnership with Mobility World Congress & Exhibition. The day-long event brings together global industry leaders to discuss advancements in mobile marketing and emerging opportunities for marketers as well as the latest case studies from companies such as Acision, Isobar, mBlox, Mobile2Win, Turkcell, Yahoo! Mobile and more. 

The APAC Mobile Marketing Forum represents the final MMA event of the 2007 calendar year providing delegates the opportunity to hear about the year’s successes.  Commenting on the event, opening keynote presenter Gene Keenan, vice president mobile strategies for Isobar stated, “APAC is an advanced mobile market with consumers already utilizing the feature-rich capabilities of today’s phones.  And, now we’re starting to see brands and marketers in the region maximize the potential of mobile for marketing purposes in Asia through consumer desired opt-in and opt-out campaigns.”

President of the MMA, Laura Marriott added, “We launched the MMA Asia chapter in February this year and have achieved several significant milestones including the development of regionalized advertising guidelines to ensure consumer’s interests remain at the forefront of all mobile marketing campaigns.  During today’s Mobile Marketing Forum we will review the progress made in both the industry and the association as well as highlight growth opportunities for Asia in 2008.”

Sponsored by 160 Characters, Acision, Charged, Digital Media Magazine, Media Magazine, Telecom Asia, Wireless Asia and Yahoo! Mobile, the Mobile Marketing Forum has become the premier event for mobile marketing world-wide which attracts industry leaders from across the ecosystem and globe.  For complete details and registration information for the Mobile Marketing Forum APAC please visit: www.mobilemarketingforum.com.

About the Mobile Marketing Association )MMA)

The Mobile Marketing Association )MMA) is the premier global non-profit 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 include agencies, advertisers, hand held device manufacturers, wireless operators, aggregators, technology enablers, market research firms and all companies focused on marketing via the mobile channel. The Mobile Marketing Association’s global headquarters are located in the United States and has representatives in over forty countries across the globe.  It recently formed the Europe Middle East & Africa )EMEA) and Asia Pacific )APAC) divisions.  The Latin American )LATAM) division will be launched in the coming months.  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]

Mobile Marketing Association Publishes Asia-Pacific Mobile Advertising Guidelines

Release of APAC Ad Guidelines Reflects Significant Milestone for MMA APAC Chapter!

 HONG KONG – Mobile Marketing Forum APAC – Dec. 6, 2007 — The Mobile Marketing Association )MMA), )www.mmaglobal.com), which represents more than 500 member companies worldwide, today announced the release of its Mobile Advertising Guidelines tailored specifically for the Asia-Pacific )APAC) region. The guidelines are designed to foster the uptake of mobile advertising by brands and marketers throughout the region, as well as enhance and ensure a positive and consistent consumer experience.

The guidelines make it easier for global and regional brands and marketers to develop mobile advertising campaigns while ensuring the campaigns are delivered consistently on the majority of mobile devices.

The APAC Mobile Advertising Committee is chaired by Joshua Maa, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Madhouse, Inc.  “As brands and marketers throughout the APAC region look to harness the mobile channel, they’ve been asking for clear, timely guidelines to help guide their strategies and decisions,” Maa said. “The MMA APAC Mobile Advertising Guidelines directly address that need by providing detailed, step-by-step guidelines designed to help create effective campaigns that provide a consistently good user experience, regardless of each customer’s device and network.”

“The APAC region has a history of being a worldwide leader in mobile technologies and usage,” said Laura Marriott, president of the MMA. “The MMA APAC Mobile Advertising Guidelines are designed to offer a consistent set of formats for the broadest range of devices in the region in order to provide a framework to ensure consistency for both marketers and mobile users.  The guidelines will help to drive even faster development of mobile advertising in the region. The MMA has been leading in the development of mobile advertising guidelines for the global marketplace, having released guidelines for both North America and EMEA previously.”

The guidelines are supported by the GSM Association, the global trade association for the mobile industry representing more than 700 mobile operators. “These guidelines are an important step in the development of the mobile advertising market in Asia Pacific,” said Bill Gajda, chief commercial officer of the GSMA. “We are working with the MMA to create a sustainable advertising environment so that mobile advertising will quickly reach its potential to the benefit of all players in the ecosystem.”

Produced by the MMA APAC Mobile Advertising Committee, the guidelines provide detailed, hands-on information about creating, formatting and using Mobile Web banner ads. Topics include:

•  Design principles and style guides

•  Technical requirements and considerations, such as handset display capabilities

•  Advertising units, such as banner dimensions and aspect ratios

The MMA founded the APAC Mobile Advertising Committee in early 2007 to create a library of format and policy guidelines for advertising within content on mobile devices. Like MMA Mobile Advertising Committees for other regions,  the APAC committee works to ensure that the industry is taking a proactive approach to keep user experience, content integrity and deployment simplicity as the driving forces behind all mobile advertising programs. 

The MMA APAC Mobile Advertising Guidelines can be downloaded from http://www.mmaglobal.com/apacmobileadvertising.pdf.

About the Mobile Marketing Association )MMA)

The Mobile Marketing Association )MMA) is the premier global non-profit 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 include agencies, advertisers, hand held device manufacturers, wireless operators, aggregators, technology enablers, market research firms and all companies focused on marketing via the mobile channel. The Mobile Marketing Association’s global headquarters are located in the United States and has representatives in over forty countries across the globe.  It 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]

 Mobile Marketing Programs Attracting High Consumer Interest  in Asia

Mobile Marketing Association Announces Study Results Which Provide Insights Into Mobile Marketing

Hong Kong – Mobile Marketing Forum – Dec. 6, 2007 — In order to help brands and marketers identify key market trends, mobile subscriber usage patterns, and success metrics for mobile marketing in the Asia-Pacific )APAC) region, the Mobile Marketing Association )MMA) )www.mmaglobal.com) today announced the results of its third-annual APAC Mobile Attitude and Usage Study. The study provides actionable insights into the APAC region’s consumer mobile usage by demographic group, awareness and usage of mobile phone features and services, and interest in and concerns about specific applications.

The study’s key findings include:

• The use of multiple mobile phone features bodes well for acceptance of mobile marketing. Across the APAC region, feature usage is high. Smartphones usage also is high throughout the region, particularly in China and India, giving mobile marketers additional options for developing and executing campaigns

• Roughly half of APAC mobile users express at least moderate interest in mobile marketing, and 13% indicate high interest. The immediacy of the information and convenience of the service are perceived as its greatest benefits.

• Of the countries surveyed, the greatest potential is in India and China, followed by Hong Kong. Furthermore, more users in these countries already have participated in such programs.

• Text messaging usage is high: more than 60% of the region’s uses. This usage translates into a large addressable audience for SMS-based marketing campaigns.

• Regardless of country or age, users are more likely to have experience with sweepstakes/voting and receiving information about new products than with other mobile marketing applications. Applications of interest to the greatest number of potential users are mobile coupons, status alerts about accounts or purchases, alerts on special sales and sweepstakes.

• Greatest barriers to acceptance include lack of need, fear of intrusiveness and cost concerns, a trend consistent with other markets of the world.

The 2007 Mobile Attitude and Usage Study was conducted by Synovate, a global market research firm, on behalf of the MMA. Synovate conducted 1,901 online interviews in October 2007 which looked at mobile usage in China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Japan and Australia.  The MMA has also conducted similar studies in the U.S. and Western Europe.

"This study confirms the attractiveness of the Asia Pacific region for mobile marketing activities. The size of the market is large and mobile phone users are receptive to this application of the technology," said Brendan Shair, Executive Director in Synovate's Hong Kong office. "As seen in the U.S., the Youth Market )18 - 34) is particularly attractive for mobile marketers, given this segment's high dependency on their mobile phones."

“The APAC region is world-renowned for its high wireless penetration and usage of mobile technologies and the 2007 APAC Mobile Attitude and Usage Study provides some new insights into mobile marketing receptiveness,” said Laura Marriott, president of the MMA. “The study will be available, free of charge, to all MMA members early next week.”

About the Mobile Marketing Association )MMA)
The Mobile Marketing Association )MMA) is the premier global non-profit 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 include agencies, advertisers, hand held device manufacturers, wireless operators, aggregators, technology enablers, market research firms and all companies focused on marketing via the mobile channel. The Mobile Marketing Association’s global headquarters are located in the United States and has representatives in over forty countries across the globe.  It 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:

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