MMA Attracts Industry Leaders to its Mobile Marketing Forum

Mobile Marketing and Advertising Industry Sky Rocketing

WHAT:
The 2007 Mobile Marketing Forum (MMF), held June 6-7 in New York, will bring together brands, agencies, wireless carriers, technology enablers and content providers to discuss the mobile marketing industry. Thee event, hosted by the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), features an impressive lineup of speakers that include the leaders from the industry from companies including The Coca-Cola Company, The Walt Disney Company, ABC, Alltel Wireless, AOL LLC, AT&T, Clear Channel, Sony BMG and more.

Topics to be discussed at the event include: Leveraging Mobile to Extend the Artist’s Presence, Building Mobile Consumer Engagement, Mobile Advertising from the Marketers' Perspective and many others.

For the first time, the event will also feature day two workshops focused on Mobile Marketing Basics, Mobile Commerce, Mobile Advertising and Mobile Search. More information on the event is available at: www.mobilemarketingforum.com.

WHO:
The 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 sustainable 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 more than 400 global member companies include agencies, advertisers, handheld device manufacturers, wireless operators, aggregators, technology enablers, market research firms and all companies focused on marketing via the mobile channel. For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com

WHERE:
The Marriott Marquis
1535 Broadway
New York, New York 10036
212.398.1900

WHEN:
June 6-7, 2007

PRESS INQUIRIES:
For North America or Asia Pacific media registration and/or briefing opportunities, contact Global Results Communications at [email protected] or (949) 608-0276.
For EMEA media registration and/or briefing opportunities, contact Liberty at [email protected]

BVDW Section Mobile to become the German representative of the Mobile Marketing Association

Düsseldorf/ Boulder/ London: April 26, 2007: BVDW Section Mobile has become the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) Germany. The group will be the official representative of the MMA in Germany –the first lobby worldwide with more than 400 member companies throughout forty countries which supports the growth and advancement of Mobile Marketing and their technologies. The chairman of the German professional group, Mark Wächter (MWC Consulting), will assume a position on the MMA EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) Board of Directors. In this way, intensive changes of experiences and knowledge concerning the development on the market for Mobile Marketing within Europe and on a global level can be ensured.

The BVDW Section Mobile regulates activities of MMA within Germany and collaborates by means of delegates in boards and workgroups of the worldwide association. Mobile employees receive benefits at activities and events held by MMA. Additionally, the professional group has access to the marketing research field “MMA research“. “The exchange about the market development in this country and on foreign markets is part and parcel of this intensive cooperation, ”says Mark Wächter Chairman of BVDW Section Mobile and Founder of MWC Consulting. “We are happy about the integration of the BVDW Section Mobile into the global network of the MMA. It is a very important step forward for the mobile branch in Germany.” Mark Wächter is an honorary member of the board until the next official elections of the EMEA Board of Directors in 2008.

“Germany is a very important market for the MMA and the current members of BVDW Section Mobile will help us gain insight into mobile marketing and mobile technology development throughout Germany,” Laura Marriott, President, MMA, concludes. “We hope to grow a multitude of corporate projects with which we can support the expansion of the Germany chapter The Mobile Marketing Forum is one of these projects, which is due to be held in Prague in October. Additional projects like coverage measurement, international standardisation, definition of mobile advertising currency and sales forecasts are planned within the scope of this cooperation on a middle- and long-term basis.

MMA also has representatives in the United Kingdom, Austria and Spain next to the expansion of the MMA network in Germany.

MMA membership is open to companies, academic institutions and individuals actively engaged in the global mobile marketing industry. A list of current members is available at www.mmaglobal.com/modules/article/view.article.php/501.

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 sustainable 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 400+ 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. For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com

About BVDW Section Mobile
Section Mobile is part of the BVDW, the federal association of the digital economy in Germany – a non profit organization which represents the major segments of the digital economy. BVDW is the strongest lobby and trade association of the Digital Economy Europe wide. BVDW Section Mobile is the compound of companies and institutions in Germany, that force mobile devices as information, entertainment, sales and marketing channels. Their general concern is to accelerate and strengthen the establishment of mobile technologies. Further information www.bvdw.org

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Hinda Smith or Ed Barker
Liberty Communications
+44 (0) 20 7751 4444
[email protected]
[email protected]

MOBILE MARKETING ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES EMEA CHAPTER

Regional Chapter Chaired by Richard Saggers, Vodafone Group -

LONDON, UK: Thursday 26 April, 2007 — The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) (www.mmaglobal.com) today announced the creation of the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Chapter and has announced the board of directors and Executive Committee. The MMA EMEA chapter brings together more than 150 brands, agencies and mobile marketing industry players in the region under the Chairmanship of Richard Saggers, Head of Mobile Advertising for Vodafone Group.

The MMA EMEA’s charter is to build a sustainable ecosystem for the mobile marketing industry in the EMEA region. The chapter will, establish a forum for region-wide consultation on the key issues affecting the industry including the creation of guidelines and best practices and the protection of consumer privacy. Current national chapters, including the UK, Austria and Spain, will now participate in EMEA regional activities with each Chairman assuming one seat on the EMEA board.

The MMA is already working on a number of new mobile marketing initiatives in the EMEA region to build consumer best practises, educate the industry and ensure that universal codes of conduct are in place.

“The growth of the mobile marketing industry in the EMEA region continues at a rapid pace. The timing is now ideal to bring together the key players in the industry from brands, agencies, vendors and mobile operators under one body, working towards a common goal,” said Richard Saggers, Head of Mobile Advertising, Vodafone “The MMA EMEA Board of Directors committee spans key elements of the value chain and will be at the forefront of this dynamic industry.”

“The launch of the EMEA chapter is a significant milestone for the MMA, marking another step in the development of the region’s mobile marketing industry,” said Laura Marriott, executive director of the MMA. “Our EMEA Board of Directors represents the leaders in mobile marketing in their respective industries and we look forward to working with them and our EMEA membership to advance the MMA’s mission in the region.”

“It’s key to the success of the industry that all members of the value chain recognise the need for universal standards. We believe that with the support of our members the industry will achieve just that,” concludes Marriott.

The 2007 MMA EMEA Executive Committee includes:
• Richard Saggers, Head of Mobile Advertising, Vodafone Group (Chairman)
• Neil Edwards, CEO, dotMobi (Mobile Top Level Domain, Ltd) (Vice-Chairman)
• Alberto Benbunan Garzón, Biz Dev Director, Mobile Dreams Factory (Treasurer)
• Sixto Arias, Chairman MMA Spain & Director of Mobile Marketing, Havas Media Interactive (Secretary)
• Daniel Rosen, Group Head, AKQA Mobile (Director at Large)
• Laura Marriott, Executive Director, MMA

Other members of the 2007 MMA EMEA Board includes:
• Agustín Calvo, CEO, MoviDream (Madrid, Spain)
• Alex Dale, Marketing Director, EMEA, Microsoft (London, UK)
• Alvise Zanardi, Head of Marketing Services, Buongiorno SPA (Milan, Italy)
• Arda Kertmelioglu, Founder / Marketing Director, Mobilera Inc. (Istanbul, Turkey)
• Charles Sword, Product Manager, Mobile Advertising, Yahoo! (London, UK)
• Chris Locke, Senior Strategy Manager, Mobile, AOL Europe (London, UK)
• David Barker, Mobile Marketing Association UK & Managing Director – Europe, Enpocket (London, UK)
• Hervé LeJouan, Managing Director, Europe, M:Metrics (London, UK)
• Melis Turkmen, Mobile Marketing & Advertising Unit Head, TURKCELL GSM Operator (Istanbul, Turkey)
• Monica Deza Pulido, CEO, UniversalMcCann (Madrid, Spain)
• Peter Garside, Regional Manager, Ericsson IPX (Stockholm, Sweden)
• Prinz M. Pinakatt, Manager of Interactive Marketing Europe, The Coca-Cola Company (London, UK)
• Roland Tauchner, Mobile Marketing Association Austria & Managing Director, DIMOCO Direct Mobile Communications (Vienna, Austria)
• Russell Buckley, Managing Director, Europe, AdMob Inc. (Starnberg, Germany)

In related news Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW) – the German Federal Association of the Digital Economy – today announced a formal partnership with the MMA. The 62 BVDW members will form the German chapter of the MMA. For more information please visit www.bvdw.org.

The newest MMA members from around the globe include:
1. 24/7 Real Media
2. CellTrust Corporation
3. CNET Networks
4. edioma, Inc
5. Gameloft
6. Incentivated Limited
7. MediaCom
8. Mobile Complete
9. Motorola
10. Smaato Inc.
11. Sports.comm Ltd
12. WeatherBug
13. ZenZui

MMA membership is open to companies, academic institutions and individuals actively engaged in the global mobile marketing industry. A list of current members is available at www.mmaglobal.com/modules/article/view.article.php/501.

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 sustainable 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 400+ 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. For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Hinda Smith or Ed Barker
Liberty Communications
+44 (0) 20 7751 4444
[email protected]
[email protected]

Urban Special Interest Group Formed Within Mobile Marketing Association

USIG emphasizes role of urban content in mobile marketing ecosystem

Orlando, Fl., CTIA Wireless 2007 – March 29, 2007 — The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) (www.mmaglobal.com) today announced the creation of an Urban Special Interest Group (USIG). The group’s charter is to foster awareness and adoption of urban-oriented mobile content by creating networking, education and policy opportunities among urban content owners, mobile service providers, technologists, vendors and strategic partners.

The MMA USIG’s initial focus will be to create a collaborative environment where urban content providers, service providers and brands can find meaningful ways to develop synergistic business and community opportunities – with initial focus areas which include:

• Identifying the needs of the urban community (i.e., content owners, brand owners, media channels) for mobile technology and new media business acumen and resources.
• Identifying the relationship and educational needs of the carrier community and all ecosystem participants regarding urban development and content opportunities.

The MMA USIG is co-chaired by John Huffman IV, CEO of Real Hip Hop, and Christopher Jones, Senior Product Marketing Manager of Boost Mobile. The USIG will hold its kickoff meeting in April.

“Content is one of the means by which a brand can extend its reach through the mobile channel,” said Laura Marriott, executive director of the MMA. “John and Chris have been passionate about the need to educate all players in the urban mobile ecosystem – and we are excited about the launch of this new initiative. The USIG will also further diversify MMA’s membership, one of our key goals for 2007.”

“The USIG will help educate the urban community and investors about the exciting opportunities in the urban mobile market,” Huffman said. “Increasing the overall diversity of the urban community in the mobile marketing ecosystem is key for ensuring that mobile marketing is a viable way to reach the widest possible variety of demographics.”

“As a tool for reaching a broad range of diverse constituencies, mobile marketing must engage the full spectrum of stakeholders in the mobile content value chain,” Jones said. “The USIG is designed to provide a forum for identifying and serving every member of today’s diverse mobile ecosystem.”

USIG membership is open to all MMA member companies.

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 sustainable 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 400+ 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. 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 ANNOUNCES WOMEN IN WIRELESS INITIATIVE

Charter Includes Creating Education, Mentoring and Networking Opportunities

ORLANDO, FL, CTIA Wireless 2007, March 27, 2007 — The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) (www.mmaglobal.com) today announced the creation of a Women in Wireless initiative. The group’s charter is to establish a forum for female industry leaders in the mobile media community and to increase the industry awareness around the success of female executives in the mobile space.

The MMA Women in Wireless committee has four focus areas:
• Education, including professional development
• Mentoring, including establishing a mentoring program for industry newcomers and startup companies headed by women
• Networking, including establishing a forum for female leaders to share their experiences and provide a resource pool for sharing information
• Recognition, including elevating the profile of female leaders, establishing a ‘Who’s Who’ of industry leaders and creating an award for female leaders in the industry

The MMA Women in Wireless committee is co-chaired by Connie Wong, CEO of Vidiator, and Laura Marriott, executive director of the MMA.

“I’m particularly pleased to lead the MMA’s Women in Wireless committee as it’s important to encourage the participation of women leaders in the development of the wireless sector; especially in entrepreneurship to create new applications for women to drive mobile usage and new revenues for carriers,” said Wong. “We welcome participation of all MMA members and look forward to growing the committee and its general presence in the market.”

“The inspiration for the Women in Wireless committee came from the large and growing number of female executives at MMA member companies,” said Marriott. “This committee builds on those strengths by creating opportunities for those leaders to educate and mentor other women in the mobile industry.”

MMA membership is open to companies, academic institutions and individuals actively engaged in the global mobile marketing industry. A list of current members is available at www.mmaglobal.com/modules/article/view.article.php/501.

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 sustainable 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 400+ 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. 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 ADDS 23 MEMBERS

New Academic Outreach Program Attracts Northeastern University

BOULDER, CO, March 13, 2007 — The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) (www.mmaglobal.com) today announced 20-plus new members, continuing a meteoric rise in membership that included a 150 percent increase in 2006. The new members include Northeastern University and Center for Media Design, the first two academic institutions to join following the early 2007 launch of the MMA’s academic membership category.

“The MMA is recognized as the world’s leading association focused on creating best practices and guidelines for the mobile marketing and media ecosystem,” said Laura Marriott, executive director of the MMA. “The establishment of our regional chapters as well as expanding our membership to academia ensures that we support not only the organizations and individuals already engaged in mobile, but our future leaders as well.”

The MMA created the Academic Outreach Committee to establish a bridge between industry and academia. Academics will provide industry with meaningful insights from theory and research, while industry participants will provide academia with real-world experience and data.

“With initiatives such as the Academic Outreach program and overseeing publication of the International Journal of Mobile Marketing, the MMA has helped establish strong ties between academia and mobile marketing professionals,” said Andrew Rohm, Assistant Professor, Northeastern University, Boston, MA. “Those relationships are key to providing the research necessary to develop exciting new ways to develop, execute and measure mobile marketing campaigns.”

The newest MMA members include:
• 5th Finger
• AKQA Mobile
• Bytemobile, Inc.
• Center for Media Design
• GetLisa
• Infinian Corporation
• InterOP Technologies, LLC
• Jingle Networks
• Kona Interactive LLC
• Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P.
• Mobile Dreams Factory, SL.
• MoviDream
• Mozes Inc.
• Northeastern University
• Ortiva Wireless, Inc.
• Prime Point Media
• Split P Media
• Unilever
• Vantrix Corporation
• Vapor Mobile
• Wired Assets, LLC

MMA membership is open to companies, academic institutions and individuals actively engaged in the global mobile marketing industry. A list of current members is available at www.mmaglobal.com/modules/article/view.article.php/501

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 sustainable 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 400+ 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. 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 NAMES 2007 NORTH AMERICAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Increased Brand Participation Sets Stage for 2007

BOULDER, CO, Feb. 22, 2007 — The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) (www.mmaglobal.com) today announced the MMA 2007 North American Board of Directors. The new board members, representing 24 MMA member companies, will be chaired by Cyriac Roeding, executive vice president, CBS Mobile, who was appointed the MMA’s Global and North American Chairman for 2007.

Mr. Cyriac Roeding, executive vice president of CBS Mobile and a German native, previously held the position of European Chairman for the MMA (2001-2004) and is a proven industry leader in the United States mobile community. Mr. Roeding has extensive knowledge of the mobile marketing industry having also been a co-founder of 12snap, Europe’s leader in mobile marketing and mobile entertainment and he brings his broad base of expertise to the MMA.

Mr. Roeding comments, “I am excited to take on this role, not only because the MMA is the only global association bringing advertisers, carriers, media, technology and start-up companies together, but also because 2007 is looking to be the year mobile content and advertising come together in a substantial way to complete the ‘mobile ecosystem.’” Mr. Roeding continued, “MMA, which has more than 400 member companies, is perfectly positioned to play a key role in continuing to define the rules of the game.”

“The MMA Board of Directors plays a key role in the development of the industry by offering strategic oversight, which enables the MMA to set and define the existing benchmarks for moving the mobile marketing industry forward,” said Laura Marriott, executive director of the MMA. “The MMA thanks Louis Gump, our 2006 Global Chairman, and each of the 2006 board members for their contributions this past year.”

The MMA 2007 North American Board of Directors and Executive Committee consists of the following executives:

North American Board Executive Committee:

• Chairman: Cyriac Roeding, Executive Vice President, CBS Mobile, CBS Corp.
• Vice-Chairman: Jay Emmet, President, mBlox, Inc.
• Treasurer: Tom Daly, Group Manager, Strategy & Planning, The Coca-Cola Company
• Secretary: Mitch Feinman, SVP, Fox Mobile Entertainment
• Director at Large: Matt Champagne, Director, Mobile Product Management, Microsoft (MSN and Windows Live)
• Executive Director: Laura Marriott, Executive Director, Mobile Marketing Association

Other members of the MMA 2007 North American Board of Directors include:

• Chris Black, Director of Mobile Marketing and Interactive Media, Cingular, now part of the new AT&T
• Christine Loredo, Director, Marketing, AOL LLC
• Christopher Brunner, VP Mobile Content & Services, Univision Communications
• Chuck Mildes, Senior Manager - Off Deck Content Services, T-Mobile USA
• Chirag Bakshi, VP Mobile Messaging, VeriSign Inc.
• Craig Kirkland, Director, Messaging & Voice Services, Alltel Wireless
• Craig Shapiro, Head of Content Strategy and Acquisition, HELIO, LLC
• David Oberholzer, Associate Director, Graphics, Community, & Off-Net Programming, Verizon Wireless
• Doug Busk, VP Industry Relations, SinglePoint
• Gene Keenan, VP of Mobile Services, Isobar
• Heidi Lehmann, VP Strategic Development, Third Screen Media
• John Lauer, VP Sales and Carrier Relations, Openmarket, a business of QPass
• John Styers, General Manager, Sprint Mobile Media Network
• Louis Gump, VP of Mobile, The Weather Channel Interactive (MMA Chairman Emeritus)
• Maria Mandel, Partner, Executive Director, Digital Innovation, OgilvyInteractive
• Michael Bayle, GM, Global Mobile Monetization, Yahoo!
• Michael Becker, EVP Business Development, iLoop Mobile, Inc.
• Soren Schafft, CEO, Qmobile, Inc.

In addition, Jim Manis, SVP, Mobile Media, VeriSign Inc., will become an honorary director of the MMA board for 2007.

MMA’s premier event for mobile marketing, the Mobile Marketing Forum, will be held June 6 - 7, 2007in New York.

About the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)
The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is the premier global association established to lead in the growth of mobile marketing and its associated technologies. The MMA is an action-oriented organization designed to clear obstacles to sustainable 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 400+ global member companies include agencies, advertisers, hand held device manufacturers, wireless operators, aggregators, infrastructure providers, retailers, 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. 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]

MMA BRINGS BRANDS, OPERATORS AND AGENCIES TOGETHER TO FURTHER BOOST MOBILE ADVERTISING SERVICES

Since 2005, MMA Leads with Mobile Advertising Guidelines and Best Practices

Barcelona, Feb. 12, 2007— During the 3GSM World Congress this week, the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) (www.mmaglobal.com) has brought together the mobile marketing ecosystem, including global operators, brands, technology enablers and agencies, for collaborative discussions to develop and drive the tools to drive the growth of mobile advertising. The MMA has led the industry since 2005 in setting guidelines and best practices which have been adopted and implemented around the world.

“Mobile advertising is accelerating with large scale campaigns underway across all mobile mediums worldwide,” said Laura Marriott, executive director of the MMA. “This week in Barcelona, industry leaders from around the world will discuss the priorities around the creation of global guidelines and frameworks to advance mobile advertising globally. By establishing a foundation of formats, the MMA has simplified the means for brands to engage mobile in their cross-media advertising initiatives.”

MMA’s Mobile Advertising committee establishes a library of format and policy guidelines for advertising on the ‘third screen’. The guidelines include messaging, mobile web, downloadables, and video and television, and serve as a framework for carriers, publishers, agencies and brands to accelerate their time to market by adopting industry approved guidelines for mobile advertising. The MMA mobile advertising guidelines ensure the industry is taking a proactive approach to keep consumer experiences, content integrity and executional simplicity as the driving forces behind all initiatives.

Michael Bayle, co-chair for the MMA North American (NA) Mobile Advertising committee and MMA NA Board of Directors member, and General Manager of Global Mobile Monetization for Yahoo! said, “Mobile advertising offers marketers a non-traditional channel to reach their audiences. In fact, it brings the consumer to the advertiser through active participation. The MMA is helping to create a unified market, which in turn, enables rapid time-to-market for implementation of campaigns. As an industry, we are collaboratively advancing the mobile advertising channel and in doing so are simplifying and enabling faster adoption.”

“Mobile advertising has always been a fundamental part of the MMA’s mission,” said Louis Gump, MMA Global & NA Chairman and VP Mobile, The Weather Channel Interactive. “The Weather Channel was one of the first to launch mobile web-based advertising initiatives leveraging the MMA guidelines and, with other industry leaders, we continue to participate actively in their evolution. The MMA guidelines served as a catalyst to launch our mobile advertising services, and are now helping companies across the mobile ecosystem to facilitate implementation.”

The MMA has established Mobile Advertising committees in North America (NA), Asia Pacific (APAC) and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) to drive the creation of global and regional guidelines for mobile advertising. To view the current MMA Guidelines, please visit: http://www.mmaglobal.com/mobileadvertising.pdf

About the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)
The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is the premier global association established to lead in the growth of mobile marketing and its associated technologies. The MMA is an action-oriented organization designed to clear obstacles to sustainable 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 400+ global member companies include agencies, advertisers, hand-held device manufacturers, wireless operators, aggregators, infrastructure providers, retailers, 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. 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 RELEASES METRICS REVEALING 41 PERCENT OF MOBILE TV VIEWERS WILL ACCEPT ADVERTISING TO SUBSIDIZE VIDEO SERVICES

Research Partner M:Metrics Results Find Mobile Advertising Budgets to Double in 2007

Boulder, CO and Barcelona, Feb. 12, 2007—The Mobile Marketing Association (www.mmaglobal.com) today unveiled the first authoritative metrics on audience acceptance of mobile advertising. Results from a survey of more than 11,000 U.S. mobile subscribers indicate that more than 41 percent of those who view or intend to view mobile video agreed they would watch advertisements in order to watch free mobile video. Additionally, 20 percent agree they would watch ads in order to watch mobile TV or video for a reduced fee. The research was conducted by research partner M:Metrics.

The report, commissioned by the MMA’s Mobile Video & Television Working Group committee, found that although only one percent of mobile subscribers currently access TV or video from a mobile phone, 23 percent of non-video users express some possibility of viewing video or television content on a mobile device within the next few months.

“The next six months are critical in the continued development of the mobile medium, and this study was instrumental in aligning marketers’ agendas with consumer expectations,” said Laura Marriott, executive director of the MMA. “The high level of consumer interest and enthusiasm on the part of advertisers, agencies and carriers suggests a promising role for advertising in mobile video and television. The MMA continues to lead the industry globally in establishing the guidelines, best practices and research to ensure a sustainable mobile marketing and advertising ecosystem.”

“This research shows that a sizable number of consumers, particularly those who are already consumers of mobile video, or express an interest in doing so, will accept advertising as part of the mobile video experience,” said Mark Donovan, senior vice president and senior analyst, M:Metrics. “Furthermore, the consumers most predisposed to advertising are younger, big-spending mobile users, creating an attractive target market for advertisers.”

The research found that 60 percent of current or prospective mobile video watchers expressed either willingness or ambivalence about sharing personal information to receive relevant offers, and those subscribers who spend more on mobile services per month are more likely to share personal information. Also, the firm found that males are more drawn to the notion of ad targeting than are females.

Sponsors of the research were MMA member companies including: Accuweather, Inc., CBS Corp., Executive Resource Group, Inc., MediaFLO USA, Inc., MobiTV, Inc., Mobliss & FreMantleMedia, QuickPlay Media, SMS.AC, Inc., Soapbox Mobile, Sprint Nextel, U-Turn Media Group, U.S. Cellular Corp. and Vidiator.

The Mobile Video & Television Working Group within the MMA focuses on establishing standards and best practices for mobile video to guide the development of the industry for content and network providers, as well as advertisers. The group addresses the development of the standards from both a technology and business model perspective – as well as determines methods to measure the effectiveness of mobile video marketing campaigns. Committee members include: CBS Corp., MobiTV, Inc., AccuWeather, Inc., Action Engine, Airwide Solutions, Alltel Wireless, Blue Frog Mobile, Dennis Digital, DoubleClick, Executive Resource Group, Inc., GoldPocket Wireless, Inc., IAG Research, ipsh!, Juice Wireless, M:Metrics, MediaContacts, MediaFLO USA, Inc., MoPhap (Mobile Phone Applications, Inc), MobiTV, Inc., Mobliss, m-Qube, Inc., News Over Wireless, Openwave, Quickplay Media, Reuters, SMS.ac, Inc., Soapbox Mobile, Sprint-Nextel, Telephia, Inc., Telescope, Inc., The Weather Channel Interactive, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., TV10s, U.S. Cellular Corp., VeeCaster, Verizon Wireless, Vidiator, and Zingy, Inc.

The research is available free of charge to all MMA member companies at www.mmaglobal.com

About the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)
The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is the premier global association established to lead in the growth of mobile marketing and its associated technologies. The MMA is an action-oriented organization designed to clear obstacles to sustainable 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 400+ global member companies include agencies, advertisers, hand-held device manufacturers, wireless operators, aggregators, infrastructure providers, retailers, 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. 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]