Will m-commerce validate mobile marketing?

Derek Callow, head of marketing for Google SE Asia, says NO

“While the increasingly popular m-commerce adds another dimension to the platform, it will not be the unique driving force for businesses to take mobile marketing seriously. Location-based activity will still be a strong focal point in mobile marketing. With 30 per cent of all Google searches being location-focused, it is clear that people are increasingly looking for things to buy based on where they are. As such, we feel it’s important for marketers to be fishing where the fish are.

Mobile connectivity is becoming more important for a fast-paced society such as ours. With sales of smartphones predicted to account for 46 per cent of all phone sales in 2013 (increasing from nine per cent in 2008), the potential of the mobile marketing platform can no longer be ignored. Many mobile users see their mobile phones as the answer to pretty much everything - they are no longer just communication tools but are mobile workstations, entertainment providers and even personal concierges, offering instantaneous answers to almost any sort of query. Marketers can leverage this boom to roll-out comprehensive marketing campaigns, beyond just m-commerce offerings.”

Emmanuel Allix, vice president and MD of InMobi for APAC, says YES

“Mobile marketing is already an established and serious marketing platform as it has gained traction with marketer in the last months, providing them with new options to reach and interact with their audiences.

The next phase of explosive growth for mobile marketing will be through the rapid adoption of m-payment solutions. M-Commerce will provide a source of real-time transaction data to marketers, enabling them to make informed decisions and adapting their marketing strategies.

Coupled with location based services and exact profile targeting, m-commerce will move mobile advertising to the ultimate level of one-to-one direct marketing.”

Warren Hui, CEO at Vivaki Exchange, says YES

“Many mobile marketing practitioners would normally reckon that mobiles and personal computers are just another platform of the internet, but in my opinion, mobile phones will become the core of the overall internet system in future. Mobile will not only play a crucial function in the overall social network service, but will also assume the critical path of e-commerce.

M-commerce will involve various processes, such as product display, communication interaction, purchasing forms, transactions, payment, and confirmation of receiving of goods. This not only requires many technical applications and support systems, but also relates directly to the users’ experience and how receptive they are psychologically.

Mobile marketing is already an effective platform. At the same time, the future of the mobile internet world is very broad, and this could be the brand new start for mobile marketing. I believe this without a doubt.”

Jason Chau, MD at MRM Greater China, says YES

“It certainly will help. If a well thought out infrastructure paves the way for a painless experience for marketers and consumers alike, current concerns around direct monetisation and experience of this channel will be addressed nicely, making it an even more powerful point in the consumer ecosystem.

Although there are many facets of mobile marketing that make it an engaging platform, its role in driving sales at any point and at any time has been under-leveraged. Incorporating commerce on-the-go into many of the already prolific uses of mobile, such as location-based functionalities, search and gaming for example, increases its viability as a commercial tool.

Couple that with the potential to engage consumers with relevant and creative content and it’s even more compelling.

With a growing user base, increasing smartphone and 3G adoption, and the introduction of some exciting technologies, the question we need to answer is not if this platform is successful for commerce, but rather when it will be.”

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This article was originally published in the 6 May 2010 issue of Media.