Cell Phone Advertising is Taking the Leap

The next major competitive arena for advertisers is clearly cell phones and they seem to be leaping into the fray with enthusiasm. Verizon and Google is teaming up with Orange on a new cell phone that will undoubtedly have its share of advertising. Naturally the marketing world has been abuzz on these developments, with much of the commentary Sid Lee) and a new philosophy so perhaps that's the explanation. As they explain on their J. Walter Thompson Company enunciated early in 2005 when it was reborn as JWT Trendletter in May 2005 (PDF). That included the following message:

We create ideas for our clients that people want to spend time with. We believe Time is the new currency. The more people who spend time with a brand the better.

They were picking up a theme that had then been around for at least five years. A variety of phrases have been coined to describe it but Permission Marketing or Pull Marketing are particularly apt. It all links in with the notion started by the Cluetrain Manifesto and culminating in Time Magazine nominating us all ("You") as Person of the Year in 2006. In other words we the consumers are in control. Advertisers must be smarter to attract our interest rather than triggering our irritation. Anyone proposing old-fashioned Push Marketing that just pushes the ads 'in your face' should be laughed out of court. If advertisers can be smart and create ads that we 'want to spend time with' and the cell phone service is thereby cheaper, then we are all the winners. SMM Strategic Marketing Montreal works with business owners and senior management on Internet Marketing strategy and action plans to grow their companies. He is a moderator at the Cre8asite Forums and writes on current issues on the Internet and on the Mobile Web in three blogs, StayGoLinks and

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