A Hard Cell
Advertisers may soon be tapping into your cell phone
Meg Rafferty
Issue date: 1/20/06 Section: News
Some feel as if advertising follows them everywhere, and in the near future it literally could if marketers and advertisers realize their plans to send commercials and other forms of advertising directly to consumers' cell phones.
Consumer advocates believe cell phone advertising could violate users' privacy and create safety issues, while supporters counter that the advertising will be carefully regulated and that the consumer will be in control of it.
Cell phone-based marketing is on the rise, and as people text message and web browse more frequently on their cell phones, advertising campaigns will become more prevalent, according to CEO of Third Screen Media Tom Burgess.
"Over the next two years you'll see some kind of convergence between the mobile web and video advertising," Burgess said.
The Boston-based company Third Screen Media is part of the Mobile Marketing Association, which is made up of companies involved in mobile marketing that work to improve the technology to enable advertising on mobiles.
"It's all pull, none of it is push and none of it is spam," he said. "People think they'll be walking down the street and - ring ring - there's an ad, but that's not the case."
Burgess said advertising will enter customers' phones through usage of the mobile web and through test messaging.
"The mobile world is similar to the internet," he said. "Advertisements will appear either in text messaging interfaces like email or in viewing content through a mobile web browser."
Burgess said the company's customers, such as the Weather Channel, CBS Sports Line and MSN are concerned that mobile phone advertisements will discourage phone users and are working to remedy the problem.
"The carriers are extremely aware of the potential for it and are taking steps to prevent text messaging spam," Burgess said.
Burgess said that mobile advertising could eventually benefit the consumer by bearing a portion of the mobile phone users' bills, just as commercials help fund broadcast television.
Consumer advocates believe cell phone advertising could violate users' privacy and create safety issues, while supporters counter that the advertising will be carefully regulated and that the consumer will be in control of it.
Cell phone-based marketing is on the rise, and as people text message and web browse more frequently on their cell phones, advertising campaigns will become more prevalent, according to CEO of Third Screen Media Tom Burgess.
"Over the next two years you'll see some kind of convergence between the mobile web and video advertising," Burgess said.
The Boston-based company Third Screen Media is part of the Mobile Marketing Association, which is made up of companies involved in mobile marketing that work to improve the technology to enable advertising on mobiles.
"It's all pull, none of it is push and none of it is spam," he said. "People think they'll be walking down the street and - ring ring - there's an ad, but that's not the case."
Burgess said advertising will enter customers' phones through usage of the mobile web and through test messaging.
"The mobile world is similar to the internet," he said. "Advertisements will appear either in text messaging interfaces like email or in viewing content through a mobile web browser."
Burgess said the company's customers, such as the Weather Channel, CBS Sports Line and MSN are concerned that mobile phone advertisements will discourage phone users and are working to remedy the problem.
"The carriers are extremely aware of the potential for it and are taking steps to prevent text messaging spam," Burgess said.
Burgess said that mobile advertising could eventually benefit the consumer by bearing a portion of the mobile phone users' bills, just as commercials help fund broadcast television.
