For many marketers the mobile channel is going to be a very valuable route to customers. Challenge for many is to simply understand the channel and what it can deliver; it is very different to the fixed online environment.

It is not surprising that many suggest that not understanding how to fully determine ROI is a barrier. The reality is many are thinking about the execution before the strategy, they are embroiled in the technology and forget the marketing principles.

When consumers are mobile there are very different motivations, patience and tolerance far lower immediacy often key. People want to typically undertake an action.

The first place to start is on the ‘What’ – what do you do expect a consumer to do as a result of seeing the execution or interacting the service? Mobile activity is extremely measurable – ROI should be the easy part.

Second the ‘Why’ – why is the offer or service relevant when they are mobile? Transposing the organisation web assets online is often not an answer – when usability and consumer experience is critical to gain engagement.

Third the ‘How’ – how are you going to approach deliver? At this third stage should the element of application vs web enter; the Apple, Blackberry Android or the campaign placement discussions. After all these are executions and should not drive the marketing strategy.

For 8 core principles when thinking mobile: http://www.indigo102.com/archives/970

Now, let’s look at how many “users” and “smartphones” are really in use, not just sold, but in use w/plans; for that may also be a contributing factor as to the shyness of advertisers and marketers.

Another factor may be that today’s numbers are so different from old-school numbers, it may take the older companies longer to participate with the “new world” or should I say, the “present state of being”.

Additionally, anything “new” such as mobile advertising and marketing takes time to absorb and adjust to.

There are a myriad of ways to market on mobile – sms, lbs, directory, mobile internet, video, gif, permission, intrusion, etc. There are far more creative decision and civil decisions to be made, when it comes to audience and their personal devices.

Thank you again for bringing light to the issue of mobile marketing and its lag.