Great Outlook for Interactive Marketing

Forrester recently released their “US Interactive Marketing Forecast” for 2009-2014, and the outlook is good.

Forrester is predicting that interactive marketing (including email marketing, social media and mobile) will become a more significant part of the overall marketing mix in the coming years, which is expected to grow to an impressive $55 billion by 2014, and to increase from 12 percent of the overall marketing spend to 21 percent.

Over the next several years, mobile marketing is expected to grow by 27 percent and social media by 34 percent. Social media has the steepest expected growth as marketers continue to try and keep up with the consumers increased use of social networking sites, which has surpassed email as the primary source of communication in 2009, according to Nielsen Online.

The increase in mobile data usage, continued development of mobile applications and mobile maturing as a marketing medium all will attribute to mobile’s growth.

Forecast: US Interactive Marketing Spend, 2009 to 2014

Although Email marketing had the smallest expected growth, this can be attributed to the already high adoption. The report found that marketers will continue to utilize email as a tool, with 97 percent of marketers planning on using/continuing to use email marketing in 2010.

It’s imperative that every company is asking themselves how they plan on utilizing interactive marketing over the next 5 years. And, with nearly every print publication feeling crunched and the “TIVO” phenomenon taking a bite out of TV advertising, do we really think only 21% of these budgets will be allocated to interactive?

I am going to go out on a limb here and say significantly more budget will shift into these incredibly cost-effective and measurable direct marketing mediums. My number is 30%…

Hispanic Teens Set for Strong Mobile Growth

RCR Wireless

“Teens overall are a critical wireless market segment, as initial subscriber and handset relationships can establish life-long purchasing patterns,” said MultiMedia Intelligence. “Within the teen segment, Hispanic teens have unique wireless usage characteristics.”

A new report from MultiMedia Intelligence estimates the segment includes about

• Hispanic teenagers ages 12 to 17 represent a 2.5 million subscriber market segment and expected to grow at a rate of two-to-three-times that of the overall U.S. teen market during the next five years
• Hispanic teens represent 16% of the overall U.S. teen market
• Wireless penetration is 64% of Hispanic teens by the age of 15
• 78% by the age of 17
• Hispanic teens are more likely than other teenagers to use advanced mobile functions

View article.

Marketers to Up Spending in Cable, Online, Mobile in Next 6 Months

Advertising Age

According to a recent report published in AdAge, Advertiser Optimism, from Advertiser Perceptions, spending for traditional media such as broadcast TV, national newspapers and magazines will decrease in the next 6  months. However, the report outlines that online, cable TV and mobile spends will increase during that same period.

Mobile solutions provide marketers exclusive subscriber lists and flexible management tools to enhance consumer experiences with two-way relationships. Mobile marketers can view campaign reporting and analytic results, edit and adjust targeted marketing campaigns in real-time. In the slowing economy, visible brands that can maintain frequency and are cost-efficient will survive.

View Article.

Related article: Prove It or Lose It: Mobile Matters Now More Than Ever – Matt Silk, SVP Waterfall Mobile.

AT&T Announces 2008 Big Mobile on Campus Challenge Winners

AT&T announced the winners of its first Big Mobile On Campus Challenge, a national higher education contest for mobile application development.

The AT&T BMOC challenge provided national college and university students, faculty and staff an opportunity to create and build the latest mobile applications to “enhance education and improve he student life experience.”

Read more

Public Might Cut Cord on Landlines. Mobile Devices Only?

Advertising Age

“For years, it’s been one of those speculative staple questions of consumer-media research: If you could only keep one thing out of a list that included your phone, your TV or your computer and internet connection, what would it be?”

Another article supporting tech savvy mobile users rely solely on mobile devices and dont have a need for landlines. Consumers can be reached on their mobile device anytime, anywhere. Who really uses their landline anyway?

View Article.

How Do Mobile Users Spend Time?

Good data from eMarketer, US mobile users on “phones more than ever, talking, texting, watching videos and using the mobile Web.” For mobile users, SMS text messaging activity leads.

More from the report:

• 54% of mobile users surveyed in September 2008 had increased usage over 25% over the past two years
• Close to four out of five mobile users sent text messages
• One-fifth said their usage had increased by 50% or more
• One-third of respondents talked on their mobile phone more than 10 hours per week
• 34% of respondents ages 17 and under talked for more than 15 hours weekly
• Almost four out of 10 mobile Internet users surfed the mobile Web for 2 or more hours every week.
• 62% of mobile users surveyed said they either already owned or would own one within the next 12 months
• 29% of those who did spent more than 2 hours every week texting

FierceWireless: The 25 Most Powerful People in Wireless

FierceWireless released its Top 25 Most Powerful People in Wireless List

“How do you determine a person’s “power” quotient? That’s a tricky question and one that the FierceWireless editorial team has pondered quite a bit lately.”

An interesting list with “fierce” commentary posted below the article.

Best Practices: Agency Tips on Planning a Mobile Marketing Strategy

Mobile Marketer

A good article from Tammy Casserly, Wilde Agency, on recommendations and industry trends to help plan an effective mobile marketing stategy.

“As smart companies such as Procter & Gamble, Bank of America, Apple, Microsoft and Google move ad dollars to where the consumers are, it’s clear that mobile marketing has hit a tipping point.”

“P&G, the leading consumer packaged goods giant, has said it will spend “a lot more on mobile advertising” as a percentage of its total estimated $6.7 billion budget this year.”

View Article.

Industry Stats: SMS Drives Mobile Data Spend in Q1 2008

eMarketer

Mobile data revenues reached $49 billion worldwide in Q1 2008, accounting for nearly one-fifth of all mobile services spending, according to Informa Telecoms and Media.

Messaging-oriented services such as SMS and MMS still dominate the mobile data revenue picture compared with mobile entertainment.

View e-Marketer article.

Venture Beat: MobileBeat 2008 – Waterfall Selected Top 30 Mobile Company

MobileBeat 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Website

Welcome to MobileBeat 2008! Come join leading venture capitalists, industry players and entrepreneurs to discuss mobile. This half-day conference will explore the new opportunities that are emerging and ask the larger questions of the industry leaders within mobile, shedding some light on where the industry is headed and how entrepreneurs and developers can take advantage. It’s aimed at entrepreneurs and investors. Also targeted are carriers, advertisers and media companies.

Waterfall Mobile has been selected as a Top 30 mobile company by MobileBeat 2008 and will present during the event July, 24.