At the risk of slinging mud at a nascent industry others might argue is simply going through normal growing pains, I am disappointed at the lack of creativity in mobile marketing. It seems there is a fork in the road to mobile, with one lane veering toward dizzyingly siloed custom applications for niche devices, and the other a path toward lowest common denominator, de rigueur mobile. (Full disclosure: my company has been at the helm for both (sigh), so I feel uniquely qualified to level the accusation at the industry at large.)

We’ve collectively lost sight of what is unique about mobile. Sure mobile coupons are neat, text to win is occasionally fun, and WAP ads have their place (though, when was the last time you clicked on a WAP ad? Or, a regular banner ad for that matter?), but do any of those applications do anything but move the needle incrementally? Are there any mobile marketing campaigns you know of that actually change gears? (more…)

Spend much time in the halls of mobile companies these days and you’ll be privy to prolific chatter about the second generation of Apple’s precedent-setting iPhone, scheduled for release on July 11th.  Even before the original iPhone was released, back when there were only whispers, smoke and mirrors about Apple’s plans, industry insiders speculated feverishly about when the juggernaut would awaken from its mobile slumber.

By almost all accounts, Apple’s first pass in the mobile space was an unmitigated success. The device was stunningly beautiful, the touchscreen worked surprisingly well, the accelerometer (the doohickey that changes the screen based on the orientation of the device) was an instant benchmark, and the browser served up rich HTML. Undergirding its incredible functionality was Apple’s utter mastery of UI; the device was simpler to use than a preponderance of lesser devices. (more…)