UK mobile networks sign deal to develop mobile advertising

Daniel Sung Mobile phones
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mobile-advertising.jpgMoney men all over the UK are rubbing their hands together in glee as news comes in that the Internet Advertising Bureau has struck a deal with the UK big five mobile networks to develop adverts on your phone and mine. Joy.

Orange, Vodafone, 3, O2 and T-Mobile’s deal with the IAB will see the launch of a mobile advertising report and the formation of a mobile steering group to figure out how to best integrate what has been predicted to be a global market worth £560m.

Now, in theory, I’m sure mobile advertising could be a good thing in terms of subsidising our digital lifestyles but somehow I get the feeling that much of the profits would not be for the benefit of the consumer. Having said that, the minute one of the big five undercuts the others, it should restore the balance. Still, I’m not sure it’s worth the hassle of junk on your mobile.

What do you think? How about if I offered you a tenner less on your contract each month in exchange for the right to send you adverts?

(via the Inquirer)

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Daniel Sung
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5 comments

  • I Think not.
    At the moment, i get advertising rammed down my throat every time I:

    Access the internet
    Turn on my TV
    Turn on my radio
    Walk down the street
    Install a free progam onto my PC
    Watch a film
    Look at a friend’s iPhone (yay – ‘free’ stuff from the apple store!)

    Please god, don’t send this crapola to my phone too!

  • Blyke have shown that well focused vertical mobile advertising can be welcomed by consumers in return for something free. But it does come down to whether advertising will be used to subsidise your calls/contract or whether its extra revenue for the operator.

    If its extra revenue why would I want it as a consumer?

    • I think you’re right, Hawkeye. I don’t think a tenner would be enough for me but Mr Underwood’s got me thinking. I was in a bar the other day and switched on my Bluetooth to receive all their house cocktail recipes as an automated text. Good use of tech, I thought.

      There could be some interesting methods, a monthly plan on a sliding scale via straight text or a pay per ad via Bluetooth when you choose to switch it on. The monthly packages could be £10 credit for 200 ads or £20 for 350 or whatever package you wish to choose to offset the expense of your contract. It’d make the cost of an iPhone 3G or T-Mobile G1 a lot more bearable.

      As for the profits, Owen, yes that is the danger but I don’t think it would last if all the cash just went to the mobile company bosses. They’d have to have a cartel agreement to make sure that none of them undercut the other otherwise it would all collapse. I’d like to think that the Government wouldn’t allow that.

      However, I doubt we’d see quite the savings we should though. Just look what they do with the price of texts.

  • It sound like a good idea, there was talk of using bluetooth to serve adverts to shoppers while ago, it might help customers with bargain hunting, although i guess it depends on how the adverts would be served, text or bluetooth, if it’s the latter, simple…turn off bluetooth whilst shopping!

    If you could choose the type of shops using a subscription, say you have to pick 5 froma list of shops or types of retailers, that send them, for example men getting adverts for womens clothing etc.

  • It would have to be a substantial reduction in charges to make it worthwhile as a consumer. As a postman I am all to aware of the general public’s comments when I have to deliver ‘junk’ oops I mean advertising and promotional material to them

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