This week marks the beginning of the holiday season, of course, when most of us focus less on business and more on the reasons we work so hard. So in the spirit of the upcoming long weekend-and thanks to a predictably lethargic news cycle-a few things I’m thankful for in mobile this year:
–The rise of GPS. Forget the tired Starbucks scenario where a coupon is automatically delivered to every mobile phone that passes near a brick-and-mortar store. Most of us don’t want advertisements pushed to us. But carriers and application developers have done a great job in allowing users to pinpoint where they are and find interesting things nearby. And unlike many mobile applications, most GPS-enabled offerings are both affordable and easy to use.
–I didn’t buy stock in these guys. Or these guys. Or these guys. Then again, I’m less grateful that I have stock in absolutely nothing.
–Ringback tones. I’ve never actually spent money for them, and there’s always the risk I’ll have to suffer through some awful tune by The Pussycat Dolls when I call a mobile number. But hearing what my friends and colleagues are listening to instead of the archaic ringing noise almost always makes me smile.
–I’m not an off-deck content provider. The direct-to-consumer mobile space is promising, to be sure, but razor-thin margins and inadequate billing systems are making off-deck a treacherous place right now.
–Mobile advertising. Yes, it can be more intrusive than any other marketing channel, and yes, advertisers have much to learn when it comes to approaching mobile users without annoying them. So it’s no surprise that mobile marketing is going through some navel-gazing following many months of hyperbole. But as the lines continue to blur between mobile and the Internet, advertising dollars will increasingly subsidize all sorts of wireless content and services. And consumers will be just fine with that.
–Apple, Google, Nokia, and all the other companies looking to shake things up in mobile. Apple is already a game-changer in wireless, of course, and Google’s Android and Nokia’s Ovi could help fuel the innovation that is tough to find among many entrenched players. Some of these efforts are doomed to fail, of course, and consumers may find themselves lost as a host of new players come to market. But the flurry of activity will ultimately help the industry evolve.
Finally, I’m grateful for all the little guys working to help the industry move beyond simple voice and text messaging into a host of new mobile services. From mobile social networking offerings to outside-the-box games to odd ideas like the Push Ringer, wireless teems with creativity and flat-out weirdness. The world of mobile marketing and content is rarely dull.
