Hugh Jedwill, CEO of Mobile Anthem, has launched the Heartland Mobile Council (HMC) in the US. According to Jedwill, the council brings together the key players who will impact the growth of the mobile marketing industry, including marketers, technologists, market researchers, and content distributors. The HMC aims to place Chicago and the Midwest at the forefront of the mobile marketing industry. Other founding members include representaives from Tribal Fusion, JWT, Glu Mobile, Microsoft, comScore and AOL/Platform A.
Mobile is one of the hottest topics in emerging media today, says Jedwill. Similar to the Internet 15 years ago, everyone knows the technology has great potential, but there is even greater confusion. This is especially true when trying to understand how to market to consumers through their mobile phones.
San Francisco and Boston have the infrastructure to build new mobile technologies. In contrast, Chicago and the Midwest have the perfect confluence of consumer package companies, retailers, market researchers and agencies. Most importantly the average American can be found in the Midwest. It is from here that the Heartland Mobile Council seeks to educate marketers and the industry on how to effectively use this new mass medium.
The HMC says it will focus initially on education, best practice and metrics, and that it will reach out to the mobile community initially through educational speaking engagements, including ad:tech Chicago, and through partnerships with Chicagoland professional associations. You can find out more on the HMCc blog.