Participants at a recent forum on mobile advertising organised by SurfKitchen agreed that while the mobile advertising industry is in its early stage of development, operators and advertisers recognise its potential and are prepared to face the challenges. The forum, held in London earlier this month, brought together participants from across the mobile advertising spectrum, including network operators, technology vendors and representatives from the advertising industry.
Chaired by industry commentator Ben Wood of analyst house CCS Insight, the debate explored the opportunities and challenges presented by mobile advertising and helped participants crystallise their understanding of the viewpoints of parties from across the value chain.
Although we are at the beginning of what is likely to be a long journey towards realising mobile advertising, the forum allowed us to discover some interesting facts and viewpoints from all involved in the mobile advertising space, says Wood. One key insight that emerged is that while privacy is essential to the vast majority of consumers, those in the 18 to 24 age bracket are more likely to provide personal data to obtain advertising-funded mobile services than users from any other demographic.
The drivers behind mobile advertising, its revenue potential, and possible barriers to entry were three themes central to the debate. Consensus was reached on the main driver for mobile advertising, with participants believing that growing interest can be attributed to a decline in the effectiveness of traditional media. Opinions were more varied on its revenue potential, with marketing representatives advising that it currently fails to command a separate budget. The discussion around barriers to entry highlighted the attendees different perspectives, with mobile operators stressing that brand protection is still the number one priority. 
The discussion also explored possible delivery mechanisms, and while no one format for mobile advertising could be agreed upon, participants were unanimous on the importance of protecting the user experience. The fragmentation of devices and operating software was also highlighted as a complication for delivery, with attendees believing that this added layer of complexity is slowing mobile advertisings development and delivery.
Industry observers have been quick to identify mobile advertising as a lucrative opportunity says SurfKitchen CEO Michel Quazza. Mobile phones, as personal communications devices, allow advertisers to segment and personally target mobile phone users. However, if the mobile and media industries are to capitalise on the relationship users have with their mobile devices, they must keep protecting the user experience front of mind and consider the impact that different types of mobile advertising will have on how users relate to their phones,
SurfKitchen is focused on delivering a mobile end-user experience superior to alternative browser-based solutions. SurfKitchens solutions have been deployed by major operators throughout the world including Orange Group, Telstra, Maxis, Telenor and Telefonica Moviles Espaa.