The MarketingWeb interview: Chris Rolfe

You are quoted as saying 2009 will be a year of mobile evolution, what do you mean by that?

Mobile as a medium is being driven into the mainstream by two factors:

1. the low cost of the medium (and being a recession, this is working in mobile's favour)

2. the ability to reach 90% of the population who carry a mobile device is now being realized by marketers and being targeted by software developers like ourselves, basing applications on simplicity and privacy (which are important in mobile in emerging markets).

Where do you see the future of mobile marketing in South Africa?

Given the point above about 90% penetration, simplicity and privacy; we think the future of mobile is very exciting and will play a significant role in advertising/companies' interaction with consumers. Think also how government and SMMEs can use mobile to engage in the same 1-to-1 direct manner that is the hallmark of mobile. 

Is mobile marketing understood in South Africa?

Currently across the board, one has to say no. Marketers are interested in the medium, but have not taken the time to fully understand the cost-effectiveness and the different ways it can be used. That said, at most digital and mobile conferences in 2008, we found that agencies were making up 60-80% of the audience.

Where is South Africa in terms of the standard of mobile advertising?

There are several areas that are relevant in terms of legislation and organizational bodies that mobile falls under;

• From the legislative side, the Protection of Personal Information Act will have a big impact on the opt-in rules of engagement, data protection policies, data storage and protection requirements for business (big, small and government).

• From an industry body side, the following associations are relevant I believe and their standards, intentions, and modus operandi are good.

•   http://www.dmasa.org/core/index.php
•   http://www.waspa.org.za/index.shtml
•   http://www.amasa.org.za/

What are the latest trends in mobile advertising?

• Keep it simple (use text, USSD ahead of WAP, downloadable applets) to reach the mass market/get early adoption.

• Make it measurable - use the real value of mobile by giving measurement to areas that have not been measurable.

• Move beyond the simple text-and-win competitions. There is so much more you can offer your consumer.

• Respect data and don't spam. Opt-out is opt-out!

• Other trends are toward coupons and vouchers, although big brands are still understanding the technology before they leap-in.

With the current economic climate and eroding budgets do you think we will be seeing a lot more mobile marketing?

Yes, given the low cost nature of the environment - much cheaper to SMS. In addition, mobile operators like Mobilitrix are pioneering the cost-per-activity model where you only pay for the requests and responses to your clients. No up-front fees, no admin fees, no short keyword fees. Simply follow the fair use, fair value principle is what advertisers like about this approach.

Which company campaign, in your opinion, represents the most innovative use of mobile marketing tools?

To be honest, one of the early adopters in this mobile digital space is Dave Duarte (at the GSB in Cape Town). He figured out quite quickly the speed, cost and value of the mobilitrix platform to get feedback, anonymously, and in real-time during his lectures!! He then addressed the issues and used the data immediately. Simple, but clever.

What would you say is the next big thing in mobile technology at the moment?

Mobile vouchers and mobile loyalty cards being operated via mobile devices. This is a monster market that has not been really been developed off-line in the South Africa market. Mobile now provides the low-cost medium for these market segments to flourish.

What makes Mobilitrix different to other service providers in the market?

We offer a portal that gives brands and advertisers access to over 10 different mobile products and solutions. All pricing is based on what you use, i.e. the cost-per-activity or cost per action approach. This makes it easy to use, fair, and cost-effective.

The self-service web-front end makes creating mobile campaigns easy, quick, hassle free. It can be done in 20 minutes and removes the hassle of having to wait for people to get back to you to send reports that you want need immediately. We offer a selection of short codes and USSD strings that mean you don't have to go through the hassle of applying for you own number or USSD string. Mobilitrix offers a global solution to brands who operate in different markets.

We are passionate about mobile and this was reflected in the Mobile Product Innovation Award that Frost & Sullivan awarded Mobilitrix in Dec 2008.

Visit www.mobilitrix.com for more information.