MarCom Professional

Yes, we’re packing up our musings and setting off for a different blog home.

Why? Well, because at the new place we can mobilise our blog. And that’s exactly what we’ve done. And, as we’re a mobile advertising agency, that’s pretty damn cool.

So here’s the two things we’d like you to do.

First, subscribe to our new, shiny blog. Just go to www.welovemobile.co.uk/blog and click on the subscribe button.

Second, why not try having a look at our blog on your phone. How? Easy. Just type www.welovemobile.co.uk/blog into your mobile browser and, hey presto, one mobilised blog.

Our new blog is fully integrated with our website and we think you’ll agree it looks rather good. More...

As I walked across Soho square last week, my eyes were drawn to a mobile cinema with heavy Nokia branding (see the photo). I was cornered by a camera crew and asked if I could be filmed showing interest in this Nokia mobile UGC concept. I agreed.

The idea is to encourage people to use their mobile phone to record short film clips and share with the world. Nokia have defined four set criteria to follow;

Film an act of kindness
Film the best part of today
Film the next thing that makes you smile
Film the next person that inspires you

You are then encouraged to upload your mobile video clips to www.ovi.com/pangeday where they are judged. More...

So over at Brand Republic, Kieran Bourke has been musing on the theory that the stars of mobile copywriting will be young creative teams, schooled in print work and eager to get their fingers dirty in 160 characters or less.

To be honest, and as I've commented, I don't know if these young whippersnappers will be interested in mobile. Just because they've got a mobile, it doesn't mean they're interested in what goes on it. (And they're not being sufficiently exposed to it on their courses or at agencies, but that's another blog post.)

In fact, this is what We Love Mobile constantly talk to brands about. More...

Well done to Russell Buckley. His blog piece about 'After the Click' on Mob Happy was a well targeted statement of the biggest risk in mobile internet advertising.

From monitoring our campaigns that start with the banner experience, we can see very clearly the effect of accurate adverts and a relevant user experience when the curious browser arrives at the destination site.

On a deeper level, mobile advertising is still a very sales driven exercise. It could be said that it has the feel of lovable car salesman Arthur Daley. You watch your wallet while being spoken to. The silky words on the ad are rarely backed up by reality, and 'free' has become the dread word in mobile advertising, as it has been demeaned by misuse. More...

Just imagine, if you will, the latest range of Carphone Warehouse's fascias. David Cameron's cycle-puffed cheeks picked out with a touch of ruby. Gordon Brown's bushy grey eyebrows sparkling with a little anthracite. The mind boggles.

But in Dubai, such is the esteem with which the ruling elite are held, that they are being lovingly represented on a range of mobile phones. Thanks to the chaps at textually.org for spotting this one.

Emma
Co-Creative Director

There's a distinctly political feel to my posts this week. Whilst waiting for the bus in Hackney, a large poster caught my eye for the Mayor of London and the London Assembly Elections. With a mobile element. Hurrah!

I dutifully texted FORM to 64118 to get my registration form. (I don't need one, but you can't hope to be in the industry if you're not getting engaged with every mobile campaign you see.) And I was pleasantly surprised.

Why? First, the response was very quick - about 3 minutes. Next, it was polite it started with a thank you. Minor detail you might think, but you'd be amazed by the ones that don't bother. More...

With the Zimbabwe election results still yet to be declared, it seems apt to highlight that mobiles have been playing their part, as reported this week by Cellular News.

Slogans, jingles, text messages have all been used by the three main candidates to pull in prospective voters. One of Makoni's campaign messages doing the rounds tackles failing power supplies ('simba' in the vernacular). The SMS reads, "There is no power is Zimbabwe: water has no power. The currency has no power. Everything in Zimbabwe has no power, so vote for someone with power... Vote Simba (Makoni)."

In contrast, ZANU PF's ring tones and screen savers are more conventional. More...

One of the most regular questions that comes up when designing a mobile product is the old security conundrum "What happens if the phone is stolen and someone starts using this service?".

My first (internalised) reaction is always "if someone has just robbed another person of their prized possession, surely the last thing they will care about is the file sharing/content creating application/game that they may find buried somewhere in the file structure". But once that has passed it always occurs to me that a mobile phone, because of it's nature, is an insecure product.

By having it on you at all times, you run more of a risk of leaving it on the bus, or it being taken from you. More...

While we applaud the winners at the Mobile Marketing Awards, we couldn't help noticing that there was not much that really looking like advertising to us.

While we love the ambition behind the Lynx campign, and MIGs work at the O2 is impressive, we were struggling to be jolly about most of the others.

We were also disappointed not to see specific campaigns from Blyk, and were surprised that Glue's masterful custom video advertising for the Army was excluded.

However the Drayton campaign did draw our attention, simply by the go-ahead way they used mobile to cause significant change to the way their employees interacted with them. More...

One for all you fitness fanatics out there. Adidas are about to launch their first branded phone. It's got a 'dedicated fitness button' that, once connected to monitors, will provide information about your heart beat, distance run and your time. There are over 220 training programmes too. Blimey. Wonder if there's a 'location-based refreshment pub finder' service too?

Anyway, back to the phone. Or the miCoach, as it's to be known. It will also tell you if you are running too fast or slow according to the training programme you've selected. Just tap the screen and wait. Hmmm, not really sure I want to be told what to do by an electronic voice Just imagine if you could have chosen one instead? Matey-smile come-on-you-can-do-it Davina? Luscious soothing velvety words of encouragement from Joanna Lumley? George Clooney tempting me with lobster thermidore if only I could just heave myself up that hill?

There's also a dedicated website for PC users th More...