Mobile operators association the GSMA recently announced that, for the first time ever, mobile marketing will be one of the highlighted aspects of next year's Mobile World Congress technology event.
Every February, tens of thousands of technology enthusiasts and industry leaders travel to Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress to get a glimpse of the latest devices, gizmos and goings-on in the mobile industry.
The conference is generally regarded as one of the premier events for new developments in the mobile industry. In past years, the Mobile World Congress has been used as a platform to introduce new devices from the likes of Samsung, Nokia, Sony Ericsson and others. Given the hype surrounding the event, the inclusion of mobile marketing on its agenda is evidence of how important the strategy is to the future of the marketing ecosystem.
According to the GSMA, the program, dubbed mPowered Brands, will be an opportunity for professionals to learn about the many facets of mobile marketing from thought leaders in the industry and how the mobile platform can be used to build a company’s brand. The program will include everything from product and service demonstrations to seminars and workshops pertaining to mobile marketing.
Further evidence that mobile is becoming an increasingly attractive marketing tool is the fact that businesses have spent substantially more on the strategy in recent years. As Brafton reported, a study from the Interactive Advertising Bureau found nearly two-thirds of surveyed businesses have increased their mobile marketing budgets in the last two years.
