Apple’s launch of the in-app iAd framework would no doubt be a game changer for the mobile advertising industry. In its inspired attempt at merging TV-style ad experiences with the interactivity of the web, Apple has set the bar very high for a mobile advertising industry that is still in its infancy. The new ad creative demonstrated by Apple CEO Steve Jobs is in stark contrast to the standardized formats for mobile by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). Similarly, the HTML5-based ad experiences Apple featured aren’t likely to be priced using a generic CPM (Cost per Impression) measurement model that has long been the default measurement mechanism inherited from the web. Instead, Apple is clearly on a unique path towards establishing a CPA (Cost per Action) model that is mutually beneficial for both publishers and advertisers alike.

Many industry leaders have long recognized a growing disconnect between IAB’s web-inspired advertising specifications and the inherently unique experience users expect within the mobile environment. In disassociating mobile from the generic model of the web, Apple has expanded the reach of mobile advertising to include traditional Television marketing budgets which happens to be the 800-pound gorilla even Google has yet to reach out to. Controlling the leading Smartphone platform affords Apple tremendous leverage over mobile developers and would be a disruptive force when it comes to changing existing measurement and creative standards for mobile advertising.

Without granular targeting capabilities, Apple is still only a direct competitor to established mainstream players such as AdMob and Millennial Media who offer largely blind advertising networks. Therefore despite iAd’s entry, targeted ad delivery on mobile would still elude advertisers beyond the basic device and application-based targeting. Addictive Mobility’s AMo Network on the other hand leverages the digital social-graph expanding into the domain of mobile applications through services such as Facebook© Connect and Twitter™, to analyze the behavioral characteristics of individuals and provide contextually relevant advertising.

Utilizing the flexible technology foundation of our AMo Network, we are able to embrace emerging measurement standards such as CPA and explore exciting new ad unit and strategies. With the core of most our products consisting of next-generation HTML5 technologies enables us to seamlessly transition into the high-impact interactive advertising experiences introduced on the iAd platform. The AMo Network is also able to reach beyond just the iPhone where iAd is restricted; and is capable of surgically targeting and delivering both traditional mobile banners and HTML5 rich-media advertising within a single campaign across all major Smartphone platforms.

The iPad from Apple is more than just a grown up iPod Touch. Instead, the device masquerades as a replacement for the conventional netbook and desktop, with all the subtleties we’ve come to love from the mobile environment. The bigger form factor, a large high-resolution touch screen, and the built-in mobile Internet connectivity make it the most exciting content distribution platform yet. Here at Addictive Mobility, we’ve been studying this new technology breakthrough with much interest and assessing its impact on the mobile marketing community in general.

The affluence of print media has been diminishing steadily over the past decade and with it the measurable success of print advertising. The emergence of the Apple iPad offers a unique opportunity for tradition media such as newspapers, magazines and in some cases television, to monetize premium content in a sustainable and familiar environment. This new mobile channel offers a paradigm shift for marketers and new media the convergence of Print and Mobile advertising, with Publishers and Advertisers picking the best of both worlds.

The real-time nature of news and content, has long underscored the rich quality content offered by established publications over blogs and online news outlets. Television networks have witnessed a similar shift in audience to online sources, with social media services such as YouTube becoming the preferred medium for video distribution. The iPad positions itself to give traditional media a second wind and unprecedented reach on the fast growing mobile medium.

Over the last few months our engineers and social media scientists have been busy dissecting and examining the iPad’s mobile technology and social media potential to leverage this new platform for impactful marketing campaigns. Addictive Mobility is presently in the process of accumulating mobile ad inventory on the iPad, with properties designed specifically for the platform by reaching with our network of premium publishers.

We are excited to help you and your clients discover the potential of this strange new platform and look forward to hearing you!

Dilshan Kathriarachchi,
CTO, Addictive Mobility.

The trend in Japan is the dominance of smart phones that act like pocket-size computers, and regular computers are almost forgotten. Millions of Japanese consumers download music directly to their mobiles, use their handsets for online shopping and to play games.
One of the fastest growing social networking sites in Japan is Mobagay Town, which is designed exclusively for cell phones.

According to a 2006 survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, more than 50 per cent of Japanese people send e-mails and browse the Internet from their mobile phones. The same survey found that 30 per cent of people with e-mail on their phones used PC-based e-mail less, including 4 per cent who said they had stopped sending e-mails from PCs completely.

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Rumours about a Google phone have been floating around for weeks, and today the Wall Street Journal reported that Google phones will be available by mid-2008. Mobile Crunch says that Google did not comment but the Wall Street Journal thinks an announcement will come within the next two weeks. If the rumours are true, a Google phone would be interesting if it integrated services like Google Maps, YouTube and Gmail for the mobile device.

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Facebook Camp Toronto 2 happened yesterday with a great turnout. Ideas for Facebook applications were thrown around and presenters included Facebook representatives. The next Facebook Camp will happen in Montreal, and it was announced yesterday that another Facebook Camp will be scheduled in Toronto in November.

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MySpace will launch the MySpace Platform, according to Tech Crunch, who contacted a number of third party developers. Rumours have been floating around since June but this is the first indication that the service will actually launch. It is rumoured that the big news will be announced next week at the Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco.

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