T3, the nation's leading woman-owned independent ad agency, has partnered with iLoop Mobile Inc. as it adds a full-fledged mobile practice in-house.

The Austin, TX-based agency has also hired Ben Gaddis as director of mobile and emerging media strategy to run T3's mobile practice. He will work on current and prospective clients to integrate mobile within multichannel marketing campaigns.

"Ben is an industry expert with lots of big brand experience," said T3 president/CEO Gay Gaddis. "He has a strong mobile and agency background and understands the best way to integrate mobile into an agency. Ben sees mobile as the connective tissue that ties a range of touch points together."

Mr. Gaddis was previously vice president of business development at Omnicom mobile agency ipsh, developing mobile campaigns for Frito-Lay, American Airlines, AT&T and Nokia.

The executive will also lead the relationship with iLoop, a San Jose, CA-based technology provider whose platform will let T3 create, manage and analyze mobile campaigns including text messaging and site creation and optimization. T3 will handle native application development.

T3's range of mobile services include mobile strategy and planning; creative development; in-house production of IVR, SMS, mobile couponing, mobile sweepstakes, text-to-screen, text-to-Web and SMS quizzes; mobile Web development; and development of applications for the iPhone, Android, Research In Motion and Windows Mobile.

In this Q&A, Mr. Gaddis explains T3's take on mobile and where he sees the market evolving. Excerpts:

What is the opportunity T3 sees in mobile? Why bring mobile in-house now?
We are excited to add a full mobile practice to T3's integrated services. Because of our expertise in creating customer experiences online, we recognize that the mobile channel is unique and we are committed to providing consistent and optimized experiences across platforms.

T3 is bringing mobile marketing capabilities in-house to reflect our integrated approach to mobile across strategy, media, creative, analytics and production.

We see an opportunity to integrate mobile so that it enhances our overall marketing communications efforts. Bringing mobile in-house is the only true way to integrate because it guarantees a seat at the table during the planning process.

By having mobile capabilities in-house, our staff has a deep understanding of how to best use the medium and is aware of all possibilities from a production and execution standpoint. There is also significant cost savings associated with bringing mobile in-house.

Who is T3 targeting for mobile services?
We are currently targeting existing clients and new business prospects.

What kind of mobile work has T3 done for clients?
We've been creating mobile campaigns over the past few years.

As most agencies do, we've worked with some terrific third-party vendors and are now excited to bring these capabilities in-house to more closely align them to our creative expertise.

Recently, we launched the Intel Centrino 2 Processor for small businesses. The primary target was highly mobile, early adopters. For the campaign, we built a WAP site, created mobile ads and worked with a third-party mobile ad server to deliver the ads.

In 2007, we launched JCPenney's holiday campaign and integrated mobile marketing, including IVR-driven wake-up calls, SMS messages with holiday gift ideas and offers, a WAP site and downloadable wallpapers and ringtones on the microsite.

In 2006, we created an in-banner text advertising campaign for the MTV Movie Awards.

Major accounts with the agency?
JCPenney, JPMorgan Chase, UPS, ConocoPhillips Lubricants, Microsoft, Universal, Facebook, Intel, Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, John Deere, i3 Research and the U.S. Department of Education

Why should a marketer come to T3 for mobile marketing as opposed to other mobile specialty shops?
If you go to a mobile shop with a business problem, 100 percent of the time they are going to come back to you with a mobile program.

If you come to T3 with a business problem, we are going to look at the audience first and then develop a channel strategy. More often than not, mobile will be an integral part of that strategy, but it won't be the only answer.

It goes back to the philosophy on which we were founded. An ad agency will give you an ad. A mobile shop will give you a mobile program. T3 will give you the right creative solution to meet your objectives because our creative teams are unmatched when it comes to developing compelling, engaging marketing programs.

Also, we understand the technical complexity of powering mobile programs. We are excited about our partnership with iLoop Mobile.

We see integration as the key. If mobile is part of the overall communication strategy from the beginning, it will be able to provide value to the consumer and give them a reason to engage, as opposed to a tack-on at the last minute.

Where do you see mobile marketing going this year and next?
T3's investment in mobile reflects the increasing quantity and quality of consumer engagement on mobile devices.

According to Nielsen, mobile Internet usage will rise from last year's 38 million users to 104 million in 2010. And CTIA-The Wireless Association reports that 1 trillion text messages were sent in the United States in 2008.

Mobile will continue to become an important part of every business. As mobile technology improves and things like mobile payment and mobile couponing become more prevalent, brands will begin to embrace mobile at a higher level.

What is the risk you run if you don't have a mobile practice?
The risk is falling behind and overlooking one of the most effective channels available to marketers.

Clients will benefit from the agency's collective knowledge of how to best integrate mobile, where relevant, into effective marketing programs.