Welcome to the first edition of Mobile Marketer's Classic Guide to Mobile Advertising.

Targeting advertisers, media planners and buyers, agency executives, publishers, teleservices pros, carrier officials and service providers, this guide is chock-full of information on how to conceive, execute and analyze mobile ad campaigns.

Mobile advertising is at a critical juncture in its history. Marketers have expressed interest in reaching consumers on the go through opted-in marketing, advertising and promotions. But not too many know their way around this latest wing of the multichannel marketing industry.

This guide aims to solve that problem.

Senior executives from key advertising agencies, service providers, site developers, ad networks, analytics companies, email specialists, search marketing firms and publishers have contributed time and wisdom to put together a how-to guide for seasoned practitioners and first-timers.

The list of contributors to this guide includes representatives from Bango, Limbo, Crisp Wireless, Havas Digital's Mobext, Enliven Marketing Technologies, AdMob, Telescope, Mobisix, Return Path, 5th Finger, QuickPlay Media, Avot Media, Medio Systems, Pivotal Veracity, Greystripe, Zumobi, Range Online Media and Steak Media.

Also on that list are executives from Quattro Wireless, go2 Media, Omnicom's Prometheus, AdaptiveMobile, Safecount, Dynamic Logic, MRI-The Boston Group, GoTV Network, SiteSpect, Velti, Acision, Interpublic Group of Companies Inc.'s Draftfcb and Air2Web.

The articles offer best-practice tips, educational points of view and analysis. The case study on Johnson & Johnson is worth reading, as is the research on measuring ad effectiveness on the mobile Web.

Mobile Marketer's Giselle Abramovich scored a scoop with her detailed feature on Playboy's plans for mobile. The publisher offers a decent roadmap for most of its peers, highlighting the potential of leveraging content and advertising across several channels including mobile.

Another outstanding feature is the extensive survey on global mobile marketing trends as seen by key Draftfcb officers worldwide.

Draftfcb is known for its branding and direct marketing expertise. So the agency was well suited to deliver a fairly accurate snapshot of mobile advertising and marketing's prospects this year and in the future.

It's no exaggeration to say that mobile advertising is about to revolutionize the way that marketers reach out to consumers for branding or customer acquisition or customer retention purposes.

Of course, it bears keeping in mind that the mobile channel is the most personal of all, so extra caution is advised while devising and deploying mobile ad campaigns. Each ad or campaign must respect the consumer's privacy, while making sure that the advertiser's brand experience is not diluted.

But there is no doubt that a well-targeted mobile ad campaign will strengthen bonds between brand and consumer. The ads must lead to information or offers of value to the consumer. Keep them simple, keep them straight and keep them results-oriented.

The authors of the 30-plus articles in this guide play a vital role in the mobile advertising, marketing and media ecosystem. Their insights and analysis will help you in your mobile advertising efforts as you work on your multichannel outreach plans. Reach out to them and those companies featured on every page of this guide.

To Giselle Abramovich, Dan Butcher, Gabby Kalika and Jodie Solomon -- many thanks for their help in making Mobile Marketer the preeminent publication covering mobile marketing, media and commerce.

Also, thank you to marketing consultant Rob DiGioia for his art direction on this guide. It is a labor of love that shows in word and image.

Please read Mobile Marketer's Classic Guide to Mobile Advertising from cover to cover and circulate to colleagues, clients and prospects. Please also visit http://www.mobilemarketer.com and sign up for our free newsletters that offer the latest news and analysis on mobile marketing, media and commerce.

We hope you benefit from this guide and look forward to featuring your mobile advertising wisdom and work in the next.

Please click here for a copy of Mobile Marketer's Classic Guide to Mobile Advertising.