The Mobile Marketing Association last week issued its first set of global mobile advertising guidelines in an effort to bring much-needed standardization to the mobile marketing industry.

So what do industry executives think of the MMA's efforts? Mobile Marketer associate editor Giselle Abramovich turned to Bob Walczak, CEO of mobile ad network Ringleader Digital, for his thoughts on the content of the MMA's new guidelines and how they can help advance the mobile ad market.

Why the need for standardization?
Currently there are over 11,000 mobile devices, so it would be best to have standardization so that agencies and brands know how to abide. Standardization would provide a much improved browsing and advertising experience for mobile users by bringing them a higher-quality experience.

What was your overall take on the MMA's guidelines?
The MMA's guidelines are very comprehensive in regards to banner ad placement and SMS inventories, but these guidelines have not explored other ad formats.

The guidelines are keeping everything to a small format, but size should really be up to the content provider. There is a lot more to be done in mobile that the MMA isn't exploring in its new guidelines. Also, Ringleader was involved in creating the first ad standards back in 2005.

How do you think that these guidelines can help advance the mobile ad market?
If the MMA's new guidelines are truly just used as guidelines, then they will be beneficial to the mobile ad market and will be well received in the mobile ad community. But if these guidelines are used as restrictions or rules, then they will be limiting creativity in the market.

Do you feel the MMA missed anything in these guidelines?
The guidelines should have covered new and cutting-edge ad formats and capabilities instead of trying to perfect what already exists, such as banner and SMS ads.

The coverage in these guidelines is limited, and the MMA should have thought about next-generation ad formats and capabilities, not just current functionality.

For example, the MMA does not talk about displaying ads at the bottom of a page. The MMA needs to not only get beyond the banner ad format, but also needs to get beyond outside constituents like carriers.

Why is the MMA positioned to make standardizations for the mobile industry?
The MMA is the largest mobile marketing group in the U.S. and possibly even internationally.

The major players in the mobile ad medium are in the MMA, and since the MMA is focused on marketing, it is a great organization to be creating new guidelines for the mobile ad industry. It is fabulous that the MMA is leading this charge and I am very happy that they are doing so.