Use mobile as remote control, says NATPE Mobile keynoter

January 29, 2008

Thomas Fellger, cofounder and CEO of iconmobile

NATPE Mobile in Las Vegas attracted a slate of influential mobile marketing and media executives whose common refrain was that the mobile medium showed potential for growth.

One panelist expected that more people will access the Internet through mobile devices than the computer, while another was amazed at mobile’s prominent role in media. And there were some who placed it on a pedestal.

“We believe that the mobile channel should be above all the other channels, and should be used as a remote control for all the other channels,” said Thomas Fellger, cofounder and CEO of iconmobile and keynoter at the NATPE Mobile show.

“It’s very easy to think about mobile being related to all the other channels,” he said. “We started with small banners, small WAP sites. We think that last year was an awakening, thinking of mobile as a tool, maybe because of the iPhone.

“If you think about the mobile phone, it already has all the channels available. At the end, everything is there. The breakthrough is how this can add to all the other channels.”

He said marketers should think beyond simply a WAP site in terms of mobile marketing.

“We believe in the mobile space, introducing barcodes, mobile ticketing, couponing, really based on your personal and location based needs,” Mr. Fellger said.

BMW and Microsoft were working on several mobile initiatives this year in the United States.

The trick to making customers out of mobile subscribers is in the treatment.

“The best way we can get money from subscribers is to treat them as VIPs,” Mr. Fellger said. “So with clubs, the guys getting the VIP entrance, they pay, they like it, it’s on their phone. Think about what the brand is about and what kind of services are involved. The killer app is there, it’s just a matter of being willing to spend the money.”