MTV exec calls for mobile standards at Yankee Group show
November 14, 2007
Greg Clayman, MTV Networks
BOSTON – Greg Clayman’s delivery at the Mobile Internet World was as fast as the montage of MTV clips he showed an audience that clearly had skipped their morning coffee.
As executive vice president of digital distribution and business development at MTV Networks, he is charged with making content available on mobile phones. Like the mobile technology specialists attending the show, Mr. Clayman is concerned with making the mobile Internet tangible and manageable.
“We need to be in a position to make [mobile] content more interesting and meaningful,” he said.
While content is available on mobile, it is often hard to use and costly, Mr. Clayman said. For the mobile Internet to succeed it needs an open network and architecture, the right economics, staying current with consumer trends and technologies and expanding beyond carrier-control devices.
The industry also should open up mobile platforms, Mr. Clayman said. Google, Facebook and MTV Networks’ own Nick Mobile initiatives were cited as examples.
But like every new technology, mobile comes with its own issues. Chief among them are leveraging ads and video clips on the mobile platform, ad insertions in media and the lack of clear standards and guidelines.
“Entertainment on mobile has a cost and most of that cost is borne by carriers,” Mr. Clayman said.
MTV is taking advantage of the growing popularity of social networking on the mobile with the launch of its Flux service. The company is using Intercasting Corp.’s technology to let users place photos and profiles and add commentary on mobile phones.
“We believes it deepens engagement,” Mr. Clayman said.