Apple, Google and  Facebook are all giants in the mobile space, but it is a role that often comes with intense scrutiny over the intentions of the three companies and whether or not they have the end-users' best interests at heart.

To a certain degree,  Apple, Google and Facebook set the agenda for mobile marketing and mobile advertising because of how big they are, as well as their breadth. While some might put carriers or companies such as Amazon in this camp, the real question is do consumers, regulators and the media think these three companies are getting too big for their britches?

?There is now a very small handful of companies that have a great deal of influence in terms of the roles they play in consumers? lives,? said Noah Elkin, principal analyst at eMarketer, New York.

If these companies do face any challenges in managing their perception it is because their market presence has evolved significantly in such a short period of time.

?They?ve grown faster than their efforts to address perception about their growth and their weight in the market,? Mr. Elkin said.

Few but mighty
Because of their size, anything any of these companies does in the mobile space can have far-reaching implications.

?There are fewer companies these days that have the scale to drive activity related to mobile media consumption,? said Neil Strother, Kirkland, WA-based practice director at ABI Research.

?If they don?t get it mostly right, it delays adoptions because the drivers aren?t there,? he said.

For the most part, consumers currently have a favorable view of Apple, Google and Facebook. Yankee Group regularly surveys consumers about their impressions of different brands in the technology space and Google comes out on top, with 91 percent of consumers saying they view the brand highly favorably.

Apple?s perception among consumers has actually increased in the past year from 67 percent of consumers having a highly favorable view of it last year to 78 percent of consumers in 2011.

Facebook?s rating has remained steady, but at the lower end with 68 percent of consumers viewing it highly favorably.

?Apple has maintained a long-term trajectory from cult following to a lifestyle brand,? said Jason Armitage, a London-based senior analyst with Yankee Group.

?It still maintains an exclusivity underlined by its positioning. But universal brand appeal does not translate directly into a better business performance,? he said.

?As Apple has demonstrated, targeting specific consumers can be highly profitable.?

Media scrutiny
Several factors influence the consumer?s perception of brands, including being able to deliver a simple and easy-to-use consumer experience and transparency around the conditions of usage.

However, the amount of trust consumers have in these companies is fluid.

?People are comfortable with all three and trust them as long as they don?t mess things up for them personally,? ABI?s Mr. Strother said.

?Facebook has historically been in more hot water perceptually,? he said. ?They?ve danced around terms and conditions a fair amount in the past couple of years so the people who are paying attention have some doubts.?

The media is paying close attention to these companies as well, asking questions about whether they are doing things in the best interest of the end user.

Much of the attention again has to do with their sheer size.

?There have always been media types and technology journalists that observe the digital lifestyle that have had serious doubts or criticism about all of these companies,? Mr. Strother said. 

 ?As technology companies grow in size there is some doubt over if they are doing things that aren?t necessarily in the best interest of the end user,? he said.

Regulatory focus
Lobbyists can play an important role in helping these companies manage perception because the mobile space is growing so fast and there is still a lack of understanding out there about what they do.

Google did not have any lobbyists a few years ago, even though it was already a giant in the Internet world.

Today, it has a squad of lobbyists, per eMarketer?s Mr. Elkin.

All three companies have been under scrutiny by legislators at one time or another over their data collection practices, transparency, alleged monopoly activity and other issues.

However, issues such as privacy require these companies to pay close attention to the legal as well as the consumer point of view.

?There is a lot of onus on these large entities that are key players to explain to consumers in plain terms what it is that they are doing and how they are doing it,? Mr. Elkin said.

?If they don?t do that, that?s where the government scrutiny comes in,? he said.

One reason for the focus from government is that mobile is treading new ground in how consumers communicate with one another and brands.

?A lot of this territory is new in terms of how privacy is perceived in the modern world where you have all this connectivity,? ABI?s Mr. Strother said. ?This puts pressure on companies and legislators to have an understanding of what is too much or too little in terms of the use of personal data.?

Final Take
Chantal Tode, Assoc. Editor, Mobile Marketer