Between the 2008 and 2012 elections, mobile marketing has become a must-have for politicians to connect with voters. But with new channels, technologies and increased smartphone ownership, which campaigns are getting mobile right?

With mobile video, applications, advertising, SMS and mobile Web, political candidates are beginning to look at mobile with a fully-rounded marketing strategy. However, with the increase in mobile efforts in campaigns, politicians need to be careful that they are not abusing basic mobile marketing standards to connect with constituents.

?As with any brand, selecting the right media mix is part art and part science,? said Joy Liuzzo, vice president and director at InsightExpress, Stamford, CT

?Some campaigns may be more focused on engagement and prompting action and therefore may make more sense in highly relevant apps that offer a rich media experience,? she said.

?Other campaigns could be focused on awareness and in that case, running ads everywhere is the best strategy.?

Mobile seal
Quite a bit has changed in mobile marketing since 2008, which affects how politicians allot resources for their marketing efforts, per Ms. Liuzzo.

According to the 2008 Mobile Marketing Association Mobile Ad Guidelines, mobile campaigns were focused on optimizing content for feature phones such as Motorola?s Razr, the LG Chocolate and Nokia devices.

In 2008, mobile video was delivered to devices via an embedded video player. Additionally, rich media and graphics were visions that were at least 18 months away from being a reality.

Therefore, channels such as SMS was one of the primary ways that politicians including Barack Obama could use mobile to reach consumers.

Now, in the 2012 elections, politicians are using a variety of mobile tactics in their campaigns such as geotargeted ads, social media, mobile Web sites and apps to connect with voters.

For example, president Obama has a mobile site and also runs ads to encourage users to get involved in his campaign.

Additionally, Obama and presidential candidate Romney are using Square to drive donations this year (see story).

Geo-fencing ads are also an area of mobile that make sense for politicians to target specific groups of users by city. To make campaigns even more tailored, politicians can use geo-targeting to widdle down consumers by ZIP code.

Despite the opportunities, Ms. Liuzzo says that she has been surprised by the few number of relevant mobile ads she has seen served to her.

?Living in Washington and knowing that I am being targeted based on living in D.C., I have to admit that I am surprised I have not seen more political ads,? Ms. Liuzzo said.

?The ones I have seen tended to be less inspiring, creative wise, than I expected considering the sophistication of the rest of the media efforts,? she said.

Mobile spam
Despite all the new channels available to politicians for the 2012 elections, SMS still remains a workhorse as the channel with the most reach.

However, according to an executive from Revolution Messaging, the biggest issue for the 2012 elections is how some political parties are bypassing mobile marketing guidelines to spam consumers via SMS.

?It is about taking a good form of communication and turning it into something ugly,? said Scott Goodstein, CEO of Revolution Messaging, Washington.

For example, in February Republican candidate Mitt Romney?s campaign was spammed with a text message that encouraged users to call a number. The phone number led users to a recorded message that attacked the candidate.

Revolution Messaging has filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commissions to tighten the regulations around political spam text messaging.

By not offering an opt-in or an option to reply to messages, the SMS programs violate text message policies violate guidelines set by the Mobile Marketing Association and CTIA ? The Wireless Association.

As mobile marketing becomes more sophisticated, political campaigns need to remember that there are still clear guidelines on how and when a user can be targeted.

Instead, Mr. Goodstein urges political candidates to abide by the SMS rules with clear calls-to-action that show users how to subscribe to messages.

?The No. 1 way to communicate on mobile is text messaging, but why would a political candidate be allowed to spam a list when nobody else is allowed to do it?? Mr. Goodstein said.

Engaged users
Mobile video is also poised to make a splash for this election, according to an executive from Rhythm NewMedia.

Compared to 2008, more political candidates are embracing mobile video to elevate specific parts of a campaign.

Many of the mobile initiatives in 2008 were centered around text messaging to help volunteering initiatives. 

?In 2008, mobile was a new and untested medium that candidates dipped into,? said Paul Bremer, chief revenue officer at Rhythm NewMedia, Mountain View, CA.

?This time around, campaigns and advocacy groups are looking to use mobile, specifically mobile video advertising, alongside more traditional advertising methods,? he said.

?Mobile is being evaluated alongside other proven mediums ? validating it as a viable alternative, not just a novelty.?

For 2012, more politicians are likely to use mobile video to leverage other marketing channels, including social media, television and mobile advertising.

In particular, mobile video gives politicians a way to establish a one-on-one relationship with voters that candidates have always banked on as a crucial part of their campaigns.

?Video has always been a very effective medium for politicians, and this is even more true with mobile,? Mr. Bremer said.

?Mobile devices are single task in nature and lend themselves to a more immersive experience than online or TV,? he said.

?Because of this, along with unique targeting and interactivity options, mobile video can be one of the most effective ways for candidates to get their messages out.?

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York