This is the sixth part of a series that looks into how mobile marketers and their clients are reacting to the economic slowdown. For some the next year looks bleak and for others, the economy may be an opportunity for the industry.

Mobile Marketer's reporters got in touch with the various companies that make up the mobile ecosystem and asked them one question: How are you and your clients reacting to the ongoing economic slowdown? Here is what some respondents had to say.

Rick O'Connell, practice director at the MRI-The Boston Group Inc., Boston
Many companies are taking a very close look at their sales resources in order to realize top-line revenue goals. Firms that were once smitten by "must have mobile" backgrounds are realizing that "telling" is not "selling" and are now changing their profile for their revenue generators.

While some firms have either placed a freeze on new requistions or are upgrading current heads, others have shown no signs of a slowdown.

As many have noted, this economy could do more than less for mobile.

The ability to disrupt current media buys/allocation via an ROI-driven model is now being put in the hands of sales talent who can sell that outcome.

Luke Forman, cofounder and vice president of media and events at 5th Finger, New York
Here we are in the midst of an economic downturn, putting it lightly.

These are indeed desperate times. So as marketers stare down the barrel of 2009 budget planning, they're all asking the same questions about their media mix.

How much do I allocate to television? To print? To digital? But more importantly, how do I measure it? And what metrics make sense?

The name of the game in this marketplace is ROI and we will see a lot more attention paid to value creation and risk minimization.

We are already seeing more creative pricing and partnership structures than ever before.

And with traditional media channels delivering less and less, more and more of our clients are using mobile to increase reach and extend the brand into new territories to find new revenues.

Mobile has historically been seen as a "money left over" media channel.

However, we believe that in these times, mobile needs to be front and center in the planning process.

It's a low-cost channel with access to 255 million U.S. mobile subscribers, according to new data from Nielsen Mobile.

Not only that, everything is measurable.

So, if you're looking to go mass without mass spending, and find new opportunities to increase ROI, then mobile is the perfect channel.

It's more than messaging. And it's less expensive than traditional media.

Steve Smith, owner of three ProCuts salons that do mobile marketing in the Denver, CO, area
First, we are working diligently to make sure that everyone that comes into our salons has a good reason to return.

To accomplish this, we are trying to utilize methods that entice them to return: excellent service, great prices, bounce-back coupons and recently, SMS marketing.

We are trying out the SMS because of a number of reasons.

First, it is a cost-effective way to reach current and potential customers.

Second, SMS allows us to target our advertising dollars to people that have already expressed a desire to receive that advertising.

Third, we want to reach the younger customers.

For many high school, even middle school, through mid-30s consumers, the primary method of communication is text messaging.

SMS allows us to reach them using the same method that they communicate with on a daily basis.

SMS allows us to keep ProCuts in the minds of our customers. We are the "new kid" in Denver.

When a person thinks of getting a haircut, they have already experienced many years of competitors' advertising.

Every time we get ProCuts in front of the customer, that gives us a better opportunity to get that customer when the time comes for a haircut or a color.

In addition, SMS allows us to reach our customer right now.

If we have a very short notice special, we can communicate that immediately.

For example, in Denver, snow has a devastating effect on customer numbers.

Our business is primarily walk-in customers. If we have a snow storm come through, our customer count suffers.

We can send out a one-day-only special that is only good on that snow day and hopefully increase our customer counts for that day.

We are very excited to see what kind of response we receive and will continue to play with different advertising ideas and announcement ideas.

Mobile Marketer's Giselle Abramovich, Dan Butcher and Mickey Alam Khan did the reporting for the "Mobile marketers react to the economy" series.

If you are interested in providing your thoughts on the economic slowdown, email.