When the nation?s largest email marketing and interactive services firm Epsilon enters mobile it makes a case for the medium?s importance and potential for growth.

Epsilon announced that Douglas Yokoyama has been hired as vice president of mobile and social media and will help the company develop a comprehensive marketing service focused on helping clients reach their on-the-go customers. 

With Mr. Yokoyama?s hire, Epsilon will now place huge emphasis on delivering results-oriented mobile, social and interactive strategies for clients. The company will help clients build mobile messaging programs, mobile Web sites and develop applications.

Epsilon?s reasoning behind entering mobile?

Mobile and social marketing campaigns are no longer a future trend. Both are being leveraged by marketers around the globe and have become critical components of a multichannel marketing program and valuable tools for customer retention, brand development and new client acquisition, per Mr. Yokoyama. 

Mobile Marketer?s Peter Finocchiaro interviewed Mr. Yokoyama to gain a better understanding of Epsilon?s new role in the mobile marketing ecosystem. Here is what he had to say.

What is the news here?
Epsilon is increasing its focus on new and emerging channels such as mobile and social media to meet the needs of our global client base.

With that in mind, we created a new position to address mobile, social and interactive strategies for clients.

In this role, I will focus on these critical components of a multichannel marketing program and help clients incorporate tools such as mobile messaging, mobile Web sites and application development.

What does your hire say about the mobile marketing arena?
Mobile is no longer a future trend.

It is becoming a must-have for marketers. We are seeing innovative programs by clients in the pharmacy space, with a focus on drug adherence and financial services marketers leveraging SMS for bill and statement reminders.

There is a great deal of opportunity to leverage the mobile channel to reach consumers directly with highly targeted offers and messages. 

As budget dollars are shifting to this channel, companies like Epsilon are also investing in their offerings to address these growth opportunities.

Why is mobile important to Epsilon?
Epsilon is extremely focused on using customer data and insight to create unique experiences for consumers.

Mobile has become such an important part of our lives and a vital communication tool that it is only natural that we see it as a prime opportunity to reach consumers directly with relevant information.

It is an incredibly valuable tool for customer retention, brand building, and even new client acquisition.

What is the current state of mobile marketing?
Many marketers are becoming interested in using mobile and some are doing so successfully.
There is a lot more that can be done.

Location-based marketing creates new and exciting opportunities in the retail space ? including coupons and special offers.

Things like mobile web and mobile applications will become more and more prevalent in the marketing arsenal.

Where do you see it going in the next year or so?
Mobile applications are a great marketing opportunity with increasing sales of the iPhone, BlackBerry and Android.

I expect more marketing dollars will shift to this channel and marketers will focus on integrated strategies that leverage mobile in conjunction with email, social media and more.

What is your mandate at Epsilon?
My mandate is to focus on our offerings for mobile and social media and help clients develop effective strategies that incorporate these critical channels.

I will also help identify partnerships and opportunities to improve our offerings.

Working with client and account teams, I will provide clients with deep insights that will shape their strategies around these channels.

How will you help drive Epsilon?s mobile efforts?
Epsilon is a company built on technology, talent and experience.

Leveraging our core capabilities, I will improve our mobile offerings through internal resources and key partnerships.

I will focus on data to drive mobile efforts and increase return-on-investment for our clients.

Final Take
Peter Finocchiaro, editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer, New York