Date: Mar. 9, 2001
Link: http://webreview.com/2001/02_23/strategists/index03.shtml
Source Author or Organization: B.L. Ochman, WebReview.com

In this article, the author examines the debate over what forms marketing will take on the wireless Web. Some expert opinion holds that the lesson of banner advertising is that the point of content delivery is not the place an advertising message will be well received and effective. Others are concerned that requiring people to listen to advertising while using a home telephone is the accurate analog to marketing in wireless spaces, which can tend to be personal.

But results of several current studies indicate the size of the wireless space will be too large for advertisers to pass on, and as many as 90% of users agree to ads in certain forms and with a degree of user control. One approach that has tested well is pushing text-based Short Messaging System (SMS) ads to participants who are rewarded with vacation sweepstakes entries or gift certificates from local merchants. Also positive are results from a SkyGo Wireless Marketing study where test subjects were given ad-based free mobile phone service, and over half elected to view more than the required three ads per day.