What we can learn from fart apps.

We know a lot about mobile these days - people are texting more than talking, mobile web usage is exploding and age isn't really an issue when it comes to mobile. But like the cartoon above says, "the release of 'iFart Mobile' made it clear: a phone is not only for phoning." These days, I rarely use my phone (a BlackBerry Bold) to make calls. Instead, I'm browsing web pages at 3G speed, downloading applications and uploading content to social media channels all from my mobile device. 

So why is the jury still out on mobile? As a media channel, mobile has been relegated to left over cash and post-media plan planning. When thought of and executed that way, the results from mobile marketing and advertising are significantly lower, and therefore, less impressive. Well then, of course marketers are questioning the effectiveness and/or role of mobile in the media mix. 

Given mobile's ability to drive people in and out of different media channels (e.g. OOH to mobile to web to retail), wouldn't you want to plan for that connectivity up front? Using mobile within the context of a well-crafted media plan can add measurement and CRM opportunities where there might otherwise be little or none at all. In this insanely-crowded, financially-depressed and metrics-crazy marketplace, mobile is a [relatively] inexpensive way to add real value, minimize risk and capture valuable consumer data for ongoing communications that actually drive preference and consumption.