Heightened activity and interest in mobile retail (spurred on by holiday shopping and the rapid uptake of price comparison services and apps), has paved the way for a variety of new and immersive mobile experiences that insert marketing messages and campaigns into our daily shopping routines. From mobile codes (specifically, barcodes) to mobile coupons, companies are enlarging their arsenal of capabilities to capture our attention while we shop.
However, only a handful of companies are prepared to compete where it really counts: at the point of inspiration, otherwise known as the retail shelf.
Regular readers will know (and appreciate) that I am typically involved in several projects that amplify the analysis I post here at MSearchGroove.
To date I am working on an in-depth mobile marketing report documenting best practice among brands and agencies in Europe. I am excited to include M&S, a U.K. retailer with a holistic and human approach to mobile commerce, and Lufthansa, a major German airline that combines convenience and community in an app that sets the bar. (My personal thanks here to Stephanie Renda at match2blue who has agreed to re-connect me with Lufthansa and provide her insights for my report.)
Mobile commerce and shopping are fast becoming an integral part of our daily routine, a development that paves the way for online commerce giants and credit card companies to capture the lion's share of this exciting and lucrative market. Or so we think...
The explosion in mobile purchases also plays squarely in favor of mobile operator billing. In fact, operator billing may be the "missing link that allows a significant increase in commerce involving physical goods and services."
The Mobile Mavens are back for the first monthly podcast of 2011 with a look at how universities are harnessing mobile to connect with students. A raft of recent press and reports shows that universities are becoming more creative in how they use mobile - specifically text messaging -- to connect with Millennials on their mobile phones.
From alerts about course materials and exams to invitations to join mobile forums and continue class discussions, mobile is front of mind with an increasing number of institutions and educators.
BTW: A great way to keep up with this exciting progress is simply to follow #mlearncon (as I do) on Twitter. That's where the discussion that began around the awesome conference (of the same name) organized by eLearning Guild continues.
There's no better way to kick off the Mobile Year in Europe - and connect with Germany's best and brightest mobile companies, developers, agencies and brands. A week from today major players from across the mobile business ecosystem (and from Western, Central and Eastern Europe) will gather inFrankfurt (January 27- 28) for M-Days to network and discuss topics ranging from mobile commerce and marketing to mobile apps and cloud computing.
The event, organized by 11 Prozent – Communication, expects a whopping 2,100+ attendees, making M-days the largest mobile event in Europe outside the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Heightened activity and interest in mobile retail (spurred on by holiday shopping and the rapid uptake of price comparison services and apps), has paved the way for a variety of new and immersive mobile experiences that insert marketing messages and campaigns into our daily shopping routines. From mobile codes (specifically, barcodes) to mobile coupons, companies are enlarging their arsenal of capabilities to capture our attention while we shop. 
