CReATION: Wireless tipped to be major means of 'Net access in Asia-Pacific

There is no question that wireless Internet access in Asia is going to be enormous. BDA China estimates that up to six million people in China alone will be accessing the Internet via a wireless device by 2002. Currently there are 10 million wireless Internet users in Japan alone. Wireless Internet development across Asia will be different from other regions given Asia's limited landline infrastructure and limited computer-based Internet usage. Because of these limitations, mobile phone usage is very high, and, therefore, it's likely that over time, wireless will emerge as the dominant means of accessing the Internet in Asia. It may also be the first exposure of a larger portion of the Asian population has to the Internet. As the mobile Internet access market grows, wireless advertising will play an increasingly important role in the business plans of both mobile carriers and content providers. For content providers, advertising and mobile commerce will be critical to their success, as the number of paid subscription sites will make up only a small portion of the available inventory. In this environment, advertising and subscription will co-exist. A good example of this can be seen in Japan. NTT DoCoMo has over 500 sites on their main menu and only a small portion of these are subscription-based. Recently, DoCoMo announced that they would begin supporting advertising on their menu sites to help generate revenue. We're already beginning to see advertisers and mobile carriers experimenting with different forms of mobile advertising. Examples of early forms of wireless Internet adverting include text based messages, small graphics, and offers that are redeemable at stores. The technology to deliver a wireless ad already exists. The real challenge ahead is in identifying an ad model which works effectively for the advertiser, while bringing value to the mobile user's experience. Four factors will influence the success of mobile advertising: - Value: The personal nature of wireless devices demands that wireless advertising carry value for the end user. This value will take multiple forms. Some advertising will offer coupons and promotions. Others will take the form of subsidies that allow users to access content for free or help reduce their mobile phone bills. - Standards: We've learned from the development of the Web as a marketing medium that no new medium can develop in the absence of standards. Standards need to be developed for both creative and advertising measurement. Once in place, standards will allow advertisers to buy the same creative model around the world, and receive reports on the effectiveness of the campaign. - Accountability: The availability of accountability tools has become increasingly important to marketers attempting to maximise the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns. The growth of Web advertising is primarily fuelled by the ability of advertisers to measure and analyse the effectiveness and ROI of their campaigns. For wireless advertising to mature as a medium, the ability to measure effectiveness will be extremely important. - Targeting: Due to the personal nature of mobile devices, and the small screen sizes, advertising must be relevant to the user. In every digital medium, the ability to segment and target an audience is a key concern for advertisers. This will be accomplished by targeting ads to users who have opted in for advertising services, or that have expressed affinity for certain types of products/services through Web registration, or through their behaviour. Wireless advertising, in its infancy today, will develop into a very powerful marketing medium that allows advertisers to develop closer relationships with their customers. Currently, however, there is a great deal of hype about how quickly this medium will develop and which ad models will dominate. Setting these false expectation levels runs the risk of damaging the credibility of the medium as a marketing vehicle. It's important now for advertisers to focus on marketplace realities and wireless advertising solutions that are viable today while also building and testing models for the future.

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