Nordic profiles about Mobile Relations - this week Johanna Johansson

This week we talk to Johanna Johansson, Project and Business Development Manager at Telenor Sverige. Johanna is also chairperson of the trade organisation for online marketing in Sweden.

What kind of mobile phone do you have yourself, and what kind of services beyond telephony, SMS, MMS and e-mail do you use your mobile phone for?

I use two mobiles: BlackBerry Pearl for work, reading and always mail. Nokia E51 for my private communications. With the Nokia E51, I’m a frequent user of Channels, a flash-based news and entertainment related service that are think is more user-friendly than traditional mobile browsing.

How do you assess the mobile phone as a marketing channel?

The mobile is a very interesting channel to develop. The mobile has a large potential both as an alternative channel for direct marketing communications and as a browsing media. The difference from media is that the mobile has the capability to enable targeted messages to smaller target groups.

How will people use their mobile phones in the future? What kind of services will be moved from traditional marketing channels to the mobile phone?

I believe above all that more highly useful services will move to the mobile. The mobile wallet or pocketbook is an example.

I even believe that the mobile to a large extent will be the “remote control of our lives” and that the mobile will facilitate people’s growing need to consume media “on demand.”  For example, you will be able to use the mobile to program your recording of TV programs remotely.

I believe that entertainment “here and now” will grow in the mobile media. For news and events with significant news value the mobile will play an important part. For example, people are more often using the mobile for streamed highlights of important events, which in this case does not have access to the TV or PC.

Even as an extension or bridge between other media the mobile phone will grow in importance for users. Above all else, I believe the print media, such as newspapers, receive an interactive dimension with the mobile’s help.

How can mobile marketing get its breakthrough in Norway, and what should More Mobile Relations do in order to take the lead in this development?

The most important right now is to educate the market. Many players, including advertisers and media bureaus, are interested in the mobile media, but don’t know how to go forward to implement a campaign using the mobile or how to use it as part of a cross-media campaign.  Here, More Mobile Relations plays an important role.

For investment in the mobile media to take off, it is critically important that the advertiser knows what they are buying and what they are paying for. There must simply be a value for the mobile channel, which is created through a standardized measurement of traffic in the mobile channel. Here, the mobile operator’s participation is very important, because they have control over the infrastructure, such as the mobile network.

What makes a mobile marketing campaign successful, and what kind of products and services can benefit from using the mobile phone as a marketing channel?

A successful campaign consists of, for the user, one relevant message that is communicated on the users conditions.

From the ROI perspective, it’s also important to think in terms of the possibilities in action, for example, interest in signing up or a purchase. The mobile is ideally suited for that.

I think there is in reality no product or service that doesn’t derive benefits from using the mobile as a marketing channel. FMCG  can enjoy special advantages by building a campaign with mobile discount coupons, for example. Global brands can create brand-strengthening campaigns with branded games and applications. Local, small companies can exploit their position to enrich their message. The possibilities for all types of products and companies to strengthen their marketing communications with the help of the mobile is huge!

What is your best experience with mobile marketing?

Barack Obama’s mobile campaign “Obama for America.” This campaign is a clear example of how the mobile is a relationship-creating and -building media channel.

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