A long but invigorating day yesterday lining up analysis for the next week at MSG and concluding my last two social media panel briefings with Alex Romero, Director Partnerships, Yahoo Connected Life Europe, and Tommy Ahlers, CEO ZYB, in the run up to Mobile 2.0 Europe. I don’t usually reach out to panel speakers individually, but I couldn’t resist. The topic is controversial and – more importantly – the chemistry of the group is perfect for a frank and fresh discussion of the issues. No hype here!

Alex, who comes to Yahoo from Vodafone, has a unique and balanced view on the place of social media and the value chain/web that can make it a meaningful part of our daily routines. The key here is meaningful, since Alex, like Vince Staybl, CEO Itsmy.com, pointed out that one reason social media doesn’t yet live up to our expectations may simply be because there is (so far) no compelling reason to use it.

Another reason could be the disconnect between content and communications – or rather the tendency of mobile companies in the space to focus on enabling content or communications rather than both.

Creating and sharing content is central, but that same content also sits at the heart of our personal communications (we talk about it and through it). Operators – in their current role of communications companies – obviously have a seat at the table. Likewise, handset companies have earned their place card since we capture and share using their devices. But it may not be the feast these players were hoping to attend.

As Alex sees it: The mobile Web is indeed ramping up – but this trend doesn’t automatically translate into a run on social media and social networks. The industry lacks a holistic approach to mobile media and has so far failed to come up with a strategy that accepts and leverages the tectonic shift from me to we.

Mobile operators have so far responded in one of three ways. They have built their own communities (no go, since communities don’t pick their friends according to their mobile network); they have bought mobile social networks (tough one, since there’s bound to be a long tail of these communities, and operators don’t have the corporate DNA or resources to court and to pick the truly cool companies); and they have mobilized social networks we know from the Internet (slippery slope to being a pipe? time will tell). “A winning approach has not emerged from this – nor is it likely to. One thing for sure: “The next battlefield will be over ownership of the social media experience.”

The irony is that no operator or device company can hope to really own our social media experience. This is why Yahoo has chosen to move past the battlefield into a Blue Ocean where it joins communication and content. Vendor spin aside, Alex is not convinced that social media is de facto linked to our devices or our mobile networks. It will be interesting to see the sparks fly when we debate this on Friday…

As Alex sees it, social media (communications and content) exists in a space that Yahoo is “defining” through recent offers such as oneConnect. This mobile application, which TechCrunch cleverly crowned “one mobile app to rule them all,” pulls together contacts from the user’s mobile phone, Yahoo address book, and social networks. (In addition, a feature called Pulse provides users updates of all the people across all their social networks, allowing users to see who just added a photo to Flickr, for example.)

If this is where it’s happening, then what will happen to mobile operators?

If they are smart they will become smart pipes, and ultimately wring value from the ecosystems they build. What do they have going for them? Four critical assets: They influence user experience and have a huge say over the apps embedded in the devices; they influence user awareness of social media and could use their marketing dollars to grow the pie for everyone – themselves included; they are the last word on security and trust (particularly when it comes to parental controls); and they alone can ensure the quality of service that will enable the video streaming so central to social media.

“No other player in the value chain is in such a strong position [to build the ecosystem] and, in some cases, operators are in a unique position to do this.” Could social media – which requires an ecosystem to get to the next level – also elevate the importance of mobile operators? Let’s just say that they have the aces – now they need to play.

My exchange with Tommy was also an eye-opener.

Mobile-only social networks may be the buzzword, but by limiting our focus to mobile we short changes ourselves and our members. Social networks must be accessible across a range of platforms and devices. In Tommy’s view, screen size, context, and a number of other factors “demand a dual strategy when it comes to platforms.”

What is the role of mobile devices? Do they merely allow us to capture and upload content? Are they a means to check in on our social networks on the move? Or is Charlie Schick from Conversations Nokia right when he calls mobile devices the ultimate social networking tool?

Another myth Tommy wants to bust: The mismatch between mobile social networks and mobile operators. Clearly, a mobile social network can’t be confined to one carrier, but together operators can create the overarching networks that will encourage the flow of communication and content within and between social networks everywhere. Think text messaging. As Tommy sees it, operators created the conditions conducive to text messaging, and grew the pie for everyone in the process. Social media can be next – provided operators follow a similar blueprint.

Tommy, whose company was recently acquired by Vodafone, is bullish about the central role of the mobile operator in social media. But read between the lines – and consider what Alex said above – and there is a clear case for operator involvement. Don’t underestimate their influence on the device makers, and don’t forget that user device and user experience are inextricably linked. While the rest of us battle fragmentation, operators may win the war.

Thanks again to Rudy de Waele for encouraging me to connect with the speakers before the panel for their pick of the issues and trends that matter. With such a great line-up of topics and speakers, Mobile Europe 2.0 has earned a top-notch spot on the industry list of must-attend events. Plans for the 3^rd Annual Mobile 2.0 on November 3 in San Francisco are well underway. For more information, as well sponsorship opportunities and speaking requests, please contact Gregory Gorman at gregory@tertius.us

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 at 8:42 am and is filed under Content Discovery, Mobile Advertising, Mobile Content, Mobile Social Networking, Personalization, Usability, Web 2.0. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.