Overall, Smaato’s metrics show that the average worldwide ad network fill rates remain constant at 29 percent in February 2010. The fill rate is measured as the percentage of ads delivered per ad request and varies by different factors, like country, device, content type.

Smaato’s Index also provides a breakdown of CTR data, segmented according to operating system, showing that Symbian continues to lead the pack, with Android a distant second. However, there are some significant shifts that indicate the gap between operating system CTRs could be closing fast. For example, BlackBerry comes in at 51, up from 30 in December 2009, while Symbian – still the dominant operating system – has dropped slightly. It comes in at 147, compared with 173 in December 2009.

However, the biggest surprise is the lead Windows Mobile has over Apple. Specifically, the iPhone and iPod Touch show a declining CTR, coming in with a rate of 89. This is the first time Apple devices have dipped below the average Index of 100, and the first time that Windows Mobile has edged ahead of its rival. In December 2009 the iPhone posted a CTR Index of 119, sliding to 104 in January 2010.

PERFORMANCE

Overall, the best performing mobile ad network in the Smaato Worldwide Index had a fill rate of 72 percent February 2010, down 17 from January. Despite this decrease, the average for worldwide ad network fill rate performance remained steady at 29 percent. What’s more, Smaato found that six of the top ten ad networks performed above this average. This re-enforces the pivotal importance and potential advantages of the network aggregation business model. Smaato embraces the model (aggregating 35 ad networks worldwide) to deliver partners a high fill rate.

By way of background, the first metrics report, which Smaato released in January, identified the mobile networks in the U.S. that delivered the best performance by name. This month’s metrics don’t divulge the identities of the best-performing ad networks in the U.S. – but I can imagine Millennial Media is in the winner’s circle (again).

Speaking of the U.S., the average fill rate of mobile ad networks in the U.S. hovers at 35 percent, a decrease compared to January 2010 (fill rate – 47 percent) and December 2009 (fill rate – 55 percent). However, closer examination shows that the U.S. fill rate is still significantly higher than the worldwide average fill rate of only 29 percent.

Smaato metrics further show that the two top-performing ad networks in the U.S. also improved their fill rate. One network came in at 78 percent (up from 68 percent in January) and the other reached 64 percent (up from 61 percent in January).

SPOTLIGHT SOUTH-EAST-ASIA:

For the first time Smaato metrics examine fill rates in South-East Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines), markets where mobile marketing and advertising are buoyant. Overall, the fill rates reveal that two ad networks are performing head and shoulders above the others, coming in with 90 percent and 87 percent fill rates in this region. Overall, the fill rates show a similar spread to those recorded in the U.S.

South-East Asia’s average fill rate of 32 percent is considerably higher compared to that of India’s, which came in at a mere 8 percent in the January Smaato metrics report. As Smaato CEO & Founder Ragnar Kruse sees it: This demonstrates the large differences across the Asian market and the need for developers to search for different partners or a mobile aggregation and optimization service.

The breakdown of the CTRs by operating system in this region provides an interesting and insightful picture of what devices users have and how they interact with mobile advertising.

Interestingly, the iPhone and iPodTouch dominate the region with a CTR Index of 164 followed by Symbian (127) and Android (124), while Windows Mobile comes in at the bottom of the table with 56.

PODCAST SERIES BACK BY DEMAND

In addition to providing us the inside track on what Smaato sees across its network of partner ad networks, the company is also sharply focused on cultivating a robust mobile advertising business ecosystem in which in can play a leadership role. To this end Smaato also dedicates significant resources to identify and encourage mobile advertising pioneers and innovators.

A prime example of this is the Smaato Mobile Advertising Award, which recognizes excellence in the mobile advertising and developers harnessing mobile apps and the mobile Web that can also be tapped to deliver compelling messages and campaigns to consumers worldwide.

Among the top three winners – chosen by a world-class jury of leading influencers of the mobile community including MSearchGroove – were: Aloqa, a U.S.-based mobile service that proactively notifies people of interesting places, events, music, movies and other activities nearby; Waze, an Israeli startup that taps the wisdom of crowds to provide real-time maps, traffic information and turn-by-turn directions; and Yoose, a provider of mobile coupon and loyalty programs based in Germany.

To showcase these high-flyer companies and their views on industry hot topics including engagement, location services, mobile couponing and crowd-sourcing Smaato has collaborated with MSearchGroove to produce a special podcast series showcasing the three company CEOs. In the interviews, which originally aired in time for the Mobile World Congress in February, the executives also comment on the meetings with eight top-notch VCs – high-level introductions that are part of the Smaato Award.

***

Listen to the Waze podcast with CEO Noam Bardin here. [4:38]

Listen to Yoose podcast with CEO Christian Geissendoerfer here. [4:44]

Listen to the Aloqa podcast with CEO Sangeev Agrawal here. [4:43]

My take on the winners and the trends: Mobile advertising is content, and its value to us is inextricably linked with its ability to entertain us, inform us or simplify our lives. Waze harnesses our personal mobility and our position as nodes in a larger network to tap the wisdom of invisible crowds to deliver tangible benefits combined with a super-cool user experience.

Location isn’t the killer app we thought. But an app that combines location awareness with technology that can read the clues we leave behind – to passively personalize our experiences and present us with precisely what we are likely to appreciate based on our likes and dislikes — AND offer brands and nearby establishments a chance to monetize that fit – covers all the bases to be a crowd-pleaser.

Another trend that impacts mobile advertising is the avalanche of software applications (apps) that have transformed what we do with our devices. As our focus shifts from novelty to utility we will vote with our feet, visiting those websites that allow us to do what we want, quickly, easily and intuitively. Therefore, Aloqa, which ties together location, social media and a push-approach to local search, is well-positioned to benefit from our increasing focus on finding what’s important to us nearby. The clever decision to open APIs to third-party publishers ensures that Aloqa will cover the long tail, which is where the money really is in local in the first place.

And finally, a comment on Yoose. We know from looking at Japan and Korea that mobile coupons and mobile commerce can be part of our daily mobile experiences – provided the experience is seamless and simple. Yoose has developed more than a website; it has perfected a work flow that could move couponing out of the chasm and into the bowling alley.

Moving forward, Smaato will join MSearchGroove’s growing roster of contributors and collaborators.

Disclaimer: Smaato is not an MSG friend – but not a partner/supporter.

In brief:

Mobile Groove — the monthly podcast I produce with Inma Martinez, leading digital media strategist, “free radical” and advisor to venture capitalists — is back. This time we kick off with a hard look at Nokia strategy and question the wisdom of its decision to sue Apple.

NOKIA, APPLE & DOPPLR

Do shareholders see value in lawsuits?  We also piece together the logic behind the quick, quiet (and we think clever) acquisition of Dopplr, a social network company that lets members share personal and business travel plans and exchanging travel advice. Shame that Nokia’s marcomms did such a miserable job of communicating the real value of this move, leaving it to the likes of Tech Crunch to speculate and miss the plot. Are we on the mark? Listen in and let us know.

FLIRTOMATIC

Picking up on the last program (where Inma salutes Mark Curtis and his team at Flirtomatic) we look examine the company’s tremendous track record and recent expansion into the U.S.

By way of background, the freemium flirt and fun service (with 1.5 million users and operations in the U.K., Germany and Australia) announced an agreement in late October with U.S. flat-rate carrier MetroPCS that positions Flirtomatic as the preferred mobile social networking service on the operator’s Mobile Web Portal. According to Flirtomatic stats, Flirtomatic mobile users log in around seven times and send over 30 messages each day, resulting in over 30 million messages each month and over 160 million WAP page views.

Why is Flirtomatic on a roll? One reason is Mark’s pragmatic approach to mobile. As Inma puts it: “Buzz is dead!” Mark didn’t drink the Kool-Aid – and neither did we.

I’ll have more from Mark when we connect for a special podcast series looking at the line-up of companies that won the Smaato Mobile Advertising Award 2009 (Flirtomatic, Aloqua, Waze, Yoose and SPBTV).  My personal thanks to Neil Robertson from IF Communications for his help lining up audio interviews and his good work keeping me in the loop with Smaato and other companies in his growing roster of clients.

START-UP WOES

Matthäus Krzykowski over at VentureBeat (@matthausk) caught our eye with a Tweet (to the world, not us) asking why funding is tougher than ever to get. Inma reviews her deal flow to recount the mega investments in mobile. Her take: 2009 is the year that the Valley woke up to mobile. So, why is Europe in a slumber? Listen in and let us know what you think.

GOBLET OF ROCK

This time we change the format to salute companies and sectors that rock. Inma’s pick: Spanish start-up LemonQuest, a global publisher of mobile games and personalization products for network operator portals. The real news (via PocketGamer): “LemonQuest is planning to launch an ambitious massively multiplayer mobile game in the fourth quarter of this year, after recently acquiring a Chinese firm with the necessary technology (and 240,000 registered players).”

Researching the next Netsize Guide has brought me in contact with some cool companies in Augmented Reality (namely, GeoVector and Layar). Since I also focus the chapter on the future of mobile on image search and recognition, I must also toast Kooaba, a company I have followed since the start.

Until next time – keep it fun!

Listen to the lively podcast here [17:47].

The Mobile Groove series:

PODCAST: Mobile Groove Continues With Blyk’s Media Strategy, Spotify’s Chances Against Apple, What Women Really Want PLUS Cool Startups From Mobilize & Seedcamp

PODCAST: Thought-Provoking Mobile Groove Series With Inma Martinez Debuts Today; Offers Inside Track On Industry Disasters, High-Flyers & What’s Highest On Investor Radars

Mobile advertising is the topic of the week at MSearchGroove. I’m attending the Mobile Marketing Forum Europe in Berlin; MSearchGroove has joined forces with research firm ÆNEAS Strategy to partner with the Mobile Marketing Association and undertake the organization’s first pan-European research project examining the attitudes of mobile buyers; and Smaato, a pioneering mobile advertising company that operates a leading mobile ad optimization platform, has launched Mobile Advertising Award 2009, thus kicking of the  search among the world’s developers and publishes for outstanding innovation.

After the success of competition last year, Smaato is back with a bigger and better Mobile Advertising Award 2009. As Harald Neidhardt, Smaato CMO & Co-Founder put it: “With more than 100 entrants in its first year we could not ask for more positive feedback. We think this is a clear indictor that there is a lot of creativity and positive energy in the ecosystem. The best is yet to come!”

This year, the competition is divided into three categories of ad-enabled mobile solutions: iPhone, mobile website and applications, and games running on all other platforms. Participation is free and you can learn more about the application procedure here.

Deadline for submissions is October 9th.  The winner will be announced at the Mobile 2.0 Conference in San Francisco on October 15th.

The winning companies in each category will be invited to attend Mobile World Congress, the leading mobile industry event, in Barcelona (February 15-18). In addition, Smaato will introduce these innovative publishers and developers to VC’s at the partner level. Other prizes include a booth at the hugely successful mobile industry event M-Days in Munich (January 28-29, 2010) and free event tickets.

MSearchGroove is proud to be a media partner and – on a personal note – I am honored to be named to the panel of judges.

This high-caliber group of industry influencers includes (in alphabetical order) Tomi Ahonen (Author), James Cameron (Camerjam), Jim Cook (MobiAdNews), Lubna Dajani (Mobile Monday, NYC), Bambi Francisco (vator.tv), Tim Green (Mobile Entertainment), Trey Harvin (mobiThinking), Matthäus Krzykowski (Venturebeat), Ragnar Kruse (Smaato Inc.), Caroline Lewko (WIP), Bena Roberts (GoMoNews), Kei Shimada (Infinita), Michelle Sklar (bnetTV), Matthew Snyder (IAB), Giselle Tsirulnik (Mobile Marketer), Mark Wächter (Mobile Monday, Germany & BVDW) and Rudy De Waele (dotOpen/mTrends).

By way of background, last year’s Mobile Advertising Award finalists included: aka-aki, buzzd, funkysexycool, Fish Labs, Fring, Peperoni, Queep, Skout, Tourspot and Vayyoo. The winner was DialPlus with a smartphone interface for showing visual information from the Web for a phone number before, during and after a call.

With all attention focused on mobile advertising the timing is perfect to draw your attention to Higher Revenues With Mobile Ad Optimization & Global Ad Network Aggregation. This white paper, developed by Smaato to explain the nuts and bolts of ad revenue optimization, describes the opportunities available to mobile publishers and developers seeking to monetize their inventory worldwide.  Specifically, it explores how/why different mobile ad networks deliver different mobile fill rates and outlines the pricing tiers for mobile inventory.

Harald asked me to contribute a quote to the press release back in June, which stands firm as my assessment of the white paper and the company that created it.

“The buzz in the mobile advertising space is around delivering the right ad to the right person- even better if this occurs in the right context. But the real issue publishers face is how to identify – in real-time – the right ad network to deliver the right results. Smaato, a global company whose own evolution shows its grasp of the key issues impacting the mobile advertising business ecosystem at all levels, has gained significant traction through its ability to dynamically identify the ad networks that monetize publishers’ inventory best. This innovation is core to Smaato’s competitive advantage and pivotal in moving the mobile advertising industry to the next level.”

You can download the white paper here – and I hope you will circle back with your thoughts/opinion/feedback.

Disclaimer: Smaato has been an MSG supporter.

Regular readers will know that I work with a variety of organizations and publications, evaluating companies and candidates for awards ranging from the Meffys (awarded by the Mobile Entertainment Forum to recognize excellence and innovation in mobile entertainment and services) to the Smaato Mobile Advertising Awards (recognizing the best in mobile Web and in-app advertising) to the EContent 100 (a list of the 100 companies that matter most in the digital content industry).

I am proud that EContent named me to its panel of judges to evaluate the 100+ candidates across the categories: classification & taxonomy; collaboration; content commerce; content creation, production, & digital publishing; content delivery; content management; content security; fee-based info services; intranets & portals; mobile content; search engines & technologies; and social media. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the many mobile and Internet companies that have contacted me to be considered for inclusion in the list, and issue a final call for candidates.

Round 1 of the judging wraps up on September 1, so please reach out to me this week. (Please note that your contacting me does not compel me to put any company name on the final list of contenders and, of course, in no way guarantees that any company will be named to the list.)

This year my participation in the judging team has not only introduced me to a number of new mobile industry innovators (companies you’ll see profiled on MSearchGroove in the coming weeks). It has also exposed me to new thinking about digital content creation and distribution.

The industry is at a critical crossroads. A milestone that speaks volumes: the storm brewing the media and digital industries after Rupert Murdoch’s very public announcement (after posting record losses of $203 million last quarter) that his News Corporation intends to charge for online newspaper content.

WILL WE PAY FOR CONTENT?

Artesian Solutions, a company specialized Web-based market intelligence and surveillance software (automating the process of search through machine-based surveillance), has an interesting take. Artesian CEO Andrew Yates issued a statement today arguing that Murdoch’s brave strategy may just (literally) literally pay dividends.

As Andrew puts it: Murdoch’s play is “based around ‘quality’ and this is tough call for a commodity that people are not currently prepared to pay for…. However he argues that one positive consequence of charging for content is that through targeted information and the learned behaviors of the subscribers, newspapers will be able to build a 24 hour, 7 days a week relationship (rather than once in the morning) with the subscriber and therefore tailor content to the demands of those paying for the service. The subscriber will get what they want, when they want it on whatever device they chose. Surely, this will be good for the consumer.”

Intrigued by this view I caught up with Andrew to ask why he can be so sure that we – people that have grown up accustomed to free content, search and social networking services – will change our habits and pay for news, for example. A few minutes into the call we were passionately debating the pivotal importance of personalization, relevancy and context – and the value they bring to our content experiences across platforms and devices.

CONTEXT & RELEVANCE

Artesian, for example, has built a B2B business model on providing its clients content in tune with their profiles, preferences and strategic focus. Using a variety of tools and techniques (advanced algorithms, natural language search the order and frequency of keywords, for example) Artesian effectively filters out information that we don’t want and gives us what we do.

In this scenario, the value of content is its quality – which is a function of context and relevance. Put another way, customers pay for genuinely useful content and they pay a premium for the choice of having what they need where and when they need it. With this in mind, the next deliverable on the Artesian roadmap is a service that delivers a daily dose of information to customers on their portable devices (PDA, smartphone, iPhone etc…).

My take: Artesian is one of a new breed of cool companies that makes its money by making choices for us to provide us choice content we appreciate. By spidering the indexes relevant to our interests and objectives (and not attempting to index or deliver the entire Web), companies such as Artesian are defining paid-content models that hold a great deal of promise for publishers everywhere (particularly in mobile). I would certainly pay for a daily dose of exactly what I want (gleaned from the sources I know and trust, as well the social media spaces, such as Twitter) delivered to my BlackBerry. All the more valuable if the technology employs explicit and implicit personalization (as Artesian does). Will we, as my close colleague Alan Moore suggested, pay for quality content? I vote ‘yes.’ As they say in Cologne, where I am based: What costs nothing, is nothing.

KOOABA MAKES MEDIA INTERACTIVE

Another value to focus on (because it can pave the way to effective/engaing advertising and increased revenues for publishers) is interactivity.

The merging of the digital and physical worlds is a hot topic at MSearchGroove and a big part of the Netsize Guide 2010. (Netsize has commissioned me to write it for the third year running and we just kicked off this exciting project at a meeting at Netsize HQ in Paris last week). But it’s more than a good read; it’s a great business model for the companies that can bridge those worlds.

Kooaba, a visual search and image recognition company and I have had high on my radar from the start (and that goes back almost two years), has an approach that spells good news for old media (specifically, print) anxious to get more mileage out of their content assets.

It’s hot off the presses (no pun intended!) and I caught up with Herbert Bay, Kooaba CEO and founder, to get the inside track on this new Kooaba and where it’s heading.

By way of background, Kooaba, which offers the Kooaba App for the iPhone and other devices, is strong in image recognition. It’s one of a number of companies providing the technology that allows people to interact with content and advertising using their cameraphones, paving the way for the all-important transaction.

(Little wonder why Amazon acquired visual search company Snaptell last month and this month released Amazon App for Android, an app that includes the experimental Amazon Remembers feature. With it people have two ways they can use their device camera to find and remember items available for sale on Amazon.com: they can either snap a photo of an item or scan a barcode.)

Kooaba’s new-look website is chock-full with information about the Kooaba App and case studies from clients ranging from BMW and EMI to Heineken – all a testament to the power of this technology to enable advertising and encourage commerce.

But the real news for me is Interactive print, Kooaba’s solution that effectively gives old print media a new lease on life.

In practice, people capture the content with their cameraphones and Kooaba makes the connection between the printed content and the cool interactive stuff it links to (videos, interviews, and special offers/discounts – the works). Additional functionality in the back-end lets people search, archive and even share this content. Read a job offer in the classifieds, save it for yourself in your personal library or share it on Facebook. Read an interview, get one-click access to the video and then pass it around.

Will people pay for that interactivity? Perhaps… But it’s likely the real money will come from advertisers willing to pay a premium to deliver a more interactive advertising experience and – more importantly – measure the results. (Kooaba’s solution has analytics/tracking baked in.)
Herbert is bullish about the power shift that can happen when publishers are back in charge of their content and their advertising revenues (as opposed to aggregators and search engine companies.).

But I am even more excited about the potential for interactive learning. This technology can literally make books come alive! (A wonderful boost to the quality of education in the developing world.)

The bottom line: Relevancy rules! Whether it’s built into the algorithms that allow companies such as Artesian charge for relevant content or architected into Kooaba’s solution that makes print content contextually-aware (because it can morph to match the context of the people who activate it with their cameraphones), we want what we want and will gravitate to those companies that can give it to us.

The webinar dovetails well with my mobile advertising projects, including Mobile Advertising Research U.K., a research project MSG has undertaken to expertly document the state of the mobile advertising industry in the U.K., identify growth opportunities in the emerging mobile advertising marketplace, and benefit stakeholders, shareholders, and consumers worldwide.  It draws upon primary research, including in-depth interviews with 15+ mobile executives, agencies, and mobile networks, including an interview this week with Freddy Friedman, Mobixell Head of Advertising. With my MSG hat on I will also request a later briefing with Mobixell (for MSG) to discuss recent news, new customers, and the role of mobile in a multi-channel advertising strategy.

I’ve also wrapped up my contribution to a series on audio-visual presentations on mobile advertising produced by Henry Stewart Talks (HST), which will likely go live in early June. HST, a company with a 35-year tradition, provides access to world class seminars by leading thinkers and authorities from around the globe in one online resource.

The company commissioned me to summarize the findings of both volumes of my extremely popular mobile advertising white paper series (sponsored by Bango): Mobile Advertising for Newbies, which provides a how-to guide to mobile advertising and analytics; and Mobile Advertising For The Masses, which examines the market opportunity for running campaigns in a mobile social networks.

I am pleased to have the opportunity (as part of HST’s Marketing & Management series) to educate the marketplace about mobile advertising and the pivotal role of mobile analytics.

I’m also honored to join the impressive roster of mobile advertising executives and thinkers including: Harald Neidhardt, CMO, Smaato Inc.; Michael Becker, EVP of Business Development, iLoop Mobile; Gerry Christensen, CTO, Zoove; Diane Strahan, Vice President of Mobile Services, NeuStar; Chris Torbit, Vice President of Mobile Services, SmartReply; James Darcey, Senior Vice President, Single Touch Interactive; G.D. Ramkumar, Co-founder and CTO, SnapTell; Ramin Vatanparast, Senior Strategy & Business Development Manager, Nokia; Saul Kato, Founder, Qwikker; and Phyllis Reuther, CTO, Archipelago Network.

I’m especially excited to learn more about Phyllis’ new endeavor, and will keep you posted on MSG. (By way of background, Phyllis was previously CTO at Mobile Content Networks (MCN)-a company that began by providing a platform for federated mobile search and has since extended its reach to provide a combination PPC content promotion and vertical paid search program.) I also encourage you to download her talk for an expert overview of mobile search and advertising.

The individual HST presentations cover a wide variety of topics, ranging from an overview of the burgeoning mobile content market, and the barriers to success and challenges faced by content developers and owners to establish long-term customer relationships and revenue streams, to an in-depth look at the emerging practice of consumer-centric marketing, detailing the opportunities and challenges arising from its adoption.

A particularly interesting talk reviews the use of current opt-in methods – like the Common Short Code – with new mobile enabling technologies, such as Bluetooth alerts, “StarStar” (**) dialing, interactive voice response, 2-D (or QR code) image recognition, content-embedded techniques, and location-based services.

I still have the opportunity to take your views and perspectives into account, and I would welcome your input to this defining work.

If you have an interest in being considered for an interview for MobiAD World Focus, please contact me directly or send an email to my assistant Andrea Henninge (andrea@msearchgroove.com).

Disclaimer: Bango is an MSG supporter.

I used the opportunity to connect with some cool companies and mobile pundits, so check back for a line-up of exclusive briefings and in-depth analyses, beginning with a podcast with Bob Rosenshein, Answer.com CEO. In our audio interview, we discuss what makes for an optimal mobile search experience, and talk in broad terms about the company’s mobile strategy. Having just packed 100+ business cards and a stack of notebooks in my suitcase, it’s going to be tough choosing whom to showcase next, but be assured I will pick the gems.

My dear colleagues from bnetTV also covered the event, providing me the opportunity to do some impromptu interviews with Smaato, Nokia Interactive, David Berkowitz (Director of Emerging Media & Client Strategy at digital marketing agency 360i), and Mobify, a start-up that gets publishers around the pain and expense of making  a version of their website for mobile phones (and the iPhone) by enabling publishers to create “mobile views” of their existing destination. (I’ll have more about the company, and an interview with Igor Faletski, Mobify CEO, in a special post that outlines the process in a how-to that results in an iPhone version of MSG.)

A real highpoint of the conference: The chance to connect with Alan Moore, founding director of SMLXL (Small Medium Large XtraLarge), a specialist community and engagement marketing firm, and co-author of Social Media Marketing: How Data Analytics Helps to Monetize the User Base in Telecoms, Social Networks, Media and Advertising in a Converged Ecosystem. I’ll deep-dive into this work in a future podcast, but in the meantime allow me to leave you with a key bullet point from Alan’s presentation (and one that echoed across a string of post-session discussions): Advertising inventory as we know it is dead.

Think about it.

I have done nothing but since I heard Alan’s thought-provoking presentation, aptly titled No Straight Lines, yesterday.

Today I spent much of the day writing my regular column for EContent magazine, one that attempts to connect the dots in the many presentations and dinner conversations that have made this last week so remarkable and memorable. Thanks to Matthew for purposely ending the event with a bang: A session looking at the new services that harness Twitter (and its open API) to create new ways to create, access, organize, and mobilize this wealth of information and content.

My take (and the central message of my column): The trickle of Twitter-based services will surely become a tidal wave of offerings that range from news and media monitoring to innovative ways to organize the massive flow of information.

The session introduced us to some cool startups that have picked up on this, including StockTwits, which calls itself an “open, community-powered investment idea and information service.” More about this social, stock micro-blogging when I connect with Howard Lindzon, StockTwits Co-Founder. Also check back for some detail on how and why advertising may be the way forward for Twitter, ending the company’s search for a monetization model.

As I conclude in my column: We are – every single one of us – publishers. And with social networks such as Twitter we have the foundation for a new ecosystem in which individuals, content companies, and even brands can create new content and new ways to organize information in our socially inter-networked world.

Will 2009 be the year of mobile advertising? In Germany the question isn’t associated with market hype; it’s linked to the realization that the climate and conditions are right in Germany for mobile marketing to finally and formally take-off. Gone are many of the legal and business hurdles that have stifled ideas and innovation, paving the way for home-grown mobile marketing companies – such as MindMatics AG, Netbiscuits GmbH, Smaato Inc., and YOC AG – to take their place among international giants. This overview names companies and some interesting stats – thanks again to Mark (“Mr. Mobile”) Waechter, independent media consultant and head of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) in Germany.

Mobile World Congress (MWC) introduced me to some exciting German companies sure to leave their mark on mobile. Some (such as the amazing aki-aki) I met during my day judging the Mobile Peer Awards (the winner in the Emerging Startups category was Popcatcher, a Swedish company set to do for radio what TiVo did for TV). Others I connected with at the reception held by Smaato to announce the winner of the Smaato Mobile Advertising Award 2008 (which was DialPlus, by the way) and finalist companies: aka-aki, buzzd, Fishlabs, fring, FunkySexyCool, Peperoni, Qeep, Skout, TourSpot and Vayyoo.

I also had a deliciously disruptive discussion with Harald Neidhardt, Smaato CMO & Co-Founder, during which I also learned more about m.LOVE, a path-breaking group of “mobile passionistas” Harald has brought together to discuss the future of mobile and ways how “mobile advertising, mobile social communities and the society find solutions to be more engaging in the mobile media of the future.”

This dovetails quite well with the aims of Every Single One Of Us, so it’s no wonder that its founder, Jonathan MacDonald, has  joined their ranks. Likewise, MSG is also a passionate m.LOVE supporter, and I will use this platform to showcase the individuals and ideas driving this forward. Watch for the upcoming m.LOVE tour, a series of workshops bringing together people from all parts of the ecosystem spanning London, New York, Singapore, Barcelona, San Francisco, Hamburg, Milan, and Tokyo.

I was also pleased to meet Carsten Szameitat, managing director of 11 Prozent Communication, a company that organizes a number of cutting-edge industry events in Germany (such as M-Days, one speaking engagement I regrettably had to cancel). Carsten’s team also produces a comprehensive German-language industry newsletter. We share a vision to bring his publication to a larger audience, highlighting the companies and executives that rate a top-notch spot on your radar. I’m eager to connect with German companies for this and other projects, so please keep the pitches coming!

In the meantime, I have been commissioned by New Media Age (NMA) to provide readers news on industry trends and my pick of cool German companies. You can download the debut issue on the New Media Age website. I kicked off my string of contributions with a look at the German mobile advertising market, and an interview Mark (“Mr. Mobile”) Waechter, independent media consultant and head of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) in Germany. NMA printed a version quite different from the one I submitted, so allow me to share the complete Q&A here:

Q: Until now Germany has been the sleeping giant when it comes to mobile marketing. What has happened to wake the country and shake the market up?

A: We have made important progress in areas such as standards, guidelines, and definitions to make sure we are all on the same page and that we can all move the market forward.  For example, because of strict legislation that requires companies to mark advertising in a way that consumers can recognize it as advertising, we have agreed to recommend that advertising on a small mobile screen is simply marked with a “w”, standing for Werbung [German for advertisement]. There is very little space on a mobile screen and this is a solution that works. The next step is to quantify mobile marketing spending in Germany, numbers that are important to educate media buyers and the marketplace. It’s an on-going project because you need to have details on pricing, the total universe of inventory, and other statistics, but we are hoping to release figures in September.

Q: Can you offer a ball-park figure to give us a better idea of the size and potential of the German market?

A: The rough estimate for the market revenue is 400 million euros. Classical mobile direct response marketing, marketing that asks consumers to send an SMS to a short code or take a picture with their cameraphone to get more information or offers, accounts for the vast majority – some 80 percent -  of revenues. Mobile permission advertising campaigns – which are like the ones I just described except the brand proactively contacts consumers using their own database of contacts which they have bought or created – account for 15 percent. Finally, 5 percent of the total is mobile advertising, which we define as typical display and paid search advertising. The user receives and consumes content and somewhere they see advertising. In five years from now,  I expect that these numbers will have turned on their head, with mobile advertising accounting for the majority of revenues. In five years, I expect mobile marketing revenues in Germany will exceed 1.5 billion euros.

Q: What role will mobile operators play in helping brands achieve reach?

A: The next biggest project on our list is establishing metrics in what we call a gateway measurement approach – quite similar to what the major operators in the U.K. have formed. In Germany, we need a trust center, a neutral entity that will take data from all the operators, anonomize the data, and provide a view to what is going on with regards to the mobile Internet and mobile advertising. The GSMA endorses the plans to set this up in Germany – bringing together the four operators: T-Mobile, Vodafone, E-Plus and O2 — and it’s planned for September.

Disclaimer:  Smaato is an MSG supporter. MSG has partnered with Every Single One Of Us to conduct mobile advertising research in the U.K. and Gemany.

How viable is mobile advertising in an economic slowdown? How will the current economy impact businesses that derive revenues from mobile advertising? Can mobile advertising count on VC funding?

These were just a few of the key questions that thought leaders, startups, investors, mobile carriers, device manufacturers, and mobile application developers debated during Mobile 2.0 in San Francisco.

The mobile conference – organized by the Mobile 2.0 Organizing Committee ( Daniel Appelquist, Senior Technology Strategist at Vodafone Group; Gregory Gorman, Principal at Tertius Advisory Services; Mike Rowehl, Scalability Architect at Skyfire; Peter Vesterbacka, Founder Some Bazaar and Mobile Monday and Rudy De Waele, Co-founder dotopen / mTrends) in partnership with AMF Ventures – brought together a stellar line-up of professionals and practitioners in a frank (translated: no-hype) one-day discussion of the topics and trends that matter.

The most dominant theme: The economy. Or more specifically: How companies can survive in the global downturn that is already impacting businesses at every level.

Overall, attendees were upbeat about the outlook for mobile advertising. But this was more than a hunch.

New numbers from mobile social networking company Limbo and GfK Technology, a market research firm, underlined the increasing importance (and reach) of mobile advertising in the U.S. market. A recent study from these firms found that 40 percent of mobile phone users in the U.S., about 100 million people, recalled seeing an advertisement on their phone during 3Q08 (about two-thirds of the ads were text messages; the other one-third were display ads). It was the first time mobile advertising awareness in the U.S. reached such a level during a single quarter, and it represents a sure sign that mobile advertising is getting the attention of brands/advertisers despite the economic downturn.

More evidence that advertising is indeed delivering positive results came from Brian Cowley, president and CEO of AdInfuse; Jason Spero, vice president of marketing at AdMob; and Ragnar Kruse, CEO and founder of Smaato.

Each reported that they are seeing continued and strong interest in mobile advertising, and each backed this up with some interesting observations. Jason, for example, told us that AdMob has not seen a drop in mobile advertising budgets among its partners. To the contrary, companies are asking for more ad placement and increasing their budget with AdMob. This view was echoed by Brian at AdInfuse, who said his company has never seen more interest in advertising by top brands than it is seeing today.

A driver is the consumer expectation that content must be and will remain free of charge – subsidized by advertising. Granted, there are many examples of companies making money on content and apps – such as Apple, which has built a lucrative business by selling applications via its App Store, and Google, which follows the same blueprint with its new Android Market. However, executives from GetJar and MySpace asserted at the conference that in most contexts, the most scalable and sustainable business model is just giving away mobile apps for free.

Don’t count on distribution via carrier decks,  because it is hard to get in the door with operators and it does not guarantee a worthwhile income. This was the view of Ilja Laurs, the founder of GetJar. His company, widely considered to be the world’s largest mobile applications portal, has harnessed mobile advertising to fund the successful distribution of free apps on behalf of its developer partners.

Consumers are also not willing to pay to join or interact in mobile social networks. Brandon Lucas, senior director of mobile business development at MySpace, pointed out that consumers’ unwillingness to pay a monthly fee for mobile MySpace services has pushed his company to phase out its premium-based mobile services. The focus is now on moving to a pure ad-funded model.

For many mobile companies, mobile advertising works. But will it pay? This was the question that made for a lively discussion during the VC panel. Their view: Companies that are not dominant in their sectors may find it hard to succeed with an advertising model, and those that are trying to get off the ground with this approach are likely to face an uphill battle.

Tim Chang, a partner at Norwest Venture Partners; Peter Barry, head of venture capital and startups for Vodafone Group; and Rick Segal, a partner at JLA Ventures and Blackberry Partners Fund, agreed that VC firms are not dazzled by mobile app and services startups that depend on ads for revenue. The reason: A startup has to reach a lot of eyeballs, and the market is chock-full of companies that have bet their bottom lines on this approach.

In a nutshell, only a few of these mobile newcomers can hope to survive – and that isn’t a risk many VCs are willing to take.

What excites VCs? Companies that provide the infrastructure and middleware to deliver mobile advertising or reduce the costs associated with it are hot properties now. AdMob, which recently pulled in $15.7 million in its third round of funding, was cited as an example of a desirable mobile advertising investment.

Mobile advertising experts at the event also expressed strong interest in companies that collect and wield customer data (all the better if they do it in new and innovative ways). This new focus makes business sense if we consider the underlying logic: The more data an application can generate about users, the more advertising it will attract and, ultimately, funding. It’s a virtuous cycle. Likewise, companies that can develop infrastructure and techniques that will bring in more metadata and metrics via mobile applications are also high on the radar.