In this series – a collaboration between MSG and Smaato, a mobile ad optimizer and mobile advertising company – the companies speak out on key mobile advertising trends and what we can likely expect from MWC this week. They also comment on the meetings with eight top-notch VCs – introductions that are a big part of the Smaato Award.

]]> Mobile advertising, location services couponing and crowd-sourcing are just a few of the hot topics we cover in exclusive interviews with the CEOs of Aloqa, Waze, and Yoose, companies that won the prestigious Smaato Mobile Advertising Award 2009.

In this series – a collaboration between MSG and Smaato, a mobile ad optimizer and mobile advertising company – the companies speak out on key mobile advertising trends and what we can likely expect from MWC this week. They also comment on the meetings with eight top-notch VCs – introductions that are a big part of the Smaato Award.

By way of background, the winners were chosen in October by a world-class jury of leading influencers of the mobile community. With about 250 nominees and registrations from all corners of the world, it was tough to choose from such a diverse range of apps and content from a mix of cultures and ethnicities. The good news is mobile advertising innovation and good ideas are percolating around the world in countries such as Brazil, Africa and India. It’s an industry unlikely to be dominated by the usual suspects.

As mobile author and authority Tomi Ahonen put it in a press statement at the time: “I was very impressed by the very high level of quality of the entrants to the Smaato awards and in particular how many of the services have achieved considerable commercial success, wide adoption and use.”

Thanks again to Harald Neidhardt, Smaato CMO & Founder, and Petra Vorsteher, Smaato EVP, Strategic Alliances & Co-Founder, for including me on the panel of judges and helping me reach out to the winners for this series. Huge thanks also to Neil Robertson at IF Communications for coordinating schedules and his help in making this happen.

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.

You can also meet up with all three companies at the Smaato booth in Hall 7, booth C38.

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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]

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