As a consumer, I am very annoyed when I am playing a game on my iPhone and at the end of the game or to even start playing a game, I get an advertisement. When I am escaping reality by playing games, the last thing I want is an advertisement.

As someone in the mobile space, an important question which needs to be answered is “what can advertisers do that is so compelling and different that would make a consumer really want to receive that advertisement on their phone?” When we find the answer to that question, that’s when I think mobile marketing will see its true potential.

Interesting timing on seeing this, as I was just testing out an SMS based “artificial intelligence” driven “conversation” that had a lot of emotional pull (mainly humour). To boot, the provider delivers this for virtually zero dollars in delivery costs (not per message, which I’m still now sure how they accomplish).

But, it was clearly STORY driven SMS branded conversation that delivered both information and engagement. Will come back and post any public access they open up. But, look for artificial intelligence and SMS to converge. I’d say I went about 20 exchanges back/forth and forgot it was a machine I was texting. Last this happened was 2001 when it was more chatbot than simulated human agent.

Bill

I think you are spot on about telling a “story”, no matter the delivery medium. I find that I am more compelled to interact with marketing messages IF they engage me in some sort of storyline. Be it “click here to find out what happens next” or “here is the story, respond with how you think it ends”. Those interactions make it much more fun for me as the end user, and extends an offer of a “personal” connection with the brand that I can choose to accept or reject.

I also think that mobile still has some growing to do not only from the way messages are delivered, but also in the way they are responded to, and how those responses are tracked. But we are getting there. It will just take some more time.

What interests me most right now, is how to tie all of the message delivery systems together into one marketing campaign using narrative. Such as delivering part of the “story” via mobile, twitter, facebook, blog, web video, traditional video, print and so on, then tying everything together in one final landing location such as a micro-site or call to action offer page. Using every avenue that is at our disposal is where I think things can get really interesting.

Kelly Ross Kerr

With the short attention spans of many mobile users, perhaps shorter self contained narrative experiences may work better in the mobile environment, for behavioral reasons as well as the technical reasons you raise.

For example, narrative messages can be delivered in short snippets on web landing pages or in mobile apps. Even in SMS messages, short, self-contained narratives can be communicated effectively.

I am reminded of a five second commercial I saw once in prime time for the local late night news that contained three of the four necessary components of a great story – passion, hero, antagonist, and transformation. “Girl trapped in well, film at 11″. (You had to tune in at 11pm to see the transformation, which is how the hero and world around them are changed once they resolve the problem – getting her out of the well)