But the term "mobile marketing" has had a tendency to evoke fears of unwanted advertising invading a person's privacy. Ericsson is expecting to help change this misconception through an alliance between Ericsson Mobility World and Proximity Worldwide, BBDO's international network for direct and relationship marketing, so that brand owners and consumers will be eager to use this new marketing channel with its unique possibilities.

Reinhold van Ackeren, head of mobile marketing at the Global Competence Center Media & Brands, says Proximity knows about consumer needs, the advertisers and the marketing industry, while Ericsson and its partners understand solutions from the technical perspective. "This makes the two companies perfectly suited to developing this growing market," van Ackeren says.

He says one of the main reasons this hasn't taken off more is because different parts of the value chain weren't aware of each other or their needs. "As soon as we met Proximity, we recognized how we could complement each other."

Managing Director of Proximity Group Germany Peter Figge is very enthusiastic about the project and the cooperation. "We want to prove that mobile marketing works on a large scale, that it has left its initial experimental phase behind," Figge says. "This is a unique proposition. No other companies can provide this combination on such a scale and with such global reach."

As for concerns about unwanted soliciting, Figge says they are largely unwarranted. "National regulations ensure that users will not be spammed with advertising on their mobile phones. Major brands will only initiate campaigns to consumers who have explicitly given their consent to participate in this type of marketing. The pull element will play a decisive role."

Based on the agreement, the cooperation has started in five countries: the US, UK, Germany, Italy and Singapore. The goal is to generate quick successes in these countries and then adapt these reference cases to other local markets.

Van Ackeren says applications include everything from location-based services for finding the nearest retailer of a product to advertising gimmicks. "A German gardening supplies company used the solution for a kind of practical joke. You could send an SMS to a certain number, and it activated a sprinkler that sprayed water on people!"

Follow the links for more information on SMS, MMS and Ericsson Mobility World.