In our case it is not directly associated with the wireless communications industry.  When you search for mobile marketing in your favorite search engine, more than likely the first hits you are going to see will speak  about sending marketing messages to wireless devices.  We are not that.

Mobile marketing means to take your brand message on the road (become mobile) and utilize mobile marketing events (event marketing) to connect with your consumer in a non-threatening way on their turf. Event marketing is putting your brand in a position to build increased awareness of its product, and build an emotional connection, through face-to-face interactions with potentially new customers as well as bonding your relationship with existing customers. Some call this one-to-one marketing.

A mobile marketing tour could be anything from displaying your services as a local city event to jumping on a national tour with a large transforming exhibit...and everything in between.

First, let's talk about events.

This subject is just as deep and broad as the term mobile marketing. Some call it event marketing or event special event marketing or event mobile event marketing.

Mobile (event) marketing can be as simple as a small pipe and drape booth at you local Chamber of Commerce Business Expo to corporate functions, to event sponsorship, to intercept sampling to consumer events, all on a local, regional or national scale. Many national consumer product brands have embraced the idea of event marketing by creating a year-long tour of event marketing events where they meet their consumers face-to-face.  Event marketing gives brands this opportunity of touching the consumer in a way no amount of traditional advertising can dream of.

Therefore, marketers are taking more and more money away from traditional advertising each year and funneling it into mobile event marketing, because it works.  Mobile marketing gives the brand a chance to inform and involve consumers with the brand, and more importantly, ask for that commitment to purchase the product. 

When a brand becomes part of the consumer's  lifestyle, that consumer becomes emotionally connected and then committed to that brand.

NASCAR has been way ahead of the curve on this issue.  For years NASCAR has told its sponsors that NASCAR race event attendees were more brand loyal than fans of any other sport.  Brands sponsoring NASCAR events and teams have backed this selling point up with increased sales and awareness of their brands associated with the sport.

I had a boss one time who used to say, "an ounce of involvement, brings a pound of commitment."  He was talking on the corporate level and his way of getting other executives behind his idea, but the same is true for consumer products marketing.

Brands are learning the same.  Emotional connection with consumers brings consumer commitment and commitment naturally means increased sales.