Mobile network operators can enable platforms for targeted mobile advertising and mobile coupons to connect advertisers with specific demographics. Recent mobile campaigns have enabled users to quickly search various categories of products and services in their immediate area, and then access, save, and redeem related discounts, promotions, and coupons – all via their mobile device. Developments in this area will be both “consumer-pull”, i.e. requests for certain localised information, and “merchant-push”, i.e. tailored advertising to certain subscribers based either on their physical location or their known preferences.
Although many of these services are relatively novel, they are becoming familiar in countries that have a large base of mobile subscribers. Their emergence and increasing popularity is evidence of the growing momentum for mobile advertising. As the starting point for a new generation of services, they are already shaping the mobile culture and driving requirements for a comprehensive mobile commerce platform based on next generation networks.