Oracle entering the mobile advertising space

So now Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) enter the mobile marketing space with the launch of a “fresh platform” that “will enable operators to securely execute targeted mobile advertising and marketing campaigns”. It’s a mystery as to why they took so long given that Sybase, through the subsidiary Sybase 365 have been doing this for a while. In the wake of Google’s potential purchase of Admob (currently under review by the Federal Trade Commission), O2’s launch of 02 Media and product announcements from Orange is this further evidence that 2010 could be a significant year for mobile marketing?

Towing the part line
Oracle is following the “party line” regarding the need to deliver more effective ad campaigns through better targeting and like many operator focused solutions they expound the fact that by delivering appropriate tools to the operators the holy grail of personalisation in mobile advertising will be reached.

Better targeting?
The theory continues to be that unlocking the operator’s data – subscriber demographics, handset type, usage patterns and location are the main ingredients for better targeting. For my part I fail to see the connection between this data however voluminous and the brands and product /services that I might actually want to hear from. The really relevant data is in the hands of the brands and retailers who understand what the consumer is doing - where they are spending, when the spending and what they are spending on. This is not consolidated. Each entity guards its data carefully.

Where next?
In the near term, only brands and advertisers that have taken the time through their direct marketing efforts to build accurate profiles of their customers will be able to deliver the kind of targeted marketing and advertising to which the operators aspire. Just “doing mobile” will not deliver.

In time, consumers may choose to give up the kind of data that will allow the operators to help deliver really targeted ad campaigns but then the question will be - why use an operator to reach consumers who can be reached quite easily as long as I have opt-in and as long as there are the tools and services that can get me connected easily?

Ade Bamigboye, CEO Mobile Flow