From firsthand experience while living overseas, I can attest that the mobile marketing phenomenon took off much more rapidly and successfully in Europe than it has stateside. It's interesting that by the end of 2004, 77 percent of European mobile users had subscribed to some sort of corporate mobile messaging alert! The European Proctor & Gamble division actually developed one of the first mobile "advergames" (a GrandPrix-style game promoting Head & Shoulders shampoo), which was extremely successful in experimenting with "rich" mobile media.
Why is it that the technology (which I think is extremely convenient, as I receive new concert alerts from local venues straight to my phone) received such a chilly reception in the States? Are Europeans more tolerant of advertising?
To be honest, during my two and a half years overseas, the frequent (Italian) messages (that I couldn't read until I was about to move home) didn't bother me as much as I thought they would. Perhaps Americans are more bothered by the concept of another route for marketers to reach them, but once they try it out, they might actually like it.
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