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The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), the leading global trade association for the mobile industry, today announced the launch of the Internet of Things (IoT) Incubation Council. The IoT Incubation Council, which will bring together various experts in IoT, marketing and technology fields, will focus on examining and understanding the impact that IoT technologies, like wearables and the connected car, will have on marketing and how they’ll change the way brands create products and services to interact with consumers.
“Mobile has clearly transformed business and has changed what’s possible for marketers as they engage their consumers. Now we are seeing how the Internet of Things is further disrupting the way in which brand marketers connect with their consumers. In essence, the product has become the medium,” said Sheryl Daija, chief strategy officer at the MMA. “The Council will help marketers prepare for this next mobile phenomenon and create a culture of education, experimentation and innovation.”
As the IoT industry continues to pick up steam, it’s becoming clear that the next tech phenomenon will not be browser-based, but rather a mobile-driven Internet created by objects and apps that are able to intelligently communicate with each other. Through a network of interconnected devices, the IoT will help us complete everyday tasks from exercising and sleeping to powering cars and living in connected homes in a more efficient and streamlined way. With the recent introduction of devices like the Apple Watch and large acquisitions of device manufacturers like Google’s $3.2 billion acquisition of Nest, this revolution is closer than many think. In fact, Gartner predicts that the wearable market will reach $12 billion by 2018, up from zero in 2009.
The MMA has already appointed two industry experts to co-chair the Council, including Richard Ting, EVP, global executive creative director, mobile & social platforms, at R/GA, and Gregory Kennedy, VP of marketing at Tapsense. The MMA will select and invite a number of other industry influencers and leaders to join the IoT Incubation Council in the coming weeks.
“The IoT is still in its infancy but we’re already seeing many different vertical industries, from health care to energy monitoring, embrace this movement to create new disruptive products and services,” said Ting. “Before brand marketers jump on this trend, they need to take a step back and think about what value-added products and services they can create for consumers before leveraging it as a marketing or advertising channel.”
"The emergence of wearables and the Internet of Things has huge implications for the future of entertainment and advertising products, said Kennedy. “It will provide context beyond just location and proximity and help deliver key user data for marketers. I am excited to be part of this council and provide feedback on how these issues can be addressed by both the publishing and advertising ecosystem”
Key goals of the IoT Incubation Council will be to ensure brands are educated on industry advancements and prepared for its inevitable adoption. It will also serve as a think tank and will work to foster innovation in the way that brands approach IoT and wearable device marketing.
The launch of the IOT Incubation Council coincides with the MMA’s upcoming SM2 Innovation Summit at Highline Stages during NYC Advertising Week on September 30-October 1. Focused on how mobile is driving the innovation of marketing, SM2 will feature an “experience room” focused on the IoT, where attendees can touch, feel and interact with a variety of wearable technologies and even check out a Lincoln MKZ Connected Car. Richard Ting will also kick-off two days of sessions, which will include presentations from Facebook, Unilever, Hasbro, BNY Mellon, Ford and others.
About the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)
The MMA (mmaglobal.com) is the world’s leading global non-profit trade mobile marketing association comprised of more than 800 member companies, from nearly fifty countries around the world. Our members hail from every faction of the mobile marketing ecosystem including brand marketers, agencies, mobile technology platforms, media companies, operators and others. The MMA’s mission is to accelerate the transformation and innovation of marketing through mobile, driving business growth with closer and stronger consumer engagement. Anchoring the MMA’s mission are four core pillars; to cultivate inspiration by driving the innovation for the Chief Marketing Officer; to build the mobile marketing capabilities for the marketing organizations through fostering know- how and confidence; to champion the effectiveness and impact of mobile through research providing tangible ROI measurement; and advocacy. Additionally MMA industry-wide committees work collaboratively to develop and advocate global best practices and lead standards development.
Mobile Marketing is broadly defined as including advertising, apps, messaging, mCommerce and CRM on all mobile devices including smart phones and tablets. Members include, American Express, AdChina, Colgate - Palmolive, Dunkin’ Brands, Facebook, Google, Group M, Hewlett Packard, Hilton Worldwide, Kellogg Co., L’Oréal, MasterCard, McDonalds, Microsoft, Mondelez International Inc., Pandora Media, Procter & Gamble, R/GA, The Coca-Cola Company, The Weather Company, Unilever, Visa, Vodafone, Walmart, xAd, Zenith Optimedia and many more. The MMA’s global headquarters are located in New York with regional operations in Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA), Latin American (LATAM) and Asia Pacific (APAC).
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