A month or so ago I wrote an article for iMedia UK about the changing web and the implications for marketers.  The article explored how the web’s transition from a web of content to a web of applications will change two key things:

1) The currency of the mobile Internet – how well does the ad revenue model move from traditional desktop Internet to the mobile Internet?  What will the future currency be (hint: an interesting point to ponder is what the likely Internet currency would have been if mobile Internet had preceded desktop internet?)

2) The way we access content – the growing number of apps will enable us to go directly to our content of choice, in a personalised and efficient way, bypassing the search engines.  What impact will this have on the undisputed search leader, Google?

It feels like Google is gearing up to take the spoils of the mobile Internet – and that’s a brilliant thing for marketers and agencies who can now ready themselves with confidence to capitalise on this.

And a recent report by Jupiter Research supports this view.  It found that major household brands are now launching or extending mobile marketing campaigns. The report includes a great example of online supermarket Ocado which is now using an integrated mobile marketing and direct sales approach through its Ocado on the Go iPhone app.  

The report also highlighted how mobile marketing technology is evolving “with a gradual but discernible shift from bulk SMS, to banner advertising, to targeted advertising and even apps that enable direct retail”.  Have a read of this Silicon.com article here for more on the report.

It feels as if the mobile Internet, due to its very nature, is just one step closer to the point of purchase. And while it is just a small step closer, I predict a significantly larger impact on the ultimate currency of mobile Internet.  

At end of my iMedia UK article, I dared to pose the question: Has the era of mobile finally arrived?  And I think maybe, just maybe, it has.