IAB joins forces with mobile operators to promote mobile marketing

The “big five” mobile phone operators have joined forces with the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) to sell the benefits of mobile advertising to marketers. The move aims to promote mobile advertising as a rival to traditional media.

Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange, O2 and 3 will support an IAB programme including events, publications and research to promote mobile advertising. The industry body will also appoint a senior mobile manager to oversee the initiative.

The IAB will also launch a mobile advertising version of the PricewaterhouseCooper report on the UK internet advertising industry and will form a mobile steering group.

In February, the mobile operators signed a deal to work with the GSM Association, a mobile industry body, to develop a measurement system.

The IAB will also work on mobile advertising standards and measurement systems with the Mobile Marketing Association, but it will mainly concentrate on the promotion and marketing of mobile advertising, while the Mobile Marketing Association will develop industry standards for the medium.