The Mobile Internet Creates New Opportunities For Direct-To-Consumer Strategies

The success of Apple's iPhone has acted as a marketing catalyst and showcased the potential of the mobile platform. Open mobile Internet browsing and the distribution of widgets and applications via new retail stores represent two sides of the same coin: Operator portals are being bypassed. Apple is only the tip of the iceberg, as drivers are now in place for mass-market uptake of the mobile Internet in Europe. The expansion of Internet brands, smarter phones, and high-speed networks are enabling compelling user experiences that, coupled with all-you-can-eat data plans, are unleashing usage. The mobile Internet is gaining momentum, with 24% of European online users regularly accessing the Internet from their mobile phones. Non-telecom players, such as media companies, retailers, and financial institutions, need to define or refine their mobile strategy to engage directly with consumers via the mobile Internet. They must be aware of the mobile market's unique character as they integrate their mobile Internet services into a multichannel and multimedia strategy — and revamp their partnerships with telecom stakeholders.