Contests of power and place: advertising and the 'complicated mobile phone ecosystem'

Mobile media, especially mobile cell phones, are now seen and heard everywhere, forming an intrinsic part of the daily lives and habits of billions of people worldwide. Curiously, despite this wide diffusion and remarkable rate of adoption, as an advertising platform the cell phone is, in the words of one commentator, still very much 'a mass medium waiting for the kiss of life'. This paper examines why this is the case, by exploring the 'complicated mobile phone ecosystem' and, in particular, the convoluted and at times tense relationship between the mobile operators, content providers, advertisers, handset manufacturers, and other commercial interests. It also examines the role of 3G technology in reshaping these relationships, and the importance of place for marketers' visions of 3G-enabled mobile advertising.