What’s hot for mobile marketing in 2010? The Mobile Marketing Association has come out with its top 10 industry predictions for mobile marketing in North America for the coming year. Here they are, in countdown order:

 

10. Hypochondriac? We’ve got an app for that!

“Ongoing global pandemics and concerns about socialized healthcare warrant a prescription for mobile content geared toward the sick and the paranoid. Symptoms to watch for include apps that diagnose, doctors that text and medical reminders at hand. Mobile health is just what the doctor ordered!”

 

9. Back to Reality…

“Oh, those boring old coupons – they get lost, forgotten, left behind or expired. Look for augmented reality to start playing a larger role in location-based advertising. Now, when you’re walking into your favorite coffee shop, the real-time mobile coupon you receive gives you instant gratification with your discounted daily grind.”

 

8. I want my Mobile TV.

“In the coming year, both the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2010 World Cup will heighten mobile video consumption. The introduction of new ad units, including interactive and partial screen, will subsidize free content.”

 

7. Practice Safe Text

“Governments and safety advocates around the world warned against texting and driving in 2009. We expect 2010 to bring about technology solutions that disable handset features when the owner is driving.”

 

6. A guy walks into a Barcode...

“Proliferation of standardized technology and higher quality camera phones will not only lead to increased adoption of mobile barcodes and coupons, but will also offer a whole new access point to content.”

 

5. Have you hugged your aggregator lately?

“Look for aggregators to expand their businesses beyond shortcodes. Aggregation services in the areas of location, customer service and mobile commerce will begin to emerge.”

 

4. Turn free in 1.2 miles

“Free is a very good price. We’re keeping an eye out for no-cost turn-by-turn navigation applications rolling out on more devices in 2010. The end of stand-alone GPS is in sight. What great news for consumers…and McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts and Dairy Queen.”

 

3. Your Skype (News - Alert) is Showing

“Services that enable video conferencing and the networks and handsets that support it (like cameras on the front of the phone!) will proliferate in the coming year. More consumers will connect via Wi-Fi, offloading traditional non-wireless video conferencing services.”

 

(Ed.note: these predictions were made just prior to the attempted bombing of Flight 253. In the wake of it and the resulting increased air travel security and delays more companies may ask their road warriors who are enroute to meetings but who risk missing them to see if they can connect via video conferencing through their mobile devices)

 

2. How does mobile measure up?

“Moving into 2010 and beyond, campaign effectiveness will be measured in a variety of different and very creative ways. The number of eyeballs, shakes and finger swipes. The number of blogs, articles, tweets and diggs. The number of acquisitions, conversions, calls, responses or purchases. Total basket size, consumer recall, loyalty and recommendations. Check-ins on foursquare and check-outs on Amazon.”

 

1. Mobile’s Sixth Sense

“Over the past few years, the mobile device has moved beyond standard technology inputs. We’re no longer talking, typing and clicking. Now, we’re photographing, recording, touching, locating, shaking, accelerating and blowing. What’s next? We’re rooting for smell recognition.”