NEW YORK-- It's not a tsunami. But the first waves of what could become a marketing "perfect storm" are already lapping at the feet of marketing departments in many parts of the world, and according to ABI Research practice director for mobile marketing strategies Neil Strother, it's time for marketing professionals to take note.

    "Consumers appear consistently receptive to location-based promotions"

"The trend starts with smartphones, which have reached critical mass among US mobile subscribers," he says. "These powerful devices, coupled with affordable data plans, enable people to search, browse, and watch video in ways and in volumes that have become more and more attractive to marketers."

A February, 2010 ABI Research consumer survey revealed that only about 15% of the mobile phone subscribers who accessed the Internet at least occasionally had never used their phone's search engine, used a mobile yellow pages, or clicked on a mobile web advertisement.

Marketing messages can reach mobile users in a variety of ways: text messaging, search advertising, ads within applications, and video (streaming and on-demand). This range of options means that marketers can tailor the delivery medium to each particular kind of branding message or call-to-action.

"Consumers appear consistently receptive to location-based promotions," adds Strother, "as long as they are not used in an invasive or abusive manner."

ABI Research has released a new White Paper, "Mobile Marketing Strategies - Positive Trend" (http://www.abiresearch.com/news/whitepaperDL.jsp?id=48) on the growing mobile marketing opportunity. It can be downloaded at no charge by anyone registered on the ABI Research website (www.abiresearch.com).

For more information about ABI Research's offerings in this area, please visit the Mobile Marketing Strategies Service (http://www.abiresearch.com/mobile_marketing.jsp), which also includes Research Reports, Market Data, ABI Insights, and Consumer Surveys.

ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research's worldwide team of experts advises thousands of decision makers through 28 research and advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.