Rome Burns during CTIA Mobile Search Panel (part 1)

by: Bena Roberts Monday, April 7th, 2008

I sat in the front row during the mobile search session at CTIA and thought I would take the opportunity to try and be objective.

But during the panel, something hit me.

I have been following mobile search for a long time now. I think it all began in 2005. At the time, I was wondering who would win – white label or branded.

Over the past year, I have been a branded mobile search fan. I once even thought that white label might die out. But, something hit me during that mobile search panel – that hasn’t occurred to me for a long time.

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What?

Well basically, it’s the credibility coming out of the white label players. I would say out of everyone Dan Olschwang (JumpTap) and Brian Lent (Medio) were the most credible and knowledgeable on the panel. Not only are they in charge of the companies but what they were saying and how they said it came only from hard work and experience.
I am not saying that Yahoo! didn’t do a good job, only that when you get the person whose company it is standing up to speak – the roses smell different. During several points it was only Brian or Dan who could answer questions. The initial presentation from Yahoo! was eye catching and had the WOW factor. Brian’s wasn’t flashy, but it didn’t matter. Brian’s focus was clear as crystal and the message for search got across. Dan’s presentation was slightly more flashy – but that reflects the advertising route that JumpTap is also following.
But I don’t want to rage about Brian and Dan as that is not the issue here. The issue is that the water is changing. Or as I say, Rome has started to burn.
Why?
Because actually, white label mobile search is already winning.

What I hear you cry?

Yes!
White label mobile search is winning.

Why?
Because, when push comes to shove, the brand is everything. There is a reason why Fox, CBS et al have chosen Jumptap and Medio. There is a reason why t-zones is still alive and well and Medio is the provider. There is a reason why Alltel has a killer mobile search ODP and SurfKitchen and Medio are also improving the ODP scene. On top of that there is a reason why the T-Mobile ODP (one day old) shown to me by Brian Lent is of a different world from Yahoo! 3.0 or oneSearch. (See future post on this but it rocks).

The reason is that white label mobile search has a head start. The start has matured to experience and the experience is showing up as credibility.