Welcome to the second installment of our monthly Female Friday feature! On the last Friday of every month, we will be posting an interview with one of the leading ladies of the mobile industry. Today we have Laura Marriott – from being Director of Marketing for Intrado to the President of the Mobile Marketing Association, she has an impressive amount of experience in mobile marketing. Laura is currently a strategic consultant for a number of mobile marketers, and a Board Member at NeoMedia Technologies.
Have you always been involved so heavily in mobile?
A: I have always been involved in the technology sector and mobile for the past 10 years. Mobile is a passion (something those in the industry understand very well) and it would be very hard to think about moving to another industry.
How did you get into mobile?
A: I actually joined a location services company, in Calgary, back in 2000. The company was Cell-Loc, who were creating the technology for cellular location using network TDOA and deploying an independent location network. We were ahead of our time. However, I caught the bug for wireless and have been involved in the mobile industry ever since – initially on the core infrastructure side of the business and then over to messaging/mobile marketing.
The “Year of Mobile Marketing” is one of our most tired catchphrases – but in some ways it was true for mobile marketing in 2009. Where do you see mobile advertising going from here on in?
A: Well, is 2010 the year of mobile advertising? I think 2010 is the year for brands to push their agencies to add mobile to their marketing mix. Whether a mobile test or a full scale campaign, mobile should be a part of the overall integrated campaign. Mobile advertising still has it challenges – including consumer education and better measurement and analytics – but with the proliferation of smart phones and increase in affordable data plans, the base of consumers gets ever larger. 2010 has certainly already been the year for mobile advertising M&A.
The jump to NeoMedia was quite abrupt. What was your attitude to barcodes before joining NeoMedia?
A: I have always been an advocate for barcodes to help facilitate the ease of consumer connection to the mobile world from the first time I saw a presentation from Gene Keenan from Isobar on the QR code utilizations in South Korea. From that point, I was convinced that the opportunity to help grow consumer interest in mobile was in adopting simple “click to website” type applications – but those utilizations were only the beginning. When I was at the MMA we launched a mobile coupon committee as we saw this as a low barrier to entry for 2D codes.
Barcodes now – where are they understood best, and what can we learn?
A: Brands and retailers best understand bar codes given their experience with UPC codes for supply chain management. Mobile bar codes not only provide the ID system ability but greater opportunities for inventory control, product information, etc. We see some fairly simple implementations of bar codes in markets like South Korea – click for information, click for coupon – but compared to 18-24 months ago, we are now seeing use cases emerge from all corners of the globe.
There seems to be very little movement in Europe regarding mobile barcodes. What needs to change?
A: Standardization is the key to success. Collaboration amongst the key trade association representing the brands (GS1) and operators (GSMA) will be instrumental in helping to drive the adoption of a common standard. Organizations like OMA have done a great job in establishing standards but we need adoption across the entire ecosystem. There are national activities in some markets in Europe, like Spain, but standardization across the ecosystem including technology and registry, will be key to quicker adoption and broader implementation. Obviously we also then need to get the readers on the devices – and educate the consumers on how to use the functionality. As Iain McCready often says “the first scan is the most difficult for the consumer as it will need to be easy and a great experience so that they will come back and try it again.”
Your expertise as a mobile consultant extends considerably beyond barcodes. What else are you involved in at the moment, and what do you find most exiting?
A: Mainly mobile initiatives – direct to consumer, mobile advertising, mobile marketing platform providers, etc. I am primarily assisting companies with strategy development, go to market plans and business development activities. Most exciting to me is when a company or brand new to mobile discovers the power that mobile provides to their brand or sees the success rates from a campaign. Pretty exciting to have that new passion… its what keeps us going.
What you do to relax – if you relax?
A: Well, I am working to finish a white paper on 2D codes! I love the outdoors – biking, hiking, skiing, scuba diving. Living on the west coast of NA at the moment, affords the opportunity to do it all – from sea to sky.
A quote from Laura Marriott: “Neomedia is a public company, so I’ll take on the fiduciary responsibilities that come with being a board member, from strategic oversight and guidance to holding the management team accountable to shareholders and helping to raise the value of the company as a key member of the leadership team.”
The upcoming actions by management, apparently with Ms. Marriott’s oversight, of granting a temporary voting majority of dubious legality to YA Global in order to insure the passage of a reduction in par value and authorizing a reverse split while keeping the same A/S is not something regarded as a positive move for any shareholder except YA Global. In fact, it is viewed as a means of virtually destroying retail shareholder value for the express purpose of maximizing YA Global’s returns.
While YA Global certainly deserves to profit from their ongoing support of Neomedia, existing shareholders also deserve to reap theexpected benefits of their patience and foresight. Management’s actions under Ms. Marriott’s oversight decimate the potential benefit for the common shareholder to a degree which is unnecessary for any reason beyond Yorkville’s profit. As a common retail shareholder, I do not consider this to be “…holding the management team accountable to shareholders…”. I know I am not alone in this sentiment.
In fact, the temporary voting majority granted to Yorkville insures that retail shareholders will have no meaningful say in anything that happens, including the election of a new board of directors. A newly elected board would not include people clearly operating on Yorkville’s behalf against the best interest of common shareholders, such as Ms. Marriott. Tacit compliance with Yorkville’s wishes insures that they will keep Ms. Marriott on the board and the complete disregard for the common shareholder will continue, unabated.
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Excellent post David. There are many Investors who agree with you, and feel Marriott has (legaly) failed her “fiduciary responsibility” promise.
David James Andersen, she knows. Probably doesn’t care.
Given shareholder reaction to Neomedia’s 11 Jan 2010 filing to the SEC, I asked Cian to interview McCready, and pose the fearless and obvious questions about his and Neomedia’s relationship with Yorkville…and why for barely 5 months working capital, are YA Global being rewarded so much, whilst all other shareholders are being punished?
Perhaps because Neomedia is a sponsor, GoMo News has thus far been reluctant to ask these questions.
Shareholders know that the upcoming shareholder meeting is a sham, because thanks to Neomedia’s board, the outcome of the 3 proposals is already known. Shareholders know that Neomedia will require extra funding by the middle of the year. This is when it will become painfully obvious to everyone who doesn’t already understand, what the implications are for what Ms Marriott and the rest of Neomedia’s board is currently doing.
I call upon GoMo News to be the fearless and independant provider of what do they say on their banner…strategic mobile news. Ask Neomedia why?