David Fieldhouse, mobile manager at MediaCom Interaction, will represent the interests of UK media agencies on the group. Michael Smith, deputy director of interactive services at the COI, said the COI would help steer the IAB's mobile plans ‘so that the needs of marketers are fully met'.
In September, UK mobile operators teamed up with the IAdB to form the group in a bid to develop the nascent mobile advertising sector after claims of potential mobile ad growth were over-hyped but unrealised.
Former Orange marketer Jonathan Mew Orange, the IAB's head of mobile, said: ‘Taking the unique step of having an agency and advertiser at the top table for mobile advertising can only help us improve the industry.'
The group is also planning a brand engagement study with a high profile FMCG brand to analyse the effectiveness of mobile advertising. It will also launch the first authoritative mobile advertising spend study similar to the twice-yearly PricewaterhouseCoopers report on the UK internet advertising industry.
Meanwhile, mobile trade body GSMA is planning to release mobile measurement data from the operators to advertisers from this summer to encourage take-up of mobile advertising.
Henry Stevens, GSMA director of media and entertainment, said: ‘Our view is that mobile's real opportunity is as a complement to other media. We want to demonstrate how it works on a quantative basis. Until then it is difficult to get a significant budget share. This is not about Vodafone competing with Orange, it is about mobile competing with TV, radio and print for marketing budget share.'
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