Paul Berney, director of mobile marketing agency Marvellous, said there is a risk that unscrupulous operators could scupper mobile marketing before it takes off the ground.
Berney said mobile operators risk a consumer backlash unless they adhere to strict standards.
“People who ignore that are in danger of killing a fantastic new medium,” Berney said.
“If you get it right it’s fantastic, but if you get it wrong it could do your brand some serious damage.”
Currently most mobile marketing is via SMS, but the advent of a new generation of mobile phones with picture and multimedia messaging capability means the potential for marketers – and spammers – to target consumers is growing dramatically.
But Berney is confident the problem would be solved because mobile networks would protect their interests by blocking spam.
Mobile networks, unlike the internet, are privately owned and therefore controllable, he added.
“Mobile is going to be the brand consumer channel of the future – we will lose it if we do not respect the privacy of the consumer,” Berney said. “It can be self-managed – networks can deal with it themselves.”
In 2003, the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services, which regulates premium-rate services, received 7,200 complaints about SMS services for 090 numbers and fined and barred more than 70 companies.
ICSTIS spokesman Rob Dwight said the actions of some companies could put consumers off mobile marketing.
He said networks should carry out checks on their service providers as there are 80 telephone networks in the UK with premium-rate numbers for hire.
“Text messaging on an unsolicited basis is illegal, but the law to enforce it is very weak,” Dwight said. “There need to be effective deterrents to stop people doing it.”
Among the weapons in the fight against mobile spam is Vodafone’s V spam initiative.
Users can forward a spam message to Vodafone, which in turn provides the details to ICSTIS and bars access to that number.
Despite the dangers, digital media agencies remain optimistic about the potential of mobile marketing.
Ilika Shelley, head of mobile at digital media agency I-Level, said mobile had “learnt lessons from e-mail and direct mail”.
“People get a lot of things through their door, but that doesn’t put them off opting in, it’s something they’ve chosen to have,” Shelley said.
“Anyone who opts in is more valuable; you are allowing people into a very personal space.”
Peter Barrett, sales director of digital outdoor at IDS, said there was need for regulation, but the opportunities outweighed the threats.
By Amanda Lennon
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