Highlights From The Cellcom Media Conference In Tel Aviv
By Levi Shapiro
One way to antagonize Mark Selby, Nokia's VP of Industry Collaborations, is to use the term "UGC." At the conference, he told the audience "never use the term User Generated Content? it's disgusting." Selby, who came from a television background at IMG, encouraged the media industry to "look beyond just the consumption aspect on mobile. It is critical that we also deliver the ability to create, connect and interact." Nokia (NYSE: NOK) is in the process of transforming Symbian into an open platform.
In a separate panel, Jordan Berman, Executive Director of Media Innovation at AT&T (NYSE: T) Advertising Solutions, talked about mobile advertising, which is new for AT&T with the launch this month of banner ads on MediaNet. Jordan said he encourages brands to employ the handset as a response mechanism for non-mobile media like print, outdoor, in store, and TV. In Jordan's Valentines Day case study with 1800-Flowers.com, called 'Cupid Goes Wireless,' he said "AT&T drove flower buyers to the brand's WAP store where customers could order bouquets and send virtual flower bouquet greetings." Jordan called this a "whole new wireless way to stay out of the doghouse." Levi Shapiro, a wireless specialist and founder of three mobile media companies, sent in a dispatch from the conference this week, which he helped organize.
