Village Gamer

The Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada today announced the launch of its new Mobile Council, and new partnerships with the Mobile Experience Innovation Center (MEIC) and OCAD University, to drive Mobile Marketing research, education and innovation in Canada.

The Mobile Committee, which has been operating under IAB Canada’s Emerging Platforms Council since 2006, will now be broken out into a full Mobile Council (with various committees now able to organize under it).

Work already done by IAB Canada’s Mobile Committee over the past 6 years includes:

Research

• Creation and annual publication of IAB Canada’s Canadian Mobile Advertising Revenue Survey (2006, 2007, 2008 actuals; with 2009 actuals/2010 budgeted results due out shortly).

Education

• Inclusion of Mobile marketing within the Essential Interactive Handbook (2004-2007), produced with Marketing Magazine as part of the IAB Canada/Marketing Interactive To The Max Conference.
• Creation of a dedicated Mobile In Motion Handbook and Mobile In Motion Roadshow with Marketing Magazine (2006).
• Inclusion of Mobile marketing modules within IAB Canada’s Intensive One-Day Course In Interactive Marketing (since 2006), and the recent launch of a fully-dedicated Intensive One-Day Course in Mobile Marketing (2011), to SOLD OUT! classes and rave reviews In Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver.

Standards

• Inclusion of Mobile Ad Standards within IAB Canada’s Canadian Universal Ad Package (since 2010).
• In-progress work on revisions to Mobile Ad Standards, and the development of new Tablet Ad Standards specifically for Canada.

Networking/Events

• Inclusion of Mobile marketing in IAB Canada’s MIXX Canada Conference + Roadshow — including Mobile Keynotes by Neil Sweeney (formerly StreamTheWorld, now Juice Mobile), Alan Li (Adtech), Kamar Shah (Vortex Mobile), Anthony Novac (Spreed:Inc.) since 2008.
• Launch of IAB Canada’s MIXX Canada Mobile BlackBerry App (since 2009).

IAB Canada’s Mobile Council will be jointly chaired by Peter Vaz, Vice President, Director Digital Communications, MacLAREN M2 UNIVERSAL (who will also retain his Chair role on the Emerging Platforms Council), and Sara Diamond, Chair, Mobile Experience Innovation Centre; President, OCAD University; and Board Member, Interactive Ontario.

“The Mobile channel has been building towards the sort of breakthrough moment that is happening this year, for quite a long time,” says Peter Vaz, Vice President, Director Digital Communications, MacLAREN M2 UNIVERSAL. “But now, with the huge rise in the development and popularity of Mobile Applications; the growing sophistication of Mobile Web advertising (including both Display and Search options); the ever-evolving location-based capabilities of the devices; and the fact that consumers are now spending millions of dollars through both Mobile and Tablet devices, means – finally — Mobile has arrived! ”

Sara Diamond, Chair, Mobile Experience Innovation Centre; President, OCAD University and Board Member, Interactive Ontario sees another side of recent Mobile trends: “Mobile and wireless devices are revolutionizing the way we think, work, play and live in the same way the Internet did almost two decades ago,” says Diamond. “But, in order to make sure Canadians aren’t relegated to the sidelines, and are instead able to play a leading role in driving the Mobile revolution, work is needed across a variety of fronts. A partnership in this effort, based on the complimentary but different focus of each of IAB Canada, MEIC and OCAD University is a huge win, and a big step forward for the entire industry in this endeavour.”

Industry partners are already excited about IAB Canada’s new Mobile Council: “From an advertising Agency perspective, we’re extremely happy to see IAB Canada moving the industry forward in this way,” says Malik Yacoubi, Vice President, Mobile Marketing, Cossette. “By helping drive Canadian Mobile capabilities and offers, it will allow Advertisers to accelerate their movement towards Mobile marketing, and give consumers a richer Mobile advertising experience in the process.”

“The creation of IAB Canada’s new Mobile Council, and our new partnerships with MEIC and OCAD University nicely weaves together all the separate Mobile threads that IAB Canada has been working on over the past seven years, including our work in the Human Resources area and our Colleges/Universities rating and outreach program,” says Paula Gignac, President, IAB Canada. “We look forward to working with our new partners, as well as with all large and small Mobile- and wireless-based businesses and service providers in Canada to help them achieve their rightful potential in Mobile in the coming years.”