Commentary
OMMA's Agency of the Year 2010: Best Use of Mobile: Phonevalley
- by Steve Smith , Staff Writer @popeyesm, January 5, 2011
As mobile marketing comes into its own in 2011, the most visible challenge will be bringing a highly fragmented, relentlessly evolving platform to some kind of practical scale. For an agency
business already in flux, however, it is equally pressing that mobile learnings find their way across the organization to inform everyone - and in a hurry. For the second year in a row, we acknowledge
Phonevalley's leadership role, not only in developing innovative, creative programs for clients like Bank of America, GM, L'Oreal, Nestlé and Kraft, but integrating and evangelizing the
post-desktop future throughout Publicis' many components and markets. With 150 staff in 30 offices and 10 countries, Publicis' mobile engine works from three main production hubs to serve
Digitas to ZenithOptimedia, Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide to MediaVest. It has created an impressive and effective network of shared best practices ... and it shows in the work. Phonevalley has demonstrated creative leadership on behalf of its brands at every level. Its focus on getting clients to commit to an "m-dot" presence on the mobile Web led to superb executions for GMC and Chevrolet. The company has ensured its brands make wise use of marquee platforms like iPad, iAd and apps.
The company helped several brands make early appearances on Apple's shiny new object with dedicated iPad-friendly sites and tablet-sided ad executions. A widely popular Purina "petcentric places" demonstrate how branded apps can work when they are devoted to serving customers first. Its recent thirst-inducing Guinness iAd taught us all how to pour a perfect glass of stout.
Keeping clients on the bleeding edge of mobile innovation is one thing. Leveraging the platforms in relevant, impactful ways is another. Phonevalley has done both. As a result, the company earned and won the confidence of brands like Bank of America, which awarded Phonevalley a $1 million annual retainer. With 75 new budgets acquired in the last year, and 270 renewed, the company says it tripled revenue in 2010. Can mobile achieve scale both as an advertising platform and as a business for agencies? Maybe it just did.
Steve Smith is Editorial Director of Events for MediaPost