• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, December 6, 2011

Mobile marketing is poised for dramatic growth in 2012, according to a survey of 501 marketing and advertising executives by AT&T, which predicts that much of the growth will be driven by smartphone applications and mobile bar codes.

Separately, a study from ReturnPath found big increases in email open rates on mobile devices, suggesting an emerging area of opportunity for email marketers.

The AT&T survey of marketing and advertising executives found that 88% of respondents expect their mobile marketing program to increase over the next year, with 43% saying they expect more mobile apps, 41% pointing to mobile barcodes, and 40% saying they anticipate more mobile banner ads. Mobile Web came next at 35%, followed by SMS messages, cited by 34% of respondents.

Overall, 66% of respondents said they expect mobile barcodes to be the main driver of mobile marketing innovation over the next year. However, security and cost remain important issues when mobile marketers consider using mobile barcodes. 

The ReturnPath survey found that the volume of email accessed via mobile devices increased 34% in the six-month period from April-September 2011 compared to the preceding six-month period. Over this period, the volume of email opened via iPads surged 73%.

One of the most popular times for accessing email via mobile devices was over the weekend, when users are away from workplace laptops and PCs. Conversely, the volume of email accessed via mobile drops sharply on Mondays, when workers return to the workplace.