Mobot.com - Mobile Advertising + Camera Phones

Mobot is mobile visual search, developed especially for marketing. Camera phone users are urged to take photos of a certain image, say a movie billboard, which they then send to a database; in turn they might receive a free film trailer, information about movies tickets and show times, or free movie passes. Consumers get information instantly without having to type on their tiny phone keypads. Marketers engage customers by providing a means of direct interaction; rather than just passively reading ads, the customer actually gets real time feedback. Using Mobot doesn´t require any changes to the visual adâ€"no barcodes or special watermarks are needed; cell phone users needn´t download anything extra or get flash upgradesâ€"it works on all phones with MMS service. Mobot opens possibilities for not just advertisers, but for consumers too; it´s clever and very zeitgeisty.

“Mobot connects the real world to the digital world on the mobile phone. Consumers use the camera in their phone to indicate their interest â€" in a brand advertisement, an editorial page in a magazine, or even a product in a catalog â€" and Mobot visual matching technology identifies their picture and connects them directly to relevant information. Fast and easy for consumers, it´s a powerful new tool for any media company or marketer.”

Camera phones are now ubiquitous and mobile marketing is pretty nascent. Mobot opens a range of possibilities for advertisers; it´s an active way to catch consumer´s attention. Rather than being purely one dimensional, Mobot ads are engaging and funâ€"the customer gets the info he wants, the marketer gets a more interested customer. Plus advertisers don´t have to alter their ads.

Will consumers take the time to actually take pictures just to get some information? How effective are these mobile visual search ads?