M&C Saatchi Australia launches specialist mobile and tablet division M&C Saatchi Mobile in Sydney

M&C Saatchi Mobile Australia will function within the M&C Saatchi Australia Group of companies.
 
M&C Saatchi Worldwide chairman Tom Dery (left) said mobile and tablet consumption is an area of "enormous marketing growth in Australia and M&C Saatchi Mobile will look to leverage the fantastic opportunities on offer for brand owners.
 
"The launch of our mobile division follows M&C Saatchi's move into public relations with the acquisition of Bang PR earlier this year, which in turn followed the launch of our sponsorship activation (M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment), branding design (Re), digital production (MAKE) and video & content production (Kite) businesses over the past three years.
 
"M&C Saatchi is a house with many front doors."
 
Seasoned mobile marketing specialist Sarah Di Mento (left) will lead M&C Saatchi Mobile Australia as business development manager. Ms Di Mento comes to M&C Saatchi Mobile after four years in various mobile specialist roles at Mi9 (formerly ninemsn) and its mobile business unit 5th Finger, where she managed Mi9's mobile network and leveraged mobile into clients' digital strategies.
 
Hilton said it is 'hugely exciting to have a presence into one of the most dynamic mobile markets in the world".
 
"The stats* are staggering: More than 60% of Australians have a smart phone, putting Australia in the top three nations globally for smart phone penetration.

"Indeed, 38% of Australians use mobiles as their primary or exclusive means of accessing the web.
 
"Tablet usage in Australia is growing at an explosive rate with penetration set to be 39% by the end of the year, more than double what it was at the end of 2011.
 
"The average Australian smart phone user has 27 Apps installed on their mobile device, 10 of which they've used in the last 10 days. Overall the average Australian mobile web user consumes a whopping 6.5 hours of media per day."
 
According to Frost & Sullivan, Australian mobile advertising expenditure will reach $28.1 million in 2013, a 226% increase on 2010 levels. The 2013 figure is forecast to nearly triple again to $82 million by 2016.
 
Yet Hilton says brands are "merely scratching the surface of the enormous potential smart phones and tablets offer in terms of consumer engagement.
 
"Especially so with the recent introduction of 4G and the ongoing roll out of the National Broadband Network that will take the user experience on mobile and tablet devices to new heights."
 
Di Mento readied for this role with an intensive training stint at M&C Saatchi Mobile's London HQ.

Says Di Mento: "With Australians increasing usage of their mobile devices there has never been a better time for M&C Saatchi Mobile to enter this market and help advertisers capitalise on the enormous growth opportunities.

"Mobile is truly the 'First Screen' today and thinking of it as the third screen is losing sight of how consumers are living their lives and the role of mobile devices in making deeper brand connections as well as transactional opportunities.

"The market is ready. We are confident it will be hugely successful. Given our entry strategy is the same as what we've successfully employed in the UK and US markets - being ahead of the curve and being the first to enter the market as pure mobile media experts. We will maximise our position in the market early and shape the industry."
 
Di Mento added that M&C Saatchi Mobile's biggest challenge will be getting brands to "believe that mobile should be an intrinsic part of their marketing, not just an afterthought.
 
"Educating clients and taking them through the often complicated and always changing landscape will be a key part of my role."

*Sources: The International Telecommunications Union 2011 | Portio Research: Mobile Factbook 2012 | InMobi Study: Mobile Devices & Media Devices in Australia: A New Wave Takes Shape | InMobi Study: The Evolution of Media Consumption: The Rise of Tablets | Google: Our Mobile Planet 2012 | Wikipedia | Google Q3 Data 2012.