So here are five recent dynamics that every marketing professional needs to stay on top of:

• Apple announces big news
  • The launch of the iPhone 4, iOS 4 and the iAd platform are all intertwined and add up to significant news for Apple and the mobile industry. The iPhone 4, available June 24, will not be revolutionary, but is absolutely a significant step in Apple’s evolution, and its key benefit will allow marketers to add rich media and video – at scale– in their mobile marketing communication. The new iOS software allows consumers to interact with brands in a deep and meaningful way without ever leaving an app. As a result, the ad itself will now be as important (if not more important) as a branded application.
  • The new iAd platform also caught marketers by surprise as many scoffed when Steve Jobs said that the starting price to play was $1mm. But after less than two months, Apple tallied $60mm in advertising commitments from intrepid brands like Target, Geico, Nissan, Citibank and Disney to name just a few. The Nissan Leaf communication is particularly compelling and true to Steve Job’s vision, the new ad platform allows brands to tell cohesive and powerful stories. The iAds will start to roll out on 7/1.

• The mobile wars continue to get volatile
  • The Google purchase of AdMob and Apple purchase of Quattro was just the opening salvo in the battle between these two Silicon Valley behemoths in the small but fast growing mobile ad market. Google blasted Apple last Thursday for imposing new rules on developers that bar rivals from selling ads inside the iPhone and iPad. Apple recently amended their rules to prohibit developers from sharing data from  iPhone apps with some companies and thus preventing AdMob from targeting ads giving their iAd platform a huge advantage.

• 4G becomes a reality
  • With the launch of the Sprint HTC Evo the next wave of mobile computing has emerged and make no mistake about it, this is a big deal. 4G mobile will be as important for brands and consumers as the shift from dial up to broadband. 4G will be 10x faster than 3G and there were actual lines at Sprint stores for the Evo as Sprint underestimated demand for the new phone. The Evo represents the most phones sold in one day in Sprint history. More than anything else, 4G will be a catalyst for video consumption on smartphones.

• M-Commerce starting to gain traction
  • As more consumers browse and shop via mobile devices and mobile geo apps like Foursquare and Gowalla continue to increase in scale, M-commerce will accelerate and big marketers like Home Depot, Lilly Pulitzer, Armani and 1-800-Flowers are finally starting to pay attention to its potential. Shoppers will order $2.2B in merchandise from mobile this year up over $1B from last year and as a result about 30% of retailers now have mobile commerce web sites.

• AT&T eliminates unlimited data plan
  • Many marketers and app developers are extremely nervous that just as the mobile market is poised to take off AT&T’s new “pay as you use” model will put a major crimp in consumers’ appetite for rich mobile content. Only time will tell, but if consumers start to think about “how big a file is” and if it’s worth it to download, the nascent but growing medium will be hindered.

In the span of three short weeks mobile has grabbed the headlines in the majority of marketing press and I have a feeling that this is just the beginning. Although the platform garners less than a $1B (estimated $593MM in 2010) in ad spend, the sky is the limit for a platform that combines interaction, emotion and personalization. Any big trends that should be added to the above?

Mullen’s mediahub has just added to the seemingly insane number of mobile apps with the launch of “Expedition Timberland,” a branded app for the iPhone/iTouch (went live on 9/10) and for the Blackberry Curve, Storm, Bold and Pearl  (goes live on 9/21). We got into the branded mobile app game with eyes wide open. We know that:

• There are more than 100,000 mobile apps currently in circulation
• <1% have long-term usage
• Only approximately 20% of consumers go back to an app after an initial download and usage

Sounds like a lot of trees falling in the forest with no one listening. Well, Timberland is all about sustainability so we tried to give them an app that will last.

While other outdoor brands have dabbled in the app space, we built something that connects casual city-dwelling lifestyles with a passion for the outdoors. “Expedition Timberland” (developed with Ansible) has city guides for hiking, biking, secret spots for relaxing and the best city views. There’s a game called “Timber Trail;” a music component; a gear section; a WAP site with a full product catalog, click-to-call functionality and store locators.

So we built a cool app. That’s not enough. Did I mention there are 66,000 apps out there? Just because you build it, doesn’t mean they will come. Loyalty in mobile is extremely fleeting. If you’re going to do it, you have to build a compelling and engaging experience. You have to give the consumer a voice in shaping the experience. And, most importantly, you have to promote it. To that end, Timberland is putting significant money into mobile media support including ads on Quattro and Jump-Tap, as well as in-store point-of-purchase advertising, dedicated email, direct mail and support on timberland.com.

The customized app is launching in six cities – NYC, LA, Chicago, Boston, Minneapolis and Denver. We’re letting people vote on which cities it rolls into next.

And how will we measure success? Downloads, time spent with the application, unique and repeat users, use over time, measurement of mobile media (CTRs etc), AppStore ratings, and click to call usages (sales). We’ll be using Pinch Media for iPhone analytics.

We’re hoping to crack the code on breakthrough branded apps. Please download it and tell us what you think.