MediaCom launches mobile specialist

David Fieldhouse, a former executive at mobile agency Incentivated, has been recruited to lead the operation, which aims to tap into the nascent but potentially vast mobile ad market in the UK.

As well as planning mobile campaigns, the division will also assist with mobile creative via MediaCom's in-house design team, MediaCom Create. As part of a larger full-service offering, MediaCom will be able to create ads for online and mobile campaigns simultaneously - a service MediaCom believes will set it apart from other agencies in the field.

Online planners and buyers have handled MediaCom's mobile content to date, but, under the guidance of Fieldhouse, it will now be managed by specialist mobile planners and buyers from within MediaCom.

"Most media agencies will have a dedicated person to evangelise about the medium and act as an expert resource for the planners, buyers and clients. But nearly all of these people also have other day-to-day roles, which means the amount of time they can devote to the medium is limited," said Fieldhouse.

"MediaCom is fairly unique in having a full-time dedicated person working on mobile, combined with the creative resource."

MediaCom Mobile, which will sit within the agency's digital arm, Media.Com under managing director Stefan Bardega, is already working on campaigns for NatWest, Lucozade and T-Mobile.
It will work separately from fellow WPP agencies, such as digital specialists BJK&E and group buyer GroupM.

Fieldhouse, who joined MediaCom two months ago after 18 months as account manager at Incentivated, added: "The growth potential in mobile marketing is huge - bigger than fixed web - so we need to be at the forefront of this new channel now."

The total UK mobile advertising market will be worth £24.9m in 2012, up from £7.4m in 2008, according to Screen Digest.