Multimedia messaging services may be the next big channel for communicating with consumers.

Though mobile marketing is still relatively new, there is already an image that comes to mind when the term is spoken, and it usually involves text messages and banner ads that are worked into sites and apps.

Some marketers are beginning to think that the future of this channel, however, is in MMS.

These predictions are not without grounds. The mobile marketing campaigns from large brands such as Kellogg, IKEA, Starbucks, and Bloomingdales, as well as television networks such as ABC, CBS, and Fox, have all included their own elements that include both SMS (text) and multimedia messaging services (MMS). It is the latter that is being viewed by many as the opportunity with the greatest potential and likelihood for growth.

Mobile marketing ads in MMS include any number of different types of content format, including video.

This mobile marketing prediction is causing many brands, companies, and marketers to begin to direct some of their investments and budgets toward businesses and techniques that involve the use of MMS. It is starting to open the eyes of advertisers to the realization that essentially every cell phone is assured to have at least two apps, which are texting and phone calling. This knowledge helps to provide the perspective needed to properly design campaigns in order to reach the largest number of people.

Regardless of the popularity of actual specific messaging apps, which are also being considered as potential avenues for advertising, MMS is growing faster for mobile marketing simply because it comes as a standard on all of these devices, regardless of model or operating system.

Data from the CTIA (the Wireless Association) has shown that there were 74 billion MMS messages sent by consumers last year. This figure increased at the same time that the number of text messages and talk minutes dropped. Even so, brands have not been exploiting MMS as quickly as was possible. This has left it primed for a sudden explosion in the near future, particularly after the outcomes of recent studies that are showing that this technique helps to effectively reach consumers.

Mobile commerce is favorable for Dutch consumers

Mobile commerce in the Netherlands has begun to gain significant traction. Dutch consumers have become quite enamored with the concept of mobile commerce, largely due to their growing reliance on smartphones and tablets. Consumers are beginning to shop more through their mobile devices, thus leading to an increase in the demand for comprehensive mobile payments services. A new study released by Blauw Research highlights the growth that momentum that mobile commerce has gained among Dutch consumers.

Mobile sales grow 67% in first half of the year

According to the study, mobile commerce in the Netherlands grew by 67% during the first half of this year. Dutch e-commerce is valued at approximately $550 million and mobile sales accounted for 11% of this value. This growth is expected to maintain its momentum well into the future, powered by more consumers putting a greater deal of value on their mobile devices and the mobile-centric services that they use.

Tablets favored over smartphones

The study shows that tablets are beating smartphones in terms of mobile sales in the Netherlands. Consumers appear to favor tablets because they provide a better shopping experience. Their larger screens enable more convenient navigation and more websites are optimized for tablet use over smartphone use. Notably, 80% of mobile sales, even those made from tablets, were made by consumers at home rather than in physical stores or while outside.

$1 billion in sales expected by the end of 2013

The study predicts that more than 3 million mobile shoppers will be recorded in the Netherlands during the second half of 2013. By the end of the year, mobile commerce sales are expected to reach more than $1 billion. The holiday season is likely to augment these predictions to some degree, especially as consumers begin considering mobile shopping more convenient than other forms of shopping that they have been conducting for the past several years.