There is something very attractive and almost edible about apps—especially those on a mobile device. With their nice, rich designs, intuitive interface and interesting features, apps are notching up fans across the world. According to a report compiled by consulting firm Chetan Sharma Consulting commissioned by app store GetJar, app download is likely to shoot up from 7 billion in 2009 to 50 billion in 2012. Does that mean rich media is ready to take over the world? I’m not sure.

While the numbers look attractive, how many of these apps are actually being used? According to several studies published, most apps die a quick death. The few that do taste fame burn out soon after they shoot up. Of course, there are some that might stand the test of time, but it’s early days yet to figure out which ones those might be. But, if mere numbers of downloads is not a true proof of success then what is?

Let’s focus on the popularity of ringtones a bit. Now that’s an ‘app’ that has been around for a while and is still going strong. It shows that some of the best things in life are really simple. There might be the juiciest apps available in the world, but the first thing you do when you get a phone is customise the ringtone to reflect your personality and lifestyle. No wonder then that the humble ringtone is the most popular phone app! No matter what OS your phone is running on, how fancy your handset, the ringtone changing feature remains the same. Who would create a phone without it?

The reason for that is simple—a ringtone is part of you and your personality. It says that even as you look corporate chic, there’s a rockstar lurking within you. Or that you are nothing if not up to date with the latest Bollywood numbers. Or that under that tough exterior lies a God-fearing person. A ringtone is an app that is worthy of some admiration, but it rarely receives it. So even as you buy the latest phone with all the bells and whistles, your ringtone will still be your signature. Everything else comes second.

This could give all of us some inspiration in the mobile industry when creating new apps. Do not be fooled and lured by massive download numbers tallying up to billions. Focus on the frequency of use that your app creates with an individual. That is a number that really counts. After that, everything else will follow.

With the fancy new handsets constantly flooding the market, you would think that the snazzier-looking display ads would fare much better than plain ol’ text. The fact, however, is just the opposite.

In mobile there are currently five completely different environments for brands and advertisers available—display ads through mobile web, display ads in applications, mobile search, opt-in messaging ads and everything else (from QR codes to augmented reality). All these achieve massively different results and efficiency and the distribution channels and options are numerous.

According to a recent study by global mobile advertising major Upstream, banner and display ads don’t work for the mobile. The study, which was based on consumer responses, found that most people don’t click on these ads and prefer short, precise text messages instead.

With ABI Research auguring that 2011 will see 7 trillion text messages being sent—SMS is a pretty well-used medium, wouldn’t you say? And yet, the humble text is underestimated as the carrier of advertising messages.
Not by everyone, though. Coca Cola has set text messaging as a top priority for its mobile overtures. As a company looking to spread its messages to as wide an audience as possible, that 7 trillion figure is very convincing. The pervasiveness of the text message, combined with its ability to be used for machine2machine communication (for vending machines), made Coca Cola prefer it over, say, an iPhone app.

So if text messaging is the answer for mobile advertising, shouldn’t all Indians be buying real estate, products, services, and even ways to ward off the Evil Eye? Well, ultimately, it is the message itself that counts. And the way in which it is sent so that it doesn’t intrude, annoy and disrupt. What have given text messages a bad name are unsolicited, non-profiled and intrusive spam texts. Luckily they can become history as the government is closing in on spammers more heavily.

Opted-in messages, however, continue to thrive. Well profiled, contextual and timely delivered, they are producing superior results over all the other formats, regardless how hyped and fancy those new formats have been. And there is a simple good reason for this—text messaging adheres to the natural behavior of mobile consumer. You call me, you text me and when relevant…I will answer.

As we move up the feature ladder with each phone, it is imperative to remember—some of the best things in life are simple. It’s the same for mobile advertising.