Study: Mobile marketing investment slows

Investments in mobile marketing tech and services fell off precipitously in the first half of 2008, slowing to $80 million from $291 million a year ago, according to the latest M&A report from investment bank Petsky Prunier. While social media firms attracted nearly $1.5 billion in venture financing during the first six months and ad networks and exchanges scored another $760 million, Petsky Prunier notes holding companies and VC firms have turned away from the mobile marketing sector: "[Mobile] was the largest recipient just two years ago, as investors were perhaps hoping that ‘If you build it, they will come,'" said Petsky Prunier managing director Scott Wiggins in an interview with MediaPost. "But the infrastructure hasn't facilitated its use." Wiggins added that even Apple's new iPhone 3G appears unlikely to generated increased financier attention in mobile, at least in the short term.

For more on the mobile marketing investment woes:
- read this MediaPost article

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