With today’s instantaneous and pervasive communications, it is easy to become obsessed about the near term: getting the latest news, the most recent industry developments, and projections for what the next few months will bring.

But sometimes it is good to sit back, take a broader view, and think long term about where our industry is heading.

OgilvyOne and Acision teamed up to do just that, and they put together a very interesting whitepaper: Mobile Advertising: 2020 Vision. It’s well worth the time to download and read.

The whitepaper is addressed to brand advertisers, mobile operators, and other industry players that are interested in shaping the future of mobile advertising.

A main thrust of the paper is that in 2020 mobile advertising will be all about “directed advertising”, with individuals firmly in control of what they see, when, and on what screen. The advertising industry will have to move firmly away from creating campaigns that are pushed to certain consumer categories, and will instead need to focus on building brand conversations where both parties participate.

This change from push to pull is very fundamental. As the paper states, “… what will change in 2020 is that it will no longer be the advertisers and media agencies deciding which consumer segment to target via which channels based on their demographic and usage profiles. Instead we will see individuals identifying brands which match their own needs or interests and granting them permission to reach them.”

The paper also addresses issues facing mobile operators and looks at some possible strategies to prosper in this evolving industry. Similarly, the likely development, role, and impact of various new technologies is discussed.