It’s not a tsunami, but the first waves of what could become a marketing “perfect storm” are already lapping at the feet of marketing departments in many parts of the world. And according to ABI Research practice director for mobile marketing strategies Neil Strother, it’s time for marketing professionals to take note.

“The trend starts with smartphones, which have reached critical mass among US mobile subscribers,” he says. “These powerful devices, coupled with affordable data plans, enable people to search, browse, and watch video in ways and in volumes that have become more and more attractive to marketers.”

A February, 2010 ABI Research consumer survey revealed that only about 15% of the mobile phone subscribers who accessed the Internet at least occasionally had never used their phone’s search engine, used a mobile yellow pages, or clicked on a mobile web advertisement.

Marketing messages can reach mobile users in a variety of ways: text messaging, search advertising, ads within applications, and video (streaming and on-demand). This range of options means that marketers can tailor the delivery medium to each particular kind of branding message or call-to-action.

“Consumers appear consistently receptive to location-based promotions,” adds Strother, “as long as they are not used in an invasive or abusive manner.”