Mobile and the web have in common many characteristics. They're interactive, instantaneous and cost-effective. They've both been adopted as direct marketing media and today, they're both contenders for some of the traditional media spend. But are they media competing for the same budget or are they complementary?

Whilst they have strengths in common, when you look more closely, they also have different strengths. Companies use their websites as virtual shop windows for products and services. By contrast, although MMS handset penetration has reached 15% penetration, today's average mobile is a long way from being a brand's shop window.

Another strength of the web is data collection. Electronic forms can be filled in with great ease. SMS, by contrast, is limited in terms of the data it can collect. Consumers can text information, but it's comparatively cumbersome.

On the other side of the coin, mobile is more time sensitive. An email can take up to 24 hours+ to reach someone, depending on how frequently they check their email. Text messages, however, are delivered instantaneously and because your mobile is always by your side, you're likely to read it straight away. This timeliness can be used to catch subscribers when they're most likely to be in the mood to react to the message.

The mobile medium's personal nature is another unique feature. Mobiles are our personal communication gateways to friends, family, peers and colleagues. By contrast, the primary reason why we use the web and email is for work purposes.

The ubiquity, timeliness and the personal nature of our mobiles, makes it easier to build relationships via SMS than the web. Consumer's permission is key, but it's possible to keep in touch with the consumer anytime, anywhere. The Internet cannot deliver this as easily, unless your mobile has Internet access or you are always in front of you computer!

But how can they be harnessed in conjunction with each other? An example would be a recruitment campaign for contestants of a TV show. The show looks for particular characteristics in their contestants and screens them to determine which lucky few get to appear on the show. Leaflets and magazines promote the show and ask volunteers to text in to take part. Once they've texted in, the show texts back a URL where they fill out a form online. Responses are tracked on the web, and if the respondent hasn't filled out the form, it texts them a reminder several days later. Online, they provide the wealth of information the show needs. The next stage involves meeting potential contestants. They receive emails with detailed information about the next stage of tests in their local area. On the day of the test, they're texted a reminder.

Another successful case of using text messaging as part of a website is with Premium rate SMS (PSMS). PSMS is a straightforward and convenient way to conduct micro billing, where a credit card transaction is too cumbersome.

The answer to the question of whether mobile and the web are competitors or not, is not clear-cut. It's our belief that in some instances, such as using electronic media as a direct response mechanism, mobile can be a more effective channel than the web. Additionally, mobile can also be used to enhance the online environment and drive traffic. Finally, because the strengths of mobile and the web as a direct marketing tools lie at opposite ends of the spectrum, subtle yet highly effective techniques can enable brands to use both mediums to their best advantages to be the most helpful to consumers and to get the best response rates.