Marketers finally understand that they need to be accessible to consumers on mobile. But many don't really know where to start.

Taking the next step is a matter of prioritization, just as with any emerging channel, platform or technology, according to interactive marketing research publisher eMarketer. Rushing to build a proprietary application for one or more mobile platforms may not be the best use of company resources or the right fit from a strategic perspective.

"Brands need to be where their customers are, from both a media and a device perspective, so they have to at least consider mobile applications as a part of their marketing mix," said Noah Elkin, senior analyst at eMarketer.

"That said, taking the next step is a matter of prioritization, crafting a coherent strategy and ensuring a user experience that is complementary to and consistent with what consumers experience in other channels," he said.

Media sponsorship of an existing application can pay dividends, according to the report, which uses the Charmin application as a example.

When eMarketer interviewed brand marketers, application developers and advertising executives for this report, three key points consistently emerged.

The first was that it is more important to craft a coherent strategy than to achieve speed to market. Marketers need to focus on analyzing users' needs, determining goals, framing integration plans and, above all, preparing multichannel media and marketing support.

Second, the user experience of the mobile application must be complementary to and consistent with what consumers experience in other channels.

Any branded mobile application should deliver a unique experience, but one that stays true to the brand's identity and promises.

Lastly, building or sponsoring applications represents a long term investment in brand extension.

"This means avoiding the quick, fast-fading hit in favor of creating value and encouraging repeat usage, bearing in mind that utility need not be synonymous with boring," Mr. Elkin said.

The eMarketer report says that experimentation is acceptable and even recommended, provided it helps marketers settle in for the long haul. Studied evolution, as in the case of Charmin, may trump revolution.

"As application store catalogs grow in depth and breadth, getting noticed is becoming a more complicated proposition for brands and independent developers alike,' Mr. Elkin said. "Consequently, marketers need to think of and market an application as if it were a product.

"Launching an application without integrated marketing support is a recipe for failure, regardless of what platform it is on," he said.

The report also says that any foray into mobile applications should be firmly grounded in an understanding of user behavior, intent and aspirations, and the particular strengths and weaknesses of a given app platform.

In today's instant-response environment, a poorly executed application that generates negative feedback can do quick damage to a brand.

Medialets CEO Eric Litman told eMarketer that marketers should pay close attention to mobile application usage patterns, particularly third-party advertisers interested in ad placements on a mobile application.

To the extent that mobile apps are evergreen, advertisers may get more mileage out of running ads on those that are most frequently used rather than the most often downloaded.

They should also bear in mind Compete's findings about game downloads versus game usage, and Pinch Media's conclusions about the very limited "return rates" with iPhone applications in general.

Mr. Elkin said that although Apple's App Store may be the biggest and most prominent app store, it's not the only show in town.

"Marketers should remember that other platforms continue to find favor among consumers and business users alike," Mr. Elkin said. "Just as no one device fits all, no one platform is right for all brands.

He also said that building a proprietary application is not the only option for brand marketers.

"Those still tentative about whether building a mobile application is right for their brand should consider a media sponsorship of an existing application as an option, providing they can find an appropriate fit with their brand values and overall strategy," Mr. Elkin said.

Mr. Elkin was surprised by some of the report's findings.

"The market realignment, led by Apple and its App Store and followed by others, that has shifted the balance between device manufacturers and carriers, and in turn, altered the relationship between consumers and wireless carriers by putting app stores at the forefront," Mr. Elkin said.

In other words, consumers come for the device but they stay for the applications.

He was also surprised by the degree to which today's less expensive and more capable smartphones, in conjunction with increasingly engaging mobile applications, are driving significant growth in mobile Internet usage.

In the United States, eMarketer predicts the number of mobile users accessing the Internet will jump from 73.7 million in 2009 to 134.3 million in 2013, with the model assuming that use of installed applications (in addition to traditional browsers) will play an important role in driving this growth.

"Applications are emerging as important drivers of mobile advertising, but there is ongoing debate about the long-term viability of ad-support apps, especially considering the drop-off in application usage rates," Mr. Elkin said.

"App popularity ebbs and flows, sometimes dramatically as is the case particularly with games," he said.