Nokia has launched the Nokia Advertising Alliance in a bid to "consolidate and improve" the mobile advertising market.

The programme combines a range of mobile marketing technologies, including location-based targeting, image recognition and mobile coupons.

Nokia said that the idea is to offer advertisers a more targeted approach to increase consumer engagement.

"Mobile is maturing into an effective advertising medium, but the fragmentation of certain technologies makes it hard for some programs to scale, " said Brian Bos, senior vice president at media firm MindShare-Team Detroit.

Members of the Alliance will be integrated with the Nokia Media Network allowing brands to plan, execute and measure mobile advertising campaigns through a single interface.

"Succeeding in mobile requires much more than a banner ad alone," said Mike Baker, vice president and head of Nokia Interactive Advertising.

"The Alliance gives brands access to a range of novel mobile ad experiences from one trusted vendor."

The issue of targeted mobile advertising is contentious, however, and some privacy groups claim that it is a frivolous use of potentially sensitive information.