Out of the 6.8 billion people on the planet, an estimated 5.1 billion own a cell phone. Slightly fewer people, precisely 900 million less, own a toothbrush. Let that last stat sink in.
The fact that some people seem to value their devices more than their oral hygiene may have dentists scratching their heads – but associations like the MMA take data points like these and use them to help accelerate the transformation of customer communications with mobile.
Extrapolating from their work with Adidas, a recent MMA webinar called out three key points for how to harness mobile’s power to deliver a killer brand experience.
#1 Mobile marketing needs to be personal
It’s been said before, but bears stating again and again. A mobile device is an intimate accessory … kind of like a toothbrush.
Because smartphones go everywhere with consumers, marketing messages can (and should) go with them, and deliver value. Consumers have grown to expect a combination of personalization and reliability when they interact with a brand on mobile – provided it’s done in a non-creepy way. And brands that don’t meet these expectations risk creating negative impressions.
#2 Mobile should be multipurpose
To understand how and where to use mobile in your campaign, you must first understand its functions, and how said functions dovetail with your messaging.
Mobile can be used to transmit messages between users, a storage unit for pictures and music, and of course, as a source of entertainment with games and apps. This dynamism means that mobile ads can serve to help users communicate, offer something (like more storage space) in exchange for viewing, or just offer a minute of excitement while someone is waiting on line.
For example, during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Adidas set out to connect with a diverse global audience over mobile. The result was their highly praised mobile campaign, which was supplemented with both mobile wallpaper (storage and pictures) and a custom application (entertainment).
#3 Mobile efforts should be ongoing
In the words of the MMA, “mobile unattended dies a very expensive death.” Mobile campaigns aren’t one and done types of deals, they’re an opportunity to build a long-term relationship with customers. In order to keep their campaigns alive and well, brands must focus on four major elements: development, creation, marketing and maintenance.
That means investing in the resources to continuously update an app – not just initially create it. It also means that brands should work to refine a target audience, and make sure that the people they initially tried to reach are still the ones who will be most engaged by an SMS campaign or mobile coupon promotion.
For brands to truly harness the power of mobile – they need to keep these three things in mind: Mobile is personal. Mobile is multipurpose, and mobile is most of all, a continuous investment.
- The View from Q4: Android Gets the Traffic, But iOS Gets the Money - February 4, 2015
- The Opera Mediaworks Native Video Fund: Backing Next-Gen Creativity in Mobile - January 30, 2015
- Three Tips from the MMA: Mobile Marketing Should Be Personal, Multifaceted & Most of All – Ongoing - December 9, 2014
