Media is changing, Marketing is changing, Brands are changing, the Consumer is changing and we must change the way we interact with the Consumer. People are going online more and tuning in less. Consumers are texting, blogging, instant messaging, sharing photos and videos on their phones, not just calling from them. The “Mobile Generation” is consuming and sharing information, making transactions, and interacting with each other from anywhere on the planet, around the clock. The result is marketers must change their focus and find new ways for their brands and consumers to interact. Traditional ad spending in offline and broadcast media is declining, while non-traditional marketing is growing in leaps and bounds.
Who is a part of the “Mobile Generation”? The answer is clear; we are all a part of the “Mobile Generation”. Mobile Phones have penetrated over 75% of the US Market already and by 2010 over 50% of the world’s population will have a mobile phone. While mobile usage tends to skew to younger users, mobile usage is also tends to be common place with tech-savvy professionals who frequently use their mobile phone during downtime. More so than traditional target audiences, mobile users represent a highly attentive and engaged user group. Because of this 1 to 1 interaction, Mobile Marketing offers a reach never seen before by any other medium and will forever change how and where Brands interact with their market. Interactive relationships that were never possible, will now be commonplace, with the ability to deliver a personal, 1 to 1, branded campaign to consumers in a timely manner, anywhere. The ability to take a survey, enter a contest, cast a vote, win a prize, receive a coupon, download a song – the possibilities are overwhelming- will help cement a personal relationship and dialogue between Brands and their customers.
The “mobile generation” is responding to a new approach to traditional marketing strategies, an approach that will reach them how they live…on their Mobile Phone. The “Mobile Generation” use their mobile phone as their number one accessory, their connection to the world, and as an extension of who they are. Mobile offers independence and community at the same time, allowing constant contact, information and
connectivity, regardless of time or place. The “Mobile Generation” consumes information from a mix of the fragmented media outlets at their disposal from mobile phones, to satellite radio, to the internet, to TiVo, and Blogs. They are listening to podcasts instead of reading the newspaper; consumers are playing integral parts in the shows they watch. Because of this unprecedented choice in media outlets, the ability to tune out or off at any minute means you must integrate your Marketing across all Offline and Online Media.
The “Mobile Generation” relies heavily on instant information to make decisions; Mobile Marketing provides them this information when they want it, where they want it, and how they want it.
Mobile Marketing is the fastest growing marketing channel in the world. According to the Mobile Marketing Association, 89% of companies will be using mobile marketing to reach their audiences by the end of 2008. Mobile Marketing is happening much faster than the Internet “Boom”. Unlike when the internet debuted, PCs usage and ownership was limited and only a fraction of those used broadband connections, Mobile Marketing is coming of age with the infrastructure already in place. The Internet drove PC sales and broadband connectivity. Mobile Marketing has arrived at a time when the infrastructure (hardware, software and services) to accommodate rapid growth is peaking with mobile phone penetration already over 75% in the US.