Challenges for media: increased fragmentation, decreased mass media reach, simultaneous consumption and other behaviour changes. Prices still high and increased focus on ROI. Hard to capture attention, have message stick efficiently.
Mobile: always with consumers, highly individual, potential to leverage behavioral data, timely information, interactive, superior call to action, great measurability of response, naturally viral, addition to other media.
Tactics: SMS, Mobile Web Display, Ad sponsored content, mobile TV/video, search, voting/contests.
Emerging capabilities: location-based services and electronic wallet with instant coupons (access, ID, transit, memberships, phone as wireless box office and ticket etc)
Case Study 1: Adidas Txt invitations which led to purchasing celebrity voice mail. Conclusions: must engage on ongoing basis in a way that’s relevant.
Case Study 2: Blyk (ad sponsored service for 16-24 year olds). Huge questionnaire to sign up, you receive advertising in exchange for free texting and voice calls. 12-43% click-through on ads.
What’s going on in Canada?
- Formats being tested everywhere and standards beginning to take shape
- Asia is farthest ahead, Europe ahead of North America, US ahead of Canada (yes, Rogers—why is that?)
- Indicators for adoption: mobile factors, maturity of online ads, strength of ISP businesses. More high-speed at home in Canada which means less need for mobile.
- Industry operating models yet to be defined.
What is stalling mobile?
- Complexity to execute: opaque market that needs custom programs and significant effort
- Still small percent of market
What do consumers need to accept this?
- Value—getting something back; discounts or other benefits
- Relevance—sensitivity to spam
- Control—opt in
- Privacy—they decide what is disclosed to marketers
Making mobile standard
- SMS standardized in Canada
- Advertising formats
- Measurement—how should success be measured
- Inventory and rate cards
Where to start
- Understand your target consumer and how they use their device
- Determine benefits that matter to them: engagement, immediacy, interactivity, mobile link to service
- Invest time to understand as it is high impact
