According to Salesforce (2016), desktop digital engagement is quite dramatically in decline, rapidly losing its share to Mobile consumption. In fact, as of early 2017, Mobile now represents almost 66% of digital media minutes – with Mobile apps approaching 60% of total digital time spent.
It’s not such a bad thing… unless you’re unprepared.
Of course the digital kingpins remain at the front of the pack, with both Facebook and Google continuing increased investment in creating new ways for advertisers to reach customers via their Mobile. Personalised advertising is just the start. Keep an eye out for emerging technologies from both players that improve the performance of ad serving to Mobiles, create new vehicles for rich-media authoring and various other ways that can capitalise on this direct channel.
What opportunity does Mobile represent to brands?
| Better reach | Facebook was quoted in 2016 as having a billion Mobile-only users. More Google searches take place on Mobile devices than on computers in most countries around the world.
If you’re looking to engage with a larger audience, surely you’d start where more audience exist? |
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| Improved targeting | The Smart Phone provides advertisers with opportunities to hyper segment their ad placements, and working with reputable providers can ensure that your message is delivered to your ideal customer more effectively. The sensors in smart phones can enable geo-fencing (i.e. only serve ads to people in a certain area), app-matching (i.e. serve ads to people that have similar apps installed), or other location services that can infer shopping locations / preferences (i.e. to serve FMCG ads). These are only a few ways that Mobile advertising can potentially demonstrate much higher return on spend than traditional digital display. |
| Real-time behavioural profiling | Due to the highly connected nature of users to their smart phone, a rich data profile is created for the user – which in turn can be applied to media placement selection. Integrating Mobile as a campaign channel into other digital display placements can feed insight into campaign planning, and adaptive ad placements can respond to user behaviour in real time. In a nutshell, it can dramatically improve your results when compared to traditional digital display. |
| Access to buyers | With the possible exception of visual merchandising, targeting potential customers through their smart phone can provide instant access to buyers in store. Smart segmentation of ad placement can be tailored to monitor location frequency, which in turn can be linked to special offers being presented in real-time to customers. Just think… a person has been in your store a few times without buying anything. The fact that they continue to come in, however would suggest at least a passing interest in your product or service. Imagine being able to set ad placement rules that will target that individual next time they are near your store with a special offer. “Bring this coupon to the counter for a 10% discount”. The opportunities are endless. |
| Personal connection | In order to build trust, you need to create a dialogue with your customers. Being connected to them via their Mobile will let you continue that conversation in a very real way – making it more personal and valuable. Messaging can be served based on segmentation rules (used in your ad placements), or even via apps they might have installed. |
These are not things currently in development, they are here today. Smart brands / agencies are already adopting practices to integrate this increasingly important channel in their customer engagement plans.
How are your plans coming along?