Everyone is talking about Mobile. The Chicago Mobile Media Summitattracted folks from Leo Burnett, Yahoo, Razorfish, Pandora, OMD and more. And, of course, a slew of mobile ad tech companies showing off some cool new toys.
There was a lot of great info and a lot of interesting Q&A’s. Here are a few standouts that you’ve probably heard before but are worth calling out.
Mobile vs Mobility
People tend to focus on mobile and also tend to lump tablets and phones together. Really it’s best to think about mobility, the ability to control the experience across the spectrum of devices. From laptop to tablet to phones to real world experience.
Tablets and Phones are used differently
Isn’t it obvious. Don’t just size for the screens, make sure that the experience is what people would most likely be doing, or needing, while on the device they’re using. A tablet is a great device for information gathering and is used often to replace the desktop experience, including when making purchases. Phones are much more intimate and often are used on location or on the go. I don’t use my iPhone and iPad interchangeably. Do you?
Plan for devices from the start
Don’t just convert the desktop to fit a smaller screen. Plan for the best experience across devices from the beginning of a new initiative.
Break Down the Silos
People navigate through their lives toggling through computers, tablets and phones. We expect a continuous experience and we expect information to be useful in its context. Marketing teams are often segregated into mobile, search and display (and more). Often this means they’re not effectively communicating or creating an integrated experience across the mobile (remember Mobility?) experience. It’s all Mobile when you think about it.
Location + Context = Intent
Everyone wants to be there at the moment of purchase ready to make a better offer or to give some useful info that furthers the relationship. Through phones marketers can get to the last 3 feet of a purchase. A Pew research poll from the 2012 Holiday Season found that 28% of cell owners used their phones to get product reviews while in the store. There are a ton of new ad tech companies making it more possible to deliver useful messaging in this context.
But clicks don’t always matter
Marketers want online and mobile ads to end up with a conversion on the spot. But even though it’s easier to get to the moment of intent than ever before, it shouldn’t be the only goal. Creating a relationship with a customer is still important and will still inform consumers when they are ready to purchase. Keeping in mind the best experience for each device can further that goal.
12% time but only 3% budget
According to Mary Meeker and Liang Wu’s report 2013 Internet Trends, consumers spend 12 percent of their time on phones and tablets, yet those devices only make up about 3 percent of ad buys. The move to mobile ad buying is inevitable and already underserved.
So if you weren’t already focused on how mobile fits in with your business, or your clients’ businesses, you should be.