Click here to download Evan’s presentation (2MB PDF).
Mobile technology. It’s one of the most accessible and fastest growing communication tools of our time—as many as 24 percent of people even go so far as to describe their iPhone as an extension of their brain or body. The current push many marketing strategies are making into the mobile world has made this topic highly relevant to members of the Knoxville American Marketing Association. That’s why taking advantage of these trends and statistics was the focus of KAMA’s November luncheon speaker Evan Carroll of Capstrat.
Because “we carry this medium in our pockets at all time,” Carroll covered many aspects of how to reach people through mobile technology including smart phones, tablets, apps, QR codes and more. He also talked about the way to incorporate mobile technology into traditional marketing and advertising strategies on TV, radio and in print. Some of Carroll’s main points for us to take away are as follows:
“Forty percent of tablet and smartphone owners use them while watching TV.” Carroll used this Nielson statistic to explain how important it is for brands to reach out to mobile users through TV by directing them to their mobile apps or mobile websites. Since almost half of mobile users are interacting with technology while watching TV, this is one of the easiest ways to reach a large audience through mobile. iPhone and Android apps are also becoming highly valued as mobile continues to grow, however Carroll reminded us to keep in mind that apps are not right for everyone.
“We can use mobile as a response to radio.” After playing a brief sound clip of a radio advertisement that asks users to text the company instead of call it, Carroll explained that through mobile technology, we can make it easier and more comfortable for our target audiences to engage with the brand. People have become more hesitant to call a “stranger” these days, so texting is a much more comfortable form of interacting with an unfamiliar person.
“Print is becoming an interactive experience.” Tablets are changing the way people consume content, and are making print a more interactive experience. The iPad and Kindle, as Carroll used for examples, offer huge opportunities for advertising that will be seen by people in their daily routine.
All this information doesn’t even cover one of the last stats that Carroll left us with—the fact that more than 72 million people access social media from their mobile devices, which are a key component powering social media.
Carroll summed up his stance on mobile with one statement: “Companies that are not thinking about mobile are jeopardizing their future.” Maybe now’s the time for your marketing practices to become more mobile.
