In 2011, mobile devices outsold PCs, and almost half of mobile phones sold last year were smart phones. Kelly Scott Madison (KSM) anticipates 2012 as being “a pivotal year in determining metrics and values for the mobile platform.”
Smart advertisers will have already learned how to advertise on mobile phones by seeing how smart phones are being used. The top five activities mobile phones are used for are sending text messages, taking photos, emailing, using social networks/blogs, and checking the weather. Advertisers can send consumers text messages to inform them of sales or remind them of appointments. However, as an advertiser you need to make sure you are not being intrusive and invading your customer’s privacy.
Advertising on mobile phones is important, because although it is not used as a final point of sale it is definitely aiding in the purchase decision. You need to make sure your brand is top of mind compared to your competitors. Many consumers will use their mobile devices to do research on store products by scanning barcodes, comparing store prices, and emailing/text messaging pictures of products to friends or family. The smart phone is more and more becoming an integral step in the buying process.
Advertisers may still face challenges with advertising on smart phones, but need to focus on the benefits of reaching the wide demographic of consumers. The challenges advertisers face are having campaigns that will function for the different operating systems as well as the small mobile screens. However, the lower prices of smart phones have expanded the reach of smart phones to include more than the 25-34 age group as well as including large families, retired and low income consumers. This opens the mobile channel to a wider swath of the demographics and gives advertisers in a number of categories, including both products and services, opportunities to take advantage of this channel.
How do you use your smart phone on shopping trips? Are there any mobile ads that you consider memorable? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.
Check out KSM’s 2012 State of Media report.
