“Mobile’s not a nice-to-have anymore. The year of mobile might be hard to pinpoint, but there’s little doubt we’re entering a post-desktop era of ubiquitous computing and media consumption.”
IN BRIEF:
Americans live on their phones. This saying could not be any closer to the truth, it turns out 75% of us even bring our phones to the bathroom with some even admitting to answering them while in (ahem) compromising positions (can you say awkward?). Check out Digiday’s compilation of the 15 Stats Brands Should Know About Mobile.
THE RAMEY PERSPECTIVE:
As consumer behaviors change, marketers need to stay one step ahead. Brands need to be where their customers are, and their customers on their phones. Allowing customers to do business with you on their smartphones is no longer an option; it is a requirement for your business to thrive. Even website design is changing to accommodate this behavior; every website we design now employs responsive design techniques, allowing users to have the optimal experience for their devices (phone, tablet or traditional computer). Mobile advertising is also an important part of many online media strategies – and thinking through the end-to-end experience is more vital than ever.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR EVERYONE:
As a marketer, you must take your customers’ habits into account when you are trying to reach them. Are you sending them email? If you are, is that email designed in such a way that it is displayed correctly on a phone? It better be! It goes beyond the correct design, though. You have to take the customer’s mobile usage into account as you make strategic decisions for your brand. This is not to say that a “mobile only” approach is the way to go. Many marketers are too taken by statistics like this and forget that consumers now, more than ever, are guilty of multi-screen consumption. The reality is that consumers are probably on their phones while watching TV, listening to the radio, and (sadly) even driving down the road. Brands still have to look at the big picture, their audience and their goals, and then see how mobile usage should impact their tactics.
Michelle Hill, Account Executive at The Ramey Agency
