I think as we look back on 2010 we will all recognize that Mobile Advertising is now becoming part of our daily life. With Google (GOOG) and Apple (AAPL) both entering the year making multi-million dollar acquisitions, it was only a matter of time before mobile really took off. Whether it’s via smart phone, netbook or tablet, people are starting to expect it.
This reminds me a lot of 2007, when Apple introduced the iPhone that wowed consumers with amazing touch screen capabilities. You could flick pages, resize pictures, rearrange the screen and of course play games much differently than before. It was not long before people started to expect a touch interface on every device they came in contact with and today 55% of all smart phones come with a touch screen interface.
Of course the millions of tablets selling this holiday season are all multi-touch capable, otherwise they would be about as popular as a Microsoft (MSFT) Zune under the Christmas tree and these tablets will do nothing but increase the rapid adoption of Mobile Advertising.
What Is Fast Becoming One of the Hottest Forms of Mobile Advertising?
It would be interactive in-store advertising. A perfect example of this would be Constellations Wines (STZ) holiday marketing campaign that utilized Augme Technologies (AUGT.OB) AdLife platform. One feature of this marketing campaign allowed shoppers, via smartphone, to scan a selected bottle of wine using QR codes. The smartphone is then directed to a mobile site that assisted them with party planning, food recommendations and sales promotions.
(Click to enlarge)
There also is a direct path to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter to share the findings with friends and perhaps remind them of your party date. Data is also collected real time to evaluate ad effectiveness, customer engagement and sales. Obviously, the cross licensing opportunities with other companies that make cheese, crackers, meats etc… are limitless.
The key is the opportunity for real time customer engagement at the point of sale and this is invaluable for retail companies. No longer are they wondering if a product is selling and why. Plus the interaction was initiated by the consumer which means follow through sales are likely to be a very high percentage allowing up-selling them on additional items a retailers dream come true.
What Other Areas Is Mobile Advertising Quickly Becoming a Part of Everyday Life?
This would be the local based advertising that can target consumers. Being able to send an ad when a person is close to your location to entice them in to you establishment is huge. Perhaps you have loaded into your smart phone the fact you need a certain type of cat food to pick up. As you go by Petsmart (PETM) or Petco (PETC) you happen to get a coupon with 10% off that brand for today. How many people will stop and pick it up? Probably a good number. But what if you could see the real time metrics and increased that to 12% off and suddenly that brand of cat food was flying off the shelf? A very powerful tool for retailers to say the least.
As the number of Smart phones continues to accelerate, 2011 should be the start of the Mobile Advertising revolution Research group IDC expects global smart phone shipments of 270 million in 2010, a 55 % increase from last year.
Tablets will soon become a much more standard shopping item. As strange as it might sound, I expect shopping carts to have a place to snap your tablet in place for easy navigation throughout the store. Opportunities for sales items and discounts will increase. Having your shopping list input before arrival will allow it to steer you directly to the right aisle. Opportunity for additional items will be brought to your attention based on past purchases with targeted likes and dislikes. When you hit a certain dollar amount you may get a free latte offer from the in-store Starbucks as a reward for spending predetermined amounts.
Checking out and getting coupons values will just be syncing up your tablet or smart phone with the register. Paying will be a bump or click away from your smart device. All the super stores, Walmart (WMT), Target (TGT), Kmart are moving towards this model and what we have seen so far is just the tip of the iceberg.
This is the future of shopping and just one aspect of the Mobile Advertising revolution we will all be a part of.
Disclosure: None
No comments:
Post a Comment