Mary Meeker’s Most Valuable Graph
Per Mary Meeker, mobile (smartphone & tablet) usage now exceeds TV globally.
Per Mary Meeker, mobile (smartphone & tablet) usage now exceeds TV globally.
Please Note: Later this week, I’ll be presenting “Where to begin in Mobile Marketing” at the Integrated Marketing Summit. (Use IMSAPD8 for a 20% registration discount.)
Mobile marketing evolves at an extremely fast pace. When innovators like Starbucks and Virgin Air admit that they can’t keep up, how do you remain current with mobile innovations?
Here’s a secret: You don’t need to.
Mobilize what you’re already doing. Most of us use email to send out updates, special offers, acknowledgements, and newsletters to remain connected with our customers.
Unfortunately, much of this branded email isn’t optimized for mobile clients. Why does this matter?
Email is a central tool for mobile users:
Email marketing is often the easiest place to start. Unlike websites which are landmines of internal politics, email is largely controlled by marketing departments.
Despite what others might tell you, optimizing your marketing email is not difficult. Here are six tips on how best to do it:
When you focus on the marketing assets you already have—like email, incorporating mobile into your marketing mix becomes a pragmatic and easier process.
(If you want to dig deeper on this topic, check out my Mobile Email Makeover presentation.)
#1: Easter Egg Hunt a la Fabergé
The luxury brand Fabergé launched the largest Easter egg hunt with nearly 300 designer-created eggs tucked across Manhattan. The effort will raise funds for two local charities, highlight the designer talents and give hunters a chance to win exclusive Fabergé jewelry.
When users are within 20 feet of an egg, the app pushes a message to them with specific designer information, and an invitation to check-in to increase their odds of winning. This is a great example of how proximity mobile tools can drive engagement. For more info, check out:
Fashionista: “Fabergé’s NYC Easter Egg Hunt Marks the Largest Beacon Deployment Ever in the U.S.”
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SMS still dominates the messaging world, but messaging apps use is exploding–especially with millennials. WhatsApp dominates the space with half a billion users, but not globally. WeChat owns the China, and Line owns Japan and Indonesia.
Here’s another example of how mobile use is evolving faster than companies can adapt. And both marketers and politicos need to pay attention to this emerging trend:
Ad Age: “How Big Advertisers Are Using Next-Gen Messaging Apps Snapchat, Kik, Tango, Line, and WeChat”
India Times: “Political parties prefer WhatsApp to reach out to voters”
IGB Labs: “Messaging Apps: The New Face of Social Media and What It Means For Brands”
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Marketers are app crazy, and it’s long been a frustration of mine. They believe consumers want an app to ‘engage with their brand’. (They don’t, but feel free to spend $250K to confirm it.) And app development shops are happily fostering this ignorance while cashing in on it.
Every now and then in my Quixotian anti-app quest I run across an example that floors me. One that proves you can create a beautiful and engaging mobile experience without building an app. Check out this gorgeous mobile web tour of Marseille from Google:
Google: “ Night Walk in Marseille”
I’m in Chicago for the Heartland Mobile Council’s inaugural Mobile Marketing Certification program, and I’m craving mobile magic. Here are three examples of mobile innovation to inspire your morning:
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Pepsi flexed some augmented reality muscle to promote Pepsi Max on the streets of London. The platform blended live video with scenes of alien invasions, meteors and much more:
Mobile Marketer: “How Pepsi is elevating message delivery via augmented reality” http://bit.ly/PXtfmy
YouTube: http://bit.ly/PXtHRv
Pilots want to fly, and you’d prefer to skirt the TSA queue. AirPooler aims to be the Lyft of the private aviation world. Imagine booking a flight to a remote cabin right from your mobile device–at a fraction of the cost of a commercial flight.
This idea has the potential revolutionizing business travel, if you don’t mind the risks of ending up like Buddy Holly:
TechCrunch: “AirPooler Is Lyft For Private Planes” http://bit.ly/PXweez
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Tomorrow I’ll be presenting at my 6th MinneBar–a day-long geekfest at the Best Buy HQ. Since connected devices are the next evolution of mobile, here’s a prototype of a drone armed with a taser aptly named Project C.U.P.I.D.:
YouTube: http://bit.ly/PXz3MT
We all get deluged with webinar invites. Most are thinly veneered sales pitches. But yesterday, I thoroughly enjoyed an Urban Airship session with Forrester Analyst Ted Shadler.
Shadler reinforces how mobile makes consumer immediacy possible. He highlights companies like Uber and Starbucks who are meeting those demanding consumer expectations by understanding their context and delivering on their moments of need.
No need to register. This will be the best 17 minutes of your week (his portion begins 7 minutes in):
Webinar Recording: “Industry Leaders in Mobile Maturity” http://bit.ly/1hDOyjd
Amazon: The Mobile Mindshift http://bit.ly/1hDQ6d8
Forrester: “Re-Engineer Your Business For Mobile Moments” http://bit.ly/1hDT1T0
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Mobile impacts more than just marketing efforts and IT budgets. It can radically change the way businesses evolve. Most people point to Target or Starbucks as mobile innovators, but both companies are only focused on optimizing their customers’ experience.
For UPS, mobile is mutating the company across the enterprise–such as adding 3D printing at select UPS Stores. Check out this thinking in action:
Mobile Marketing Daily: “UPS Caters To ‘Shifted’ Mobile Consumers” http://bit.ly/O5ZUVr
Forbes: “UPS May Have Hit Pay Dirt With 3D Printing” http://bit.ly/O5Zu13
UPS: “3D Printing Accessible to Start-ups and Small Business Owners” http://bit.ly/O5YHx9
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The average American downs 23 lbs of pizza a year, making it a highly competitive $30B industry. It no surprise that national chains are competing for an ever growing slice of this market. That pushes them to battle to be on the forefront of mobile innovation.
And it’s working. 2013 was the first year where a majority of sales came from online. And for some, a majority of those online sales were from mobile devices.
If you’re looking for some Friday inspiration, check out these sources:
MoBlog: “Taste And Tech: Papa John’s Nears Digital Tipping Point” http://bit.ly/O654AI
Mobile Marketer: “Papa John’s touts mobile in TV commercial as digital hits 45pc of revenue” http://bit.ly/O66lI7
QSR: “Order’s Up for Pizza Hut’s Mobile Platform” http://bit.ly/O68oM3
SMS MArketing Blog: “Pizza Hut SMS Geofencing Campaign 2.6X More Effective Than Online Advertising” http://bit.ly/O69g3p
Mobile Commerce Daily: “Mobile Web outpaces app in Pizza Hut’s digital ordering” http://bit.ly/O6a4oR
Restaurant News: “Domino’s Pizza to offer hands-free ordering from car” http://bit.ly/O6bcZP
Mobile Commere Daily: “Domino’s Pizza makes limited-time offers vital part of mobile strategy” http://bit.ly/O6bIqx