I’ve heard many preach the long-term dominance of Apple’s iPad since its launch, and many tablet app developers have largely overlooked Android. Last week, IDC dropped a turd on their fanboy fantasy. Android now controls of the 62% tablet market, a complete flip-flop from Q2 2012. Mobiversal’s blog has the complete #s: http://bit.ly/19mDoRS
#2: That Trashcan Wants Your Number
Proximity marketing has hit the refuse bin. The City of London turned on an unannounced feature on a few of the 100 ‘smart’ trashcans installed for the 2012 Olympics. While the units featured LCD screens with transit and other handy info, they also secretly tracked the MAC address of passing WiFi-enabled smartphones…without asking. GigaOm and Quartz provide prospective:
It’s a warm night and you’re craving a Dilly Bar, only to find than 50 others have the same idea. No worries, just pull out your Dairy Queen app and order ahead. While mobile commerce is commonplace in pizza delivery, DQ leapfrogged many quick-service restaurants with this feature. Check out Mobile Commerce Daily for the full story: http://bit.ly/19mFWza
I was hoping for a little pause in July to get some rays, reconnect with loved ones and lollygag a little.
No such luck. Mobile pauses for no one. The big players released new tech like Google’s Moto X smartphone and Chromecast HDMI TV connector. The carriers battled each other on early equipment upgrades. And smart brands continue to push the boundaries of mobile marketing.
Most of it is fluff, but here are five mobile stories from last month that aren’t:
While more than 43% of all email is opened on a mobile device, it seems that major retailers, like most companies, are lagging in adoption. If powerhouses like Sephora and Target choke on mobile email implementations, there’s hope for more savvy marketers. (Less than 15% of SMBs mobile-optimize their email.) Check out this great post in Mobile Commerce Daily: http://bit.ly/15B0VvT
#2: The future of mCommerce is SmartWatches?
Unlike the rest of the world, the US has been slacking in the mCommerce space. You can by a Coke via SMS in Brazil or pay for a bus fare with your smartphone in Finland, but you can’t buy much in America with a mobile phone. SmartWatches such as Pebble or the future Apple iWatch might have mCommerce luck. VentureBeat offers a compelling argument for SmartWatch-based commerce: http://bit.ly/1c4OSu6
#3: Users ain’t too happy with retail apps
Despite millions sunk into app development, retailers continue to fail to keep mobile users happy. While a slim majority (52%) are very happy with Amazon’s apps, less than a third feel the same across all retail channels. Read more about this in MediaPost: http://bit.ly/15B8PFt
#4: Why Peter Piper picked a peck of SMS
The Texas pizza chain, Peter Piper, is geofencing its mobile ad efforts to drive SMS subscriptions. Money quote: “Our primary target is millennial moms, they’re heavy users of their mobile,” said Dan Santy, president/CEO of Santy Integrated. He failed to mention that SMS will have a higher ROI than apps. More in Mobile Commerce Daily: http://bit.ly/11ATPB8
#5: Screw responsive, you need to be adaptive
Just as we started to learn the magic of responsive web design, techies throw us for another loop with the adaptive design. Here’s the gist: responsive designs merely adjust the format to fit the screen; adaptive offers specific designs based on the viewing device. Your web site has separate designs for BlackBerries and iPhones, and Nexus 7 tablets and iPads. Confused? Review what the Harvard Business Review has on this issue here: http://bit.ly/1c4T4tQ
The dog days of summer are a time when most of us check out, escape to the cabin/beach/abroad and recharge. Many of us also take time to reflect for the coming fall.
This is a good time to look at mobile. More than 40% of American companies have yet to incorporate mobile into their customer acquisition and retention efforts.
If you’re one of them, consider this your opportunity to explore mobile further.
Here are five mobile stories that you might of missed in June:
Pew Research is one of the few organizations who’ve tracked the impact of mobile across many areas of American society. So when they publish data on smartphone ownership trends, it’s always a must read for marketers and app developers: http://bit.ly/13dw2bC
#2: Think Behavior, Not Equipment
Those distracted by “new shiny thingies” often are left little from their investment in mobile. (Think of the hordes of dead apps created after executives got their first smartphone.) Companies that start by mapping mobile to customer behaviors reap higher rewards. Here’s a great AdAge piece on how this thinking applies to mobile advertising: http://bit.ly/11ATPB8
#3: Target’s App Accelerator
Internal innovation is tough for most enterprise-level companies, and Target is no exception. That’s why the retailing giant struck a partnership with FastCompany’s Co.Labs to uncover app innovators. Judging from the mix of winning finalists, the effort just might prove successful: http://bit.ly/122x8ZB
#4: Mobile the Walmart Way
Forrester provides a great summary from the CTIA presentation of Gibu Thomas, Walmart’s Global Head of Mobile. Here’s a tasty tidbit: Walmart’s mobile-engaged shoppers spend 77% more each month and make four more trips per month: http://bit.ly/13dpB8j
#5: 20 Mobile Startups to Watch
Lack of resources and big barriers to entry often drives revolutions. And while the mobile innovations that we see stateside are often “cute” (think SnapChat), the real mobile revolution is happening where we least expect it. Mashable highlights 20 mobile startups worth tracking…from Africa: http://bit.ly/11AUouz
Bonus: Mobile Email Presentation
I spoke late last month to about two dozen nonprofit techies and communicators on mobile’s impact on email. Over 40% of all email is now viewed on mobile devices. If you’re not optimized for them, you’re losing eyeballs, conversions and subscribers. You can grab a PDF of the presentation here.
Internal innovation is tough for most enterprise-level companies, and Target is no exception. That’s why the retailing giant struck a partnership with FastCompany’s Co.Labs to uncover app innovators. Judging from the mix of winning finalists, the effort’s proving successful: http://bit.ly/122x8ZB
#2: Think Behavior–Not Equipment
Those who get caught up in “new shiny thingies” in their mobile efforts are often left little. (Think of the hordes of dead apps created after executives got a smartphone.) It’s better to map your mobile to your customers’ behaviors first, then fill in the tactics. Here’s a great AdAge piece on how this thinking applies to mobile advertising: http://bit.ly/11ATPB8
#3: 20 Mobile Startups to Watch
A lack of resources and big barriers to entry often drive revolutions. And while the mobile innovations we see stateside are often “cute” (think SnapChat), the real mobile revolution is happening where we least expect it. Mashable highlights 20 mobile startups that you need to track…from Africa: http://bit.ly/11AUouz
