In this new series we bring you the best and brightest of the executives and contributors making the new International Journal of Mobile Marketing (IJMM) a must-read resource, beginning with Mihai Vlad, Head of Audience Management & Insight at Optism, who provides insights into the very human approaches proven to boost engagement between brands and the people who have opted in to receive their messages.
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People are mobile, and mobile is part of who they are. But mobile is not just a device. It's our 'default' state. In a networked, wired-up world where 5.6 billion people are connected to each other by a mobile device, mobile also allows us
Starbucks has quietly and cleverly executed a mobile strategy that has allowed it to become the largest mobile payment program in the U.S. (with plans to launch in the U.K. in January 2012). But enabling payments is just part of the picture. Lisa Ciangiulli recounts her own journey across Starbucks' customer touch points to reveal the real secret of the company's success: a respect for us (the customer) and a deep understanding of what we need on the move.
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My personal and professional lifestyles — mobile, multi-tasking mom and member of the Mobile Marketing Association Board, North
Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy Group and self-proclaimed "fan" of text messaging -- advises marketers to focus on what matters most: getting the value exchange right.
There are no easy answers, but there are some questions that will help produce them. Ask yourself: "Would this [marketing/approach] annoy me?". That's a good start. "There are just basic rules of etiquette. You use different media judiciously and the ability to do that intelligently is one mark of a mature and intelligent service brand."
Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy Group, a leading integrated advertising and marketing communications agency, challenges the view that mobile is somehow in its infancy and has yet to grow up and compete with the Big Boys (such as online, TV and print) that continue to account for the lion share of advertising spend.
As Rory sees it: the proper way to measure the importance (and effectiveness) of mobile in the marketing mix is not to look at spend. The cost of developing a brilliant text-based mobile marketing campaign may be minimal, but the impact can be tremendous.
How and why should brands and marketers take advantage of the unique characteristics of mobile to connect with us at the moments we need them most? Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy Group, a leading integrated advertising and marketing communications agency, tells why marketers need to think beyond reaching a target audience.
As Rory sees it: The real power of mobile is context. It allows brands to interact with people during target moments (I need something now), target moods (I want something now) and target mindsets (I am considering a purchase, for example). Another reason brands need to focus on this: Google can't.
Last week an independent panel of highly acclaimed thought leaders in the advertising ecosystem finished the first phase of screening dozens of submissions from agencies, brands and talent all over the world competing for the coveted International IAB MIXX awards. Lisa Ciangiulli, who sat on the panel of judges, draws from her personal experience to give us the inside track on the ideas and approaches pushing mobile marketing and interactive advertising to new levels.
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