Of course, mobile presents a strong opportunity to marketers, as evidenced by market data: r
There are more cell phones worldwide than households with TVs or Internet connections.
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The U.S. mobile advertising market, consisting of mobile messaging, display and search advertising, is forecasted to grow from $805 million in 2007 to $3.6 billion in 2010 according to like estimates by eMarketer and Nielsen Mobile.
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Cell phones aren’t only used by younger demographics. Mobile branded entertainment formats and text messaging are used by people of all ages, as was seen during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
QR code programs are a good example. While there are positive instances of the intelligent use of these two dimensional bar codes, which mobile phones can read to connect users directly with a URL, they are often used as a gimmick to draw attention from print or flyers to a particular Web site. In many cases, the URL in question could have just as easily been reached via simpler methods, such as text messages, keywords or short codes. Mobile is reaching a critical juncture this year, pending the outcome of factors in a handful of areas. At Razorfish™ Germany, we will be watching several key areas in the coming months: r
Improvements in the device experience. The iPhone has raised the bar for how cell phones can meet consumer needs. This year, watch out for OEM’s across the board to rise to the challenge and compete.
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The declining price of data. Data-plan subscription fees, which used to be expensive, are rapidly declining in price. Look out for big jumps in mobile data consumption as a result of cheap, ubiquitous data access.
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Designers get the hang of WAP and apps. WAP and application designers are starting to make what they design mobile-friendly, and are getting the resources and momentum to execute on their ideas. Look for improved user experiences in mobile browsing, which will drive consumer consumption and expectations of availability.
Mobile and the skeptical marketer Until recently, consumers primarily used mobile phones for voice communication. The resulting skepticism from marketers about whether there would be widespread adoption of platform and data services has made them hesitant to jump into mobile programs. Marketers have also felt that the mobile industry has focused too much on building out features in new cell phones, rather than tapping into needs and desires of consumers. It hasn’t necessarily thought about what consumers really wanted out of their mobile experiences.