Ringing Through
How often do you leave the house without your phone/mobile deivce? My bet is never, at least not intentionally. It goes everywhere you go; to the office, the grocery store, the kids’ football games, even on vacation. Your mobile phone is likely the most personal, and most depended-on, object you own.
In a recent study conducted by the L&S research team, adults between the ages of 18 and 34 said they would rather have a cell phone than cable television or health insurance. In 2008, the United States passed a critical mass when there were more cell phone lines than land lines in the country.
I just read a study on the effects that mobile advertising has on brand advertising (not to be confused with direct response). The impact is impressive… almost a 24% lift in brand awareness and 12% lift in message association. Part of the reason for the high impact is simply the newness of the medium; people are paying attention because they are not bombarded with messaging. But I also think it goes beyond novelty. 97% of adults carry a cell phone. More than half of all new phones sold have online capabilities (although only 26% claim they have used their phone to go online). Almost 60% of phone users have sent and received text messages.
Look at your brand and your current messaging; are you missing a golden opportunity to increase awareness and drive sales? It could be as simple as making sure your web site is WAP compatible or as complicated as a CRM campaign targeted to mobile devices. There are possibilities to market through phones that will fit into every budget, every market, and every campaign.
But make sure you proceed with caution. Mobile messaging is very personal and marketers have to be careful not to invade. Users are open to messaging that is relevant and timely. By “spamming” your messages often to broad audiences, your message will backfire creating a negative brand association. Use caution, find the right message for your audience, and work with a reputable agency and distributer.
Got to run – my phone is ringing,
Korena
