The Time to Invest in Mobile Marketing?
“This is the year of the mobile”
How many times have you read that statement over recent years? Ever since the I-Phone launched over a year ago and the Android platform was a mere rumour, marketers have been claiming that the mobile movement is about to erupt.
There are more mobiles in Ireland then people, yet there seems to be scepticism to mobile marketing, similar to that felt towards online marketing. A lack of knowledge, a fear that it is a fad and the ever looming recession stop many brands investing in these new media.
The need to occasionally sell online marketing to brands, that still don’t fully understand its value, is mystifying. However, it is more then obvious that the US and UK are spending more of their marketing budgets online than on television or radio.
Although marketing directors are increasingly investing more money online, mobile marketing has found itself in this similar position. Arguably the brands that have been most successful online are the brands that invested it in from the start. The early adopters, or more appropriately investors have reaped the benefits in the long run.
The RTE I-Phone application was released a month ago and it is already amongst the most popular applications in Ireland. This application allows you access to RTE News 24/7 with live streams available if you are in a wireless area. This type of brand interaction is not available in any other medium.
Marketers are now penetrating the one device that consumers carry with them day and night. O2 have benefited from a constant advertising position on the RTE application. They too have applications allowing you to engage with their product offerings, such as Treats and your O2 account. An application is something consumers use to gain information or be entertained. It is similar to an effective online campaign in that users opt in to engage with it.
With the movement to geo-marketing through handsets coming ever closer, the time to invest in mobile is now.
Peter Fry said:
Mar 10, 10 at 5:52 pmOn the plus side Voda launch on 25th March and there should be a huge surge in iPhone apps. On the negative side iPhones will still only account for about 10% of the marketplace. A keyword to standard rate short code with the inclusion of a mobile website is the future as everybody has a mobile phone and only 70% of homes in the country have a computer to say nothing about broadband penetration!
Dave Power said:
Mar 16, 10 at 1:30 pmGood point Peter,
Although it could be argued that I-Phones first mover advantage and increasingly lower prices gives them an immediate advantage in Ireland.
As i just took the plunge, I am bias!
Regards,
» John Herlihy speaks at UCD Digital Landscapes » Online Marketing Blog from metrocafe311» Blog Archive said:
Apr 07, 10 at 10:26 am[...] the coming years. We have been saying this for months and truly believe in it. Our concern lies in marketing director’s of Ireland who will refrain from investing where it is [...]
Primo Vacations said:
May 14, 10 at 2:24 pmThis post came at the right time. Here in the US a group of marketers are completing testing for mobile marketing and what is what is the percentage being invested into marketing online because of what we call the mobile surge.
A few are saying that mobile marketing is going to be the number one tool that businesses will want to utilize as the buzz is so big.
The testing is in the works for new app to allow marketers to get an advantage.
My opinion… as long as I connect with my phone and can entertain my kids at the airport with it… that is the only app I will need for now.
Lets see where the media buzz takes us the next 6 months, because for sure its forever changing
Great job metrocafe311!