Internet marketing | Mobile marketing: why the mobile is remarkable for marketers?

By Jennifer Paddock

If you are interested in this topic, take a look at our University of Cape Town Internet Marketing course.

These days mobile phones are used to perform the functions of alarm clocks, cameras, video recorders, MP3 players, calendars, diaries, notebooks, messaging devices and voice call devices. However the reasons above are not the reasons that make mobile phones truly remarkable devices for marketers, it is for these seven reasons set out below…

1.    The mobile is personal
A survey conducted in 2006 (”Wireless Works” by BBO and Proximity) found that 63% of respondents would not share their phone with anyone. In Japan that percentage was 90! This means that generally marketers can contact the users of mobile phones directly. However, marketers must respect the privacy of mobile phone owners and should only contact them via this device if they have their permission.

2.    The mobile is always carried
When leaving home, what do you check that you have with you before you walk out the door? Wallet, keys and mobile phone. The average person has his mobile phone within a one metre radius of him/herself 24 hours a day (even in the bathroom!). For marketers, this means that messages sent to mobile phones will usually be read within a few minutes of receipt.

3.    The mobile phone is always on
As the mobile phone’s primary function is to be used as a telephone it needs to be switched on at all times to properly carry out this function. For marketers, this means that messages can be sent and acted upon at all times of the day (but it is suggested that marketers keep their message sending times to daylight hours as generally a message received at 3am regarding a special offer is not appreciated).

4.    The mobile phone has a built-in payment system
The built-in payment mechanism in a mobile phone is the SIM card. The user’s mobile network handles the billing. The introduction of mobile phone banking also allows users to access their bank accounts from their mobile phone.

5.    The mobile phone is available at the point of creative inspiration
As mobile phones are always carried with their users and have the ability to film, voice record, take photographs and so on, users use their mobile phones to act on creative impulses. This feature can be used by marketers to encourage interactivity for campaigns created for mobile as well as for viral marketing campaigns.

6.    The mobile phone presents accurate audience measurement
Each and every transaction made on a mobile phone, be it an SMS, a voice call or accessing the internet, can be uniquely tracked to the mobile phone number. For marketers this means that extensive profiling and segmenting opportunities for targeting the right audience is possible.

7.    The mobile phone captures the social context of media consumption
It is possible not only to capture the transactions on a particular mobile phone, but also to track transaction between mobile phones. Therefore sophisticated data mining can pinpoint patterns that indicate information and the preferences of the mobile phone users. These alpha users can be identified in their social context. This information can be use by marketers to market products, content and services online.

Back to SmartyPants Newsletter - January 2010 Edition