By: Jennifer Dolim, Intern at Freeman+Leonard. Jennifer is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Communications with a minor in Psychology from Texas A&M University and is from Colleyville, TX.
As a new year begins, we look forward, anticipate and hope for great things to come. And as 2012 is the new year to predict, many questions arise. Will the world be ending in the next 12 months? Who will win the Presidential election? What new technology will pop up next? Among these questions, one thing remains constant: The quicker and more efficient the receiving of information, the better.
Remember when mobile phones were used for one purpose: to dial and receive, single calls? Mobile devices have improved by leaps and bounds and are continually changing, keeping us on our toes for what will be introduced next. So what should we expect to happen this year? Ivan Braiker of Radio’s Premier Management and Marketing Magazine, predicts 2012 will be the “breakout year for mobile marketing.” As the mobile market continues to grow and PC’s slowly become a thing of the past, it is important for people in the marketing industry to actively engage their companies to reach the largest audience possible by social media apps and adaptable websites to smart phones.
From new methods of buying products online to the candidates for President in 2012, everything will be affected by the ever changing mobile device. Greg Squires, Online Marketing Manager for Shopatron, saw double the growth of mobile shopping from beginning to end in 2011 and “expects that number to nearly double again in 2012.” He continues to suggest that “brands pay special attention to their mobile presence and marketing tactics in the coming year.”
The Obama Campaign in 2008 set the standard for technology capabilities. Matt Hamblen, Senior Editor of Computer World, Inc., explained how Obama sent SMS texts to supporters informing them on his next campaigns, updates, etc. It revolutionized the way political campaigns mass marketed to society. The power of gaining support through social media and networking via smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices could make the difference between winning or losing the presidential campaign of 2012. Having just a website for a candidate is not enough anymore. There are links to their Facebook and Twitter. Hamblen said we can expect “news organizations to create specialized apps to help campaign groupies follow the candidates … The Democratic and Republic parties may even offer separate apps in the App Store or the Android Market.”
When thinking about marketing a company, whether that be a product, person, idea, or service; it’s important to remember today’s society is about instant gratification and convenience. As the mobile market continues to grow, companies must refocus their market strategies to conform to what the consumer is beginning to use the most: the mobile web.
If you’d like to read more, check out these great sources:
http://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=2366712&spid=24698
http://forwardthinking.pcmag.com/none/292285-in-2012-the-mobile-web-will-blur-tech-boundaries
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9222673/Mobile_campaigns_to_be_hot_in_2012_presidential_race_
http://www.stockhouse.com/Bullboards/MessageDetailThread.aspx?sv=2&p=0&m=30509631&r=0&s=PYN&t=LIST
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