Mobile Experience

Video and Mobile -- A Multi-Faceted Relationship

I can think of many scenarios when an individual's mobile device and video are compelling together.  The industry seems obsessed with just one -- getting a large enough audience to watch a bite-sized video to attract advertiser participation. 

This is one scenario, but I find myself in agreement with one of the rallying cries coming from the recent NAPTHE Mobile panels (RCR Wireless News, 22 Jan 07 - Mobile content industry remains desperate for viewers) -- "We need to create a sense of urgency".  There is very little programming that is so urgent that I must see it on my mobile device.  There are just too many other ways to view that episode or game at a more appropriate time and place.  This is possibly what has driven the incredible explosion in SlingMedia sales of SlingBox. 

No Cost or Higher Value -- The consumer will be the judge

Hotly debated at almost every mobile content and mobile marketing conference these days is how advertisers should participate in the very personal mobile medium.  The discussions have evolved from "if to advertise on mobile" to "how to advertise on mobile".  There is significant experimentation in either full or partial subsidy of content and even entire cellphone services in exchange for viewing ads or participating in brand surveys.  The recent article in the January 19, 2007 International Herald Tribune suggests that at least some percentage of 18-24 year olds would find this exchange an acceptable arrangement. 

Mobile + Marketing = Service

Alvin Toffler gave us our first glimpse into today's participative commerce.  He coined the term "prosumerism" -- where consumers participate in the production of the products they buy and consume. We are seeing that today everywhere in the growth of new "user generated content" categories and new "social mobile networking" routes to market (BizReport). 

With the role of the consumer changing, I am struck by how little marketing practices have changed.  In the mainstream, and thankfully not with the more innovative practitioners, marketing is still thought of as a series of campaigns to drive "value promotions" to a target consumer who may or may not define value in the same way as the marketer.  The only requirement for a "best practice" is to get an "opt in" or "opt out" agreement. 

Remote Control or Retail Channel?

Not only is there more technology, but there are more solutions and more customer purchase and digital behavior data available at marketers' fingertips than ever before (DM News).  Now we are adding continuously available mobile devices to the mix.  With all of this technology and with the published statistic that up to 80% of our purchases potentially are done on impulse (Abrahams, Marketing, Mar 1997; Smith, National Petroleum News Supplement, Feb 1988), one would think that serving customers would be getting easier. 

Network Convergence ... Consumer Divergence

This year is shaping up to be the year of network convergence.  Traditional telco networks are becoming television networks with IPTV services.  Traditional cable television networks are becoming digital telephony networks.  And at this year's CES, there were frequent sightings of traditional studio and television networks converging with the wireless networks of the mobile operators.

Probably even more significant is Visa's launch of its pervasive mobile payment platform, which will converge the world's largest payment network with global mobile services networks anywhere (ASIA Travel Tips.com).  The lack of a clear and trusted standard for mobile transactions of all types has been a critical missing link in the delivery of complete experiences to individuals on the run. 

Making Mobile Advertising a Business

In the dawn of the Interactive Age there were popular sayings like, "You'll be watching TV and suddenly you'll decide to click to buy the Indiana Jones hat you see on the screen."  This was repeated ad nauseum. 

Today there are corresponding cliches for mobile.  For instance, the example in Brandweek, 8 January 2007, individual checks weather... sees snow in the forecast ... gets Aruba pop-up... books trip.  Sure this will happen sometimes.  Making mobile a business depends on playing the odds, not in talking oneself into believing that incidence rates for instant big-buck sales will be significant enough to justify high CPMs for interruptive ads on mobile devices, even when the targeting is exquisitely right.

Consumer Trust ... The Real ROI

As we embark on a brand new year, I am again struck by the number of emerging initiatives in the mobile content services arena. 

In 2006, on-the-run music access was pervasive and almost commonplace.  We received streaming or downloadable tunes from a variety of sources -- online music services direct to our MP3's, streaming Sirius and XM satellite radio through our wireless carriers, downloadable full-tracks and all of their various derivatives for our mobile phones through most mobile operator portals, MTV direct from MTVN, or streaming live concerts through a number of early-adopter wireless carriers. 

A New Age of Advertising?

2006 was the year of innovation and significant imagination in advertising.  I saw advertisers and branding initiatives experiment in sponsored, advertising-as-service-delivery, and social advertising arenas.  The common theme throughout, of course, is connecting to and through the individual to magnify brands, establish new relationships and to grow revenue. 

It's the Whole Experience

Part 4 of the Wireless Business Forecast 2007 Predictions, "The Lingering Challenges" reminded me of my early eBusiness days, reminding young e-commerce companies that the web interface is only  a piece of the whole customer experience.  We all have experienced this partial experience design.  For instance, why did it take so long for the e-tailing groups inside established physical retailers to understand that a customer who bought something from them on the website should be able to return the merchandise to the store? Or similarly, when we saw something interesting on our bank's website, why did the bank's customer service reps know nothing about it when we inquired on the telephone? 

Open Content...Open Choice...Open Wallet

The recent WSJ.com article, "Cellphone Carriers Let Others Sell Mobile Content to Users" (11/30/2006) piqued my interest.  Have we not had a number of examples where opening access and choice leads to a wider opening of the customer wallet. 

The failure of AOL's restrictive approach to content is the example highlighted in the article.  There are other examples of the revenue growth benefits that accrue to open choice.  ATM usage is one I think we can all relate to.  ATM usage expanded almost 11% per year when consumer restrictions on access, location and choice were eliminated.  And, in more recent days, do we not look in awe at Skype's business model to stimulate pervasive use in order to build long-term trust and business success?  Skype calls are offered for pennies to get people "skyping".  Through opening its interfaces, developers will undoubtedly create a number of "skype-centric" applications, thereby expanding Skype share of experience.