Mobile is Personal and Limitless
By Jen O’Connell, Voice of Wireless
I was reading an article that rang true to something I had always thought about but was never able to articulate into words. Here are the words that found a voice… “whenever we get our hands on a new medium we tend to use it like older ones. Early TV broadcasts consisted of guys sitting around reading radio scripts because nobody had realized yet that TV could tell stories differently” (wired magazine). The early days of the internet before social networking were nothing more than displaying generic digital brochures. Now there’s Mobile and we are learning how to play, with the best of our abilities, in this space.
What we have with Mobile is a set of opportunities where we can play off our desire to speak directly to another person, request information, make decisions based on our location and share our personal preferences with others. It’s as if our phones have become an extension of ourselves, which is why we covet this technology and keep it so close to ourselves at all times. With great opportunity comes great responsibility. The expectation of what is worth our while continues to grow when we, as consumers, become more aware of the true power our cell phones have over our lives and the interconnectedness we have with it.
As Mobile Marketers, we must protect the privacy of each consumer – which is why the idea of “opt-in” is so important. But once you’ve demonstrated value to your consumer and they are interested in what you have to say, then comes the responsibility of saying something in a way that goes beyond the “new medium” trap.
Avoid the natural instinct to make Mobile be nothing more than a lighter and more portable 1-way internet connection. Stretch farther before distributing static content by integrating the next step of personalization. See what information you can use to make the interaction between your consumer and your product be a unique experience…and a time sensitive one. Today in the U.S., we are seeing Customer Care organizations using Mobile to send timely updates on account activity and Banks keeping consumers informed of their financial transactions via confirmation SMS, as required by law in India. Smart Homes are using Mobile to turn the lights on in their homes so their driveways are lit and the heat is turned on, all before they arrive. And smart businesses are using Mobile to create a personal connection between their products and the consumers who love them, in a very personal way.
The sky’s the limit…and is no longer dictated by the limitations of the previous technology. Stretch as far as your imagination will take you and your consumers will follow when it sings true to them.