by Louise Marsland (@trendlives) This year, the number of mobile devices in circulation will reach 7 billion – more than the total number of humans on this planet. It is our “mobile moment” as a generation.
Mobile has also become as big a disruptor to the way we communicate, as the dawning of the internet age. With mobile devices as powerful as desktop computers, itis being called the dawn of the second internet revolution.
And for many on this planet, the mobile device has become their ‘first screen’.
The advent of social media and tablet mobile devices, coupled with the integration of digital strategy, including mobile, into marketing plans and enterprise-wide applications – driven by the exponential uptake of the technology among consumers – has transformed the way we communicate, shop, move money, interact with entertainment, and so on and so on.
Our latest indepth Dissect report on TREND. at www.trendlives.info on mobile, is entitled, ‘The First Screen’. Co-sponsored by Prezence Digital and M&C Saatchi Mobile, we ask whether marketers are doing enough with mobile; whether mobile is being properly integrated into brand campaigns; what is the key to great mobile content and creative; and where the opportunities lie for brands in the future?
Mobile is already the first screen for many of us and will be the first screen for most of the world’s population, particularly the way it is being integrated with television viewing. Yes, TV is still the first screen and mobile the second screen for many, particularly in their leisure time after hours, but it won’t be for long.
With integration and further innovation in this space, there will be no difference as TV’s are integrated with our mobile phones and mobile devices include television.
These are the trends we highlighted after our research and interviews with local and international thought leaders in this space:
- The First Screen: mobile, from phones to tablets, is set to replace television as the first screen of choice for entertainment, communication, comment, interaction, gaming and socialising.
- The 2nd Internet Revolution: mobile has created a massive paradigm shift in communication as the cellphone transitions into a computer.
- Mobile Moment: this is the first year that the number of mobile devices in circulation will outnumber the human population, reaching 7 billion mobile devices in 2013.
- Responsive Design: one digital eco-system for brands, one content strategy, not a multiple of different sites for each device, feature or smart.
- Hacking Reality: much of mobile innovation is being driven by the need to improve life in developing economies in Africa and Asia.
- Mobile Money: the mobile phone as a wallet and bank.
- Convergence Communications: the mash up between mobile and television will spawn a new way of consuming entertainment, news and user engagement and feedback.
- T-commerce: tablets drove an online shopping surge over the 2012 festive season, globally, and will lead to an e-commerce boom worldwide.
- 24/7 Campaigns: the future of mobile marketing is video, loyalty schemes and 24/7 campaigns.
- Simplify: marketers need to create new brands for the digital space and simplify existing brand equity to compete.
- Big Data: making sense of the data to deliver real relevance to digital marketing campaigns.
- Storytelling: digital content is all about storytelling and great content. Still is. Even more so with mobile.
Louise Marsland is the Publishing Editor of TREND. at www.trendlives.info. Find the full mobile report, ‘The First Screen’ here.
