Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Smart marketing with smart phones


The smart phone companies have taken over the mobile phone industry with a storm and this reality has radically elevated the importance of digital marketing for firms. Smartphone marketing indeed is one of the fastest growing spheres of digital marketing today and as highlighted by the below new york times article, the fact that  62 percent of those aged 25 to 34 already have smartphones’, warrants an alarm for potential advertisers to utilize this medium to reach out to the masses. Other studies have also highlighted that 53% of cellphone owners in America own a smartphone. Additionally, European demographics also estimate that 58 million people across the EU will access the Internet from a mobile device. This emerging trend signifies a shift from the ‘dark days’ when people accessed the Internet and thus had exposure to digital marketing through desktops and laptops. Even more lucrative is the fact that increasingly even the lower income consumers now have access to smartphones and the mobile advertising that accompanies them. This proliferation of smartphones means increased accessibility of digital media from anywhere anytime. However, the flip side to this coin is that this growing trend also challenges the advertisers and marketers to optimize digital marketing to cater more proficiently in this complex and dynamic environment. While adopting effective online strategies might be a demanding task, smartphone technology can also aid in this process by helping analyze a users behavioral preferences, which can be highlighted through browsing history, app downloads and even the choice of the brand of smartphone (who amongst us has not engaged in an Iphone vs Android debate these days). With the right technology in hand, marketers can not only make better  marketing decisions but help deliver the message to the right locations. In a world increasingly dominated by smart technology, it is time to take a hint and open the floodgates of smart-advertising.

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