There are actually some pretty interesting stats embedded within. Particularly compelling is the marriage of retail and your mobile device:
Purchase-driven Shoppers: Smartphones have become an indispensable shopping tool and are used across channels and throughout the research and decision-making process.
79% of smartphone consumers use their phones to help with shopping, from comparing prices, finding more product info to locating a retailer
74% of smartphone shoppers make a purchase, whether online, in-store, or on their phones
70% use their smartphones while in the store, reflecting varied purchase paths that often begin online or on their phones and brings consumers to the store
Yesterday, Nielsen released their ‘State of the U.S. Media Universe – Audiences and Devices‘. Larger PDF available in the preceding link. The mobile metrics are especially fascinating. Those 13-17 year olds are burning up the SMS wires!
Freshly named Mobile Marketer’s ‘2010 Mobile Marketer Of The Year‘ – Starbucks continues to make the right moves, on the right platforms, with the right people – their customers. I’ve written about Starbucks multiple times on this site in the last couple of years, giving them loads of credit for the way that they effectively market their brand while keeping in mind that their main role is how to best service their customers.
The thing that impresses me most about Starbucks is their willingness to ‘try’ things. They have developed a culture of innovation surrounding how they market to, and embrace their customers. A key quote from the Mobile Marketer article inspired the title of this post:
“Starbucks taps mobile for the medium’s strengths: location, timeliness and immediacy, convenience and measurability,”
5 words – 4 important to the customer, 1 very important to Starbucks (measurability).
They are clearly customer centric, with the aim to 1) Make it easy on their customer to do business with them 2) Make the experience relevant and, most importantly 3) Build an intense level of loyalty with their patrons.
What better way to accomplish those things listed above than to create a set of tools that are with you all the time, on the computing device you use most often? Your phone. This device provides an opportunity for Starbucks to interact with their patrons multiple times a day, providing them an enhanced experience with a product they clearly love, and (this is important to a marketer) get real time data about those people and how they interact with your brand in a non-intrusive and invisible fashion. People are willingly interacting with Starbucks because they are getting perceived value from their experience on their mobile device. Well done, Starbucks – you’ve set the bar.
We’re seeing more and more instances of ‘TV on the go’ – everything from streaming your NetFlix queue through your mobile device, to downloading your favorite TV shows through iTunes (which just got a LOT cheaper) to live TV via dedicated devices. Flo TV is one of the first to come through on the last example, but also has the cross over to your smart phone as well. With the opening of College Football season this weekend, they made a large commercial push through Saturday’s games. I’m biased, but I thought this was a great ad. Go Ducks!
I’ve been a Blackberry user for a long time – a really long time. I’ve become a master of the ‘intuitive’ text feature (with only one phrase being the bane of my existence, but that’s another story) and I’m a fan of the small form factor of the Pearl 8110 – it fits easily in your front pocket, does most everything I need it to do, and is a very reliable device.
However this year, as in years past with Intel, I’ve been asked to take the lead on a new media vehicle and explore all of our options for marketing and advertising programs in that space. Hence, my Blackberry got a mate – in the form of an iPhone. Now, I’ve been a long time ‘listener’ but have made the transition to first time ‘caller’…to use a radio talk show line. I’m not convinced that I’m going to be excited about carrying two devices (although many of my counterparts already do it), it is a necessary evil to be proficient in the trends of the mobile web. Next step – securing an Android device…
We’re pretty excited about the opportunities that are presenting themselves in the mobile space and are intent on creating some innovative and first mover programs that bring the Intel brand to a ‘third’ screen. We’ve already done some good work in the Americas with our iPhone app and our Global team has partnered with a leading mobile agency and a leading web-based streaming music company to create a compelling mobile experience that gives iPhone users a unique ‘station’ modeled after the 3 types of ‘Core’ processors – each providing a unique listening experience. This is the first time a custom channel has been developed for a mobile device on Pandora – kudos to our Global team for making that happen.
Stay tuned – it’s going to be an exciting ride on the Mobile Web for us this year.
It’s no secret – 2010 is the year of the Mobile Phone – every analyst, journalist, and pundit are stating their case on why this is the year that mobile finally rings the proverbial bell of success. As a marketer, I certainly see that it is very important to focus on this ’emerging’ platform – people are using their mobile devices in more robust ways than ever and, sometimes, even abandoning their computer all together and relying on their handheld as their only ‘connected’ device. According to Mary Meeker’s Mobile Internet Report, the #1 driving force for the uptick in mobile is Social Networking (slide 30). The number of people accessing their favorite social network or taking a social ‘action’ on their mobile device has sky rocketed over the last year. Facebook is head and shoulders above the rest as she outlines. If you want a more visual portrayal of how Mobile and Social are converging, Flowtown has put together (as usual) a very compelling infograph…teaser below, click on the image for the full version.
In short – yes, and it is becoming more and more obvious everyday. In fact, yesterday, with the release (courtesy, Mashable) of Google Buzz they made a very strategic move that not only shows their interest in your social behavior but brings a tidy package to your mobile experience as well. AdAge has an article from the beginning of the year that shows the steps they are taking to be the dominant leader in this space – and it is a 360 degree approach. Google is not interested in one aspect of the equation, rather, they are intent on owning the landscape – from device, through service, and by application (if you are a doubter, watch the video below). This quote says it best:
“Now imagine this (it’s not hard): Google is your go-to source for almost all of your interdependent needs when you are out and about, not just mobile phone needs, but “mobility“ needs. It’s the device you use, the search engine that helps you find things, the map that tells you how to get there and the coupon you use to get a discount at a preferred restaurant or local shop, all in one seamless experience.”
ZDNet’s Dion Hinchcliffe has a robust, and sharp analysis of Google Buzz that is definitely worth the read.
Nielsen just released their latest ‘Three Screen Report‘ (quarterly report) that analyzes the use of video across 3 screens (TV, Internet, Mobile Devices) either live, or ‘time shifted’ through their DVR or downloaded means. Key takeaways from the report indicate that DVR usage is up (+21.1%) and the viewership of Online Video spiked significantly in Q3 of this year (+34.9%). The Nielsen spokesperson made a key statement on their blog today:
“Americans today have an insatiable appetite for not only content, but also choice. Across all age groups, we see consumers adding the Internet and mobile devices to their media diet — consuming media anytime and anywhere possible.”
My take? Your video strategy better encompass all three screens – with an increased emphasis on the Internet and Mobile platforms. I’m not saying that the 10-foot TV experience is dead, but I think you’ll see an increased customer emphasis on mobile, portable content that can be consumed on their timeline – wherever they are.
Great visual (click image for larger) of the Mobile App landscape this week on the mobile focused site, ismashphone – a daily blog focused on the iPhone covering News, App Reviews, and Tips/Hacks. Some of the more compelling stats from the visual include:
59% of mobile users (iPhone, iPod Touch, Android) download one paid app a month
Over 50% of iPhone and Android users spend more than 30 minutes a day on apps
Total monthly paid application market share is over 200 million dollars
iPod Touch users download the most apps, iPhone users pay for the most apps
What’s the take away here? There is a market for targeting customers in the mobile space. As I wrote earlier this week, at some point this may be a consumer’s only connected device. Those that aren’t interacting with their target audience via this medium are missing a huge opportunity.
Freshly named Mobile Marketer’s ‘
