Mobile Hub
In the first installment of a new series of opinion pieces called Mobile Hub, Big Mobile's Graham Christie discusses mobile's start to the year and shares insights from the Mobile World Congress.
Flying start.
It’s notable I think, how at the start of every year now, the volume of information about digital marketing generally, and mobile marketing specifically, increases, even doubles. The start of 2013 has seen, it seems, ever-major technology and most marketing services corporate, pump out think- pieces, the obligatory infographic or two, and host webinars.
A month is a long time in Mobile.
A lack of info isn’t our problem then. In fact let’s face it, there’s a frenzy around mobile, and this impacts marketers positively and negatively. Positive in the sense that real knowledge is being shared, and capabilities are more visible and hence easier to evaluate. Negatively, given, that as the mobile ecosystem sub-divides at four times the speed of online, it multiplies the sheer content output that has to be disseminated. There’s a practical consideration around how to handle this, with digital marketers now really needing to upscale the management, curating, and sharing of mobile insights, or risk relying on out-of-date info, or worse recycling thinking that is at odds with proven new evidence.
One of the most important new sets of data available is the iAB/PWC adex Report that now splits out Mobile advertising. This is a basic building block and one that puts a number to the previously wide held belief of exponential growth. It’s here, robust, and gives us a good baseline. 220% yoy being a key headline, take a look at iabaustralia.com.au
To add to this, it’s insights publishing season #1 for the year. For instance, seek out Nielsen’s local Connected Consumer Report 2012-2013 already published. This has some useful info particularly around consumer and multi-screening, showing for instance that 52% of Australian’s use mobile ‘most often’ or ‘regularly’ to media multi-task, when the TV is on. I’ll go further, we may as well start to see TV as the new radio, because that’s the way it’s going, with people in their lounge rooms hearing TV, but engaging over a touchscreens.
Mobile World Congress 2013.
Also, February every year sees the Mobile World Congress take place in Barcelona. With the pre event events, and post events wrap-ups the whole circus is just shy of a week. On a keynote address, picking up on this multi-screen theme, Susan Whiting CEO of Nielsen Media Research re-coined the term ‘information seekers’, those 30-
something++ consumers that have the TV on and a smart device open that’s contextually integrated with the programming, Susan challenged advertisers to find new ways to insert brands seamlessly into these dual-environments.
Other news from the event was of course based around devices and hardware. Samsung won the main gongs, but really all the manufacturers lifted their games announcing e.g. super processing power, amazing camera technology (there was a 12.8 megapixel from Huawei), and more elaborate user experience software like gesture controls. It’s easy to become de-sensitised towards the relentless advance of tech into mobile. But what we are lucky enough to be truly witnessing, is a paradigm change in the way people connect to the things around them that matter, for when you add these hardware advances, together with increasing network speeds, and the provision and take-up of cloud services, it empowers the end user to do, well, pretty much whatever they want on smart devices. All these are points on the mobile’s steep productivity curve, and they’re the facilitators of Mary Meeker’s ‘mobile overtaking PC traffic’ foretelling, which seems right on the money to become reality.
Mobile choices.
The events in Spain cast a positive light here, given our highly tech-enabled market. Smartphone penetration now lies between 66%-84% depending on who you ask, with the choice facing marketers no longer being whether to connect brands to people over mobile, but how to. There’s a burgeoning supply of ad space available, and every year a quadrupling of mobile internet destinations, so the time has come, as it does with every channel, for those making media and audience planning decisions, to become more discerning. In fact, there’s a clear two speed Mobile brandscape appearing. There’s the folk in the ‘fast lane’ who have the curiosity, the insights, the partnerships, and the data to spur on and support brands. And there’s the ‘slow lane’ who seem content with ‘ticking’ the mobile box any old way, or sometimes not at all. To put some data against this, the iAB here have commissioned a series of research studies that will arm us with a wealth of powerful info this year. The first to see daylight is some excellent work, (through TNS), gauging amongst other things, the media and marketing industry’s orientation towards mobile advertising. Of the respondents across agency and client organisations surveyed, 73% believe that mobile will be the fastest growing medium for the next five years, increasing in value across mobile and tablet by over 130% by the end of 2014. But some gloss is taken off this by, in the same study noting ‘creative agencies’, and what’s termed as ‘traditional ad agencies’ being the least active of the cohort. The Mobile Landscape Report from TNS is due to be launched mid-April.
Engagement and aesthetics.
Lastly, with the establishment of format standards, and HTML5 consolidating it’s position, the importance that mobile advertising places on the aesthetic is being made easier. If you’re hoping around the mobile internet or appland, you can still see mobile ads going through to full websites for heavens sake – today! It does take skill to make mobile work look good, and interact
intuitively, but if you’ve done mobile thinking up front, why risk failure with second-class execution? The world has moved on, and in this market
particularly, there are no excuses to not generate creative solutions that have a ‘wow’ factor.
Focus on what matters.
So as the growth of mobile as a channel is now better locally quantified, user data more available, and many practitioners becoming more progressive, the imminent planning period will see better informed thinking and brand solutions. We should all avoid the temptation to get lost in data space, but focus on info that addresses the absolute fundamentals of audience quality, how to reach them most effectively, and the creativity that engages them.
Please login with linkedin to comment
Latest News
Kantar: AVOD Subscribers Double In 12 Months
Study finds Aussies happy to watch ads on their streaming services. Or, are they just putting the kettle on more often?
Val Morgan Digital Exceeds All Campaign Uplift Benchmarks Via A 12-Month Brand Metrics Study
Val Morgan announces it has exceeded all its campaign benchmarks. Still can't get under an hour for the City To Surf.
Australian Retirement Trust launches monster of a campaign, by M&C Saatchi and Bohemia
Get offered a seat on the bus today? Knees creak like an old pirate's galleon? This retirement ad may be of interest.
Print Audits To Discontinue As Audited Media Association Of Australia Pivots To Support Influencer Marketing
Is it just B&T or are audits in the media industry suddenly becoming murkier than Roxy's husband's tax returns?
News Corp Australia Launches 2024 National Education Advocacy Initiative With Expanded Program
News Corp set to shine a light on the nation's schools in new series, giving illegal bikie gangs a well-earned rest.
Decoding The Consumer Maze: Urban List Report Reveals How Modern Shoppers Spiral From Discovery To Purchase
Latest report unravels a shopper's journey from the joy of discovery through to a nasty letter from a debt collector.
Cosmo Returns To Australia!
Ever get the feeling we've weirdly warped back to 1988 at the moment? Confirm it with the relaunch of Cosmo in print.
People & Culture Consultancy Human Kind Collective Launches To Plug HR Gap For Media Agencies
Does the very mention of HR have you struggling to remember last year's Christmas party? Get the sweats with this news.
‘We Want To Be A Growth Partner, Not Just A Media Buyer Or Someone That Makes Ads’ – Bohemia Boss On Agency’s Ambition
B&T's chatting with Bohemia boss Paul ‘Hutch’ Hutchison. Although we do think 'the dagger' a far superior nickname.
Initiative’s Geoff Clarke: ‘Youth Hits Targets With Enthusiasm, Experience Hits The Targets You Can’t See’
Initiative’s CCO Geoff Clarke on the value of experience in agencies. Not to mention quoting lines from Pulp Fiction.
The Iconic Teams Up With 5 Aussie Athletes For Latest Campaign
Fashion label brings in the athletes for new campaign, many of whom appear to have prepped with re-runs of Zoolander.
Seven West Media Secures New Director Of News & Current Affairs
After a tumultuous few weeks, Seven unveils director of news & current affairs. And B&T never uses tumultuous lightly.
Seven Network Expands NSW Sales Team With Two New Group Business Directors
Seven ramps up its NSW sales team. Both of whom are well versed in pronouncing Manu Feildel's croque-monsieur.
New PR Subscription Changing The Game For Aussie Start Ups
Need better PR? You can now buy it via a monthly subscription. Price does not include a fascinator or Moet piccolos.
Paul Kent At Centre Of Fresh Scandal After Alleged Street Brawl
Do you long for the fights, gouges & testicle grabs of footy's glory years? So too, it appears, does Paul Kent.
DiDi Taps Disney’s Tim Farmer For Head Of Brand Marketing Role
Disney's Tim Farmer shifts over to rideshare company DiDi. Taking with him his Donald Duck coffee mug & mouse ears.
As Sure As Night Becomes Day, The End Of Third-Party Cookies Has Been Delayed
The question remains: what will we see first? The end of cookies, alien invasion or Jesus's second coming?
Fast 10: Scoundrel’s Tim Bullock Explains What Shane Warne & Salt-N-Pepa Have In Common
It's a Fast 10 with Scoundrel's Tim Bullock. Make it sound even faster by sucking on helium while reading it.
Outbrain Snatches Chris Oxley From Foxtel Media
Foxtel's Chris Oxley shifts over to Outbrain, but not before having his press photo taken in the wilds of the Daintree.
oOh!media & POLY Partner With Greening Australia For OOH Awareness Campaign
Like to quell the road rage with super cute pics of fluffy marsupials? This outdoor's just the ticket.
Are Media Cares For The Carers In Its Latest Social Change Campaign
Are Media calls on the government to add super payments to carers' payments. Remains silent on AUKUS, however.
In A Fragmented World, Engagement Is King
Today, B&T TV's talking fragmentation & engagement. But not in a down-on-one-knee sense of the word.
Kyle Sandilands On Advertising: “We Want Return Business. It’s No Good Just Taking Someone’s Money”
Kyle & Jackie O finally arrive on Melbourne radio. As yet, no sign of the monotonous and bitter AFL-NRL debate.
Sydney Comedy Festival: Taking The City & Social Media By Storm
Sydney Comedy Festival 2024 is live and ready to rumble, showing the best of international and homegrown talent at a host of venues around town. As usual, it’s hot on the heels of its big sister, the giant that is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, picking up some acts as they continue on their own […]
Global Marketers Descend For AANA’s RESET For Growth
The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has announced the final epic lineup of local and global marketing powerhouses for RESET for Growth 2024. Lead image: Josh Faulks, chief executive officer, AANA Back in 2000, a woman with no business experience opened her first juice bar in Adelaide. The idea was brilliantly simple: make healthy […]
Is Meta’s New AI Chatbot Too Left-Wing?
Meta's chatbot accused of being left-wing after being caught wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt & listening to Billy Bragg.
TV Ratings (23/04/2024): Why Did No One Tell Angela That Farmer Wants A Wife Is Set On A Farm?
As wonderful as this headline is, let's face it, we all know an 'Angela', don't we?
PubMatic Unveils New AI Partnership To Turn Social Posts Into Ads For Any Digital Channel
Here's some nifty tech for turning social posts into ads. Assuming said posts aren't one-star character assassinations.
Intuit Mailchimp Makes A Splash With Its First Australian Brand Campaign
Ever laugh along at a gag you didn't get so as not to appear dumb? Get ready for more feigning with this new work.
GumGum’s Rob Hall: Advertisers Can No Longer “Rely On Binary Descriptions” Of Consumers
If anyone's got their finger on adtech's pulse, it's Rob Hall. He also avoids using the good paper in the office printer
Mastercard Nabs Florencia Aimo From Marriott International
Marriott International's Florencia Aimo jumps from the hotel business to the exploitative credit card one.
Bastion Agency Appoints Cheuk Chiang As New ANZ CEO
Cheuk Chiang takes the reins over at Bastion Agency. But not the rains down in Africa.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Major Sponsorship Wins After A Disappointing Week In Sport
B&T continuing our deep dive into local sport sponsorships & that's despite not a single offer of a free ticket as yet.
Macca’s Marketing Director, Samantha McLeod On Big Mac Chant: “What Was Once Old Is Now Cool Again”
Macca's using the power of nostalgia in latest Big Mac campaign. Well, only for those who've ever eaten one sober.
World Premiere Of Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line To Open Sydney Film Festival 2024
Oil's biopic to open Sydney Film Festival. Here's hoping Molly Meldrum will take his pants down at the premiere.
Entries Are Now Open For The 2024 Brandies, IntelligenceBank’s Annual Brand Marketing Awards
The Brandies are, of course, a prestigious marketing gong and not the mystery tipple favoured by nannas everywhere.