Enhancing the switched on experience in a mobile first world: Sabiha Khan

Authored by Sabiha Khan, AVP - Account Planning and Strategy, WATConsult.

She has been with WATConsult since May 2011, as an Account Manager B2B. Over the years she proved her mettle and consistently gained vast amount of experience. Now, after six very fruitful and efficient years she heads Planning and Strategy at WATCOnsult, managing a team of over 50 people.

We are increasingly hearing and reading talk about how we need to be able to “switch off” and how too much connectivity is not good for us or how increasing dependence on the mobile phone is somewhere reducing our grey matter. Being a millennial who has seen both sides of the good life (a childhood free of tech and early teens and later adulthood full of discovering tech) I am guilty of some of these complaints. However, just last month I got back from a holiday and interestingly the one point that struck me during my entire sojourn is “what would I have done without my mobile?”

There is a simple, unchallengeable fact that exists in all our lives today - “We cannot live without our mobile devices”. Period. The consumers of today and tomorrow are social and will continue to be so but yet like to plough their own furrow. The mobile phone has become all you need in your life in every walk of your life - your companion for traveling, fitness, banking, groceries, entertainment, etc.; your wallet; your camera; your teacher and even your identity thanks to biometrics.

We are on the move, and efficiently so because of the all-encompassing nature of today’s mobile phone and it’s the ability to increase our efficiency.

And as perspicacious marketers, here are five trends pertaining to mobile marketing/ advertising that we should be cognizant about:

Sound: It’s not just going to be moving images and video, but also sound - in terms of access, entertainment, education - podcasts, audio-books, etc. Podcasts have finally found their moment in the sun and will continue to bask in it. With ASMR videos being included as part of innovations, brand curated playlists on streaming channels like Spotify, Saavn and Gaana, audio-books being sought out, audio as a “mobile digital eco-system” is going to grow and become really relevant in the marketing mix.
Education: Mobile learning is going to be a key area by 2020. Given the proximity to mobile phones, Generation Z has deleted all of the hesitancy and doubt that there may be in thinking the mobile device can be an effective and efficient teacher. There is plenty of proof out there pointing to this trend with the surge in online tutorials on YouTube, Instagram or Facebook and also the increasing popularity of sites/apps like Coursera, Lynda, DuoLingo, or even Google.
Security: The mobile number is the single most important address that a person will have (possibly more important than their physical address) and as such increasingly people will be concerned about the security of their personal mobile content (or belongings) just the way they are about their physical belongings at home. More so because of integration of biometrics and artificial intelligence which while making things secure are also a big risk as for the first time people will know how to record their biometrics in a format they can use themselves (without the need of an authority)
Cross pollination and inclusivity - Mobile apps are definitely here to stay. Which ones will survive, though, is a good question. Branded app space on a phone is going to be the most desired real estate for brands. Hence, not every brand can seek the dream of launching an app. One solution to this could be cross pollinated inclusivity. Use native integrations that help propel the cause for two or more parties. Take the example of Google maps integrating cab bookings. This is just one. There will be many such branded integrations which benefit both brands as well as consumers as the coveted real estate (as we all know) is fairly limited.
Analytics - While this is a much discussed and debated area where apps are concerned, this will be one of the most important precincts in the years to come where mobile is concerned. With the deployment of big data, artificial intelligence and the increasing need for transparency, beyond the obvious questions, there will be some which may not have a straight and sure answer. For example, Understanding how the small screen works on the mind of the consumer, are there different patterns of behaviour when shopping with a touch keypad integrated experience or when shopping with prompts? OR how will dual screen behaviour change or affect content? OR Should there be a different mobile site loading options that are different from what’s online but more in sync with the physical retail options (since most people like to compare and check while on the move)?

In conclusion, it will continue to be a mobile-first world, that is a given. The battle though will be won by those who understand the subtle nuances and trends that impact the elusive user and bring about an integration that gives the mobile device a seat that has a say on the table.