LaughlinOutLoud

“Mobile is the future of any activity online.”
–  Jim Clark, market researcher at Mintel, as quoted by BBC

By the end of this year, eMarketer estimates that there will be roughly 69 million mobile internet users. And about one-fifth of the total mobile population are already considered “heavy mobile internet users” – defined as going online via mobile more than ten times per week. So while numbers will likely continue to explode, in some ways, the future Mr. Clark speaks of is now.

A predictable headline follows. Consumers report that they don’t like mobile marketing. Of course they say that. But put away the flaw in the research for a moment. (Who are the 40% of consumers that say they *like* mobile marketing? The moms of mobile marketers?) This should act as a great reminder for marketers looking to build their brands in the mobile space.

It’s true of all media, but this one in particular. You have the opportunity to add value.

Mobile phones can be plain old mobile phones. But they can also be personal assistants. Movie finders. Restaurant reviewers. GPS systems. And, in the case of my iPhone, good friends.

So what if we thought about that mobile device – which may soon be a tablet, not a phone – as another link in the social ecosystem? What if we thought about it passing along content like a friend and not a mini-TV? What if we thought about mobile first and foremost as a point-of-purchase decision influencer? Doing so opens an entirely new way of connecting. Of providing content. And of, ideally, adding value.