Think back ten or 20 years … who would have dreamed that students would reach for their computers rather than an encyclopedia when researching a school paper? Or that we would sell our old toys and clothing online to people halfway around the world, or use an online service for mapping a trip rather than looking at a paper map?
We all know the forward‐thinking companies who recognized the potential of the dreams above and turned them into lucrative businesses: Google, Map Quest, and eBay to name a few. In Branding Unbound, Rick Mathieson contends that current forward‐thinking companies will recognize the equally compelling potential of the many wireless, mobile devices used by consumers today and will tap into them as the next marketing “wow” of the century.
Several big companies, including Warner Brothers, Unilever, Dunkin Donuts, and Coca Cola, have already invested millions in the concept, and they are expecting great business results in return. This book examines some of those specific initiatives and also outlines the mediums, terminologies, and best practices for successfully marketing in the mobile world.
The new term for marketers is “m‐branding.” Just like “branding” in general, the goal here is to reach your target, differentiate, build brand loyalty, and ultimately generate sales. But “m‐branding” specifically uses mobile technologies to achieve these goals: technologies found in mobile phones, text messaging, video games and wireless Internet. And perhaps the most interesting aspect to a marketer is that, although we are familiar with the recent move from mass‐marketing to greater personalization and individualization, m‐branding actually brings marketing efforts down to a niche of one, a single person reaching for a cell phone or logging onto their wireless connection. It provides for the ultimate in personalized marketing. There are a number of characteristics of m‐branding that support the personalized approach:
Immediacy. You can send your message at the precise moment of maximum effectiveness, such as when a consumer is walking in front of your store window.
Intimacy. The message can be tailored to the one person you are targeting at the time, and it is seen by them alone.
Interactivity. You can provide the means for the consumer to respond to your message in a variety of ways.
Mobility. Your message can reach your target whenever you want, no matter where they might be.
Immersion. The possibilities include not only personal communication with the target consumer but enhancing the customer experience through devices such as RFID tags, which allow a purchased product to communicate with other devices once in the home.
The book begins by explaining the concept of m‐branding, describing some basic examples of use, and detailing ten secrets to successful mobile marketing:
- 1.
Size matters. Most screens on mobile devices are very small – marketing messages must be clever, creative, and appropriate to the size of device in order to be effective.
- 2.
No pushing allowed. Similar to the concerns over spam and junk mail, consumers will not tolerate being bombarded with unwanted messaging on their mobile devices – marketers should be strategic and respectful.
- 3.
Integration. Wireless advertising works best when it is integrated with print, outdoor, or broadcast advertising.
- 4.
Entertainment rocks. Offering some type of entertaining diversion in the advertisement, such as a poll or trivia, is highly effective with today's consumer.
- 5.
Sponsorships rule. Sponsorships are important in mobile marketing, and marketers should choose sponsors of specific interest to the target customer.
- 6.
Getting personal. A recent study suggests that consumers are more interested in advertising if it is based on pre‐submitted user data so that the advertisements are relevant to them. Mobile marketers should ensure their advertisements are personal and targeted.
- 7.
Location. Now effective marketing can target the perfect time as well as the perfect place, delivering a message based on the location of the target.
- 8.
The medium. It is important to explore the various capabilities of wireless devices to utilize all the possibilities of each one.
- 9.
Think young, to a point. Right now, consumers younger than 25 are adopting wireless devices at the most rapid rate, although the 25‐49 age bracket is the peak usage group for mobile phones.
- 10.
There is no time like now. The time for marketers to embrace wireless marketing is now – those who fail to keep up with it will fall behind rapidly.
After laying down the groundwork for understanding the mobile marketing concept, the author proceeds to explore several real‐life examples of m‐branding in action. The book's organization is effective in that it gives the reader the best‐practices to look for and then reinforces them with real‐life examples. Also helpful are the glossaries at the beginning and end of the book to keep the reader up‐to‐speed with the latest terminology in mobile marketing, such as Hot Spot, MMS and WiMax. These glossaries are a good reference, and the reader may need to refer back to them while reading, although overall the book is an easy read without a lot of technical jargon. Also interesting are the “Q&A” sections in between chapters with marketing gurus such as Seth Godin and Tom Peters.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the book? I confess I started reading with the thought that this was a “niche” topic with very little relevance to me in my “traditional” marketing line of work. I quickly learned that this is not the case and is actually a risky point of view. I put the book down challenged to think of ways that m‐branding can work in my personal marketing efforts, and am convinced that those who do not will wish they had when this concept becomes as popular and necessary as today's marketing on the internet.
