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Mobile payments, social mcommerce and QR codes will dominate in 2012

By Chantal Tode

Marketers

must gain a better grasp of software and technology in order to provide the kinds of experiences that consumers are demanding now that mobile is mainstream.

The goals of these efforts should be to ensure the best possible consumer experience by seamlessly incorpo- rating mobile technology into a brand’s marketing ef- forts, optimizing mobile content across multiple devices and leveraging mobile’s unique characteristics such as location-based services and personalization to meet consumers’ needs.

“As smartphone penetration is reaching significant lev- els, we are reaching a tipping point with the technol- ogy moving from emerging to mainstream,” said Rebec- ca Kane, vice president of brand and customer-specific marketing at Ahold USA, Quincy, MA. “In response, the marketers will now be making the shift from watching and waiting to actively engaging.

“With the move from emerging to mainstream, custom- ers will have greater expectations – expectations around speed, simplicity and relevance,” she said. “If marketers/companies don’t deliver on these expectations, custom- ers will not have patience and will look for other options resulting in wasted investments.

“In 2012, we anticipate an exponential increase in total marketing dollars flowing through the mobile channel – specifically the smartphone mobile channel.”

Mobile payments and commerce

Mobile payment and commerce technologies such as Google Wallet, Isis and others that are yet to come will play a big role in brands’ mobile software and technology plans next year.

Much, although not all, of the activity will take place around dedicated mobile applications.

“There are a lot of competing technology platforms out there to support mobile marketing and commerce,” Ms Kane said. “To some extent, therefore, winners and losers will begin to shake out with respect to the providers of these technology solutions.”

In 2012, as even more people embrace the rich capabili- ties offered by smartphones, marketers will look for ways to take advantage of mobile software and technology that address way that mobile is changing how consum- ers engage with each other, content and brands.

“From the conversations that we’ve been having with our clients, the outlook [for mobile software and technology] is very strong,” said Chia Chen, senior vice president and mobile practice lead for Digitas, Boston.

“Paradoxically, it has less to do with the specific mo- bile technologies and software and more to do with the culture of mobility that the mobile technologies have enabled,” he said. “This culture of mobility has changed the way people connect with each other, content and brands.”

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Mobile Marketer MOBILE OUTLOOK 2012