How to win in mobile moments

Welcome to the kingdom of mobile moments which have actually become a new competitive battle ground for the consumers' attention and wallets. Brands that serve the needs of a customer in that moment win.

I made mention of this radical shift in my other article, The Cheese Has Been Moved, where I talked about how the mobile revolution has transformed the marketing landscape as well as the mindset of consumers beyond recognition.

The highlight of the mobile revolution is the change in psychology and behaviour it has induced. It is a totally different universe out there. According to one analyst, mobile has actually reprogrammed our minds. We turn to mobile whenever we need to get information or make a transaction like money transfer because we expect it to be done there and then. Context and immediacy are the key words in mobile marketing.

Due to repeated experiences of instant gratification via mobile devices, the demand for utilities delivered via mobile devices is increasing and such demand represents an opportunity to grow the market share for savvy brands.

Leveraging digital technologies

Whenever a targeted consumer seeks an answer on their mobile device, there is an opportunity to make a sale, create brand awareness or engage to enhance customer loyalty. This is phenomenal.

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Those brands which have not yet adapted risk being left behind eating the dust of the competitors. Survival in the modern economy is determined by how well brands leverage digital technologies and the new tactics of reaching the ultra-connected, always addressable consumer. The mobile economy is all about serving customers in the right context, at the right time and place. This is why mobile is an imperative.

To win in the mobile mind shifted economy, brands should be able to identify their customers' mobile moments. They should glean insights into their consumers' mobile usage patterns when they seek their services in terms of times of the day, location, frequency, value of transactions and nature of interaction.

The next stage is to design and engineer applications that deliver the requested utility at the time that it was made and in the right location. Cody Rose, NoshList's co-founder put it succinctly. "We look for annoying things in everyday life that can be fixed with a mobile app. Then we jump on it", he said. There are a number of companies that have successfully design mobile-app driven solutions.

Making life easier...

A lot of companies are disrupting business with new services models that are driven by mobile solutions. Examples include most international airlines who have deployed apps that enable travellers to make a reservation, pay for the ticket, select a seat and get other related information.

Similarly, a number of companies in healthcare industry in the United States of America have got apps that provide essential data and reports to their clients.
Yookos mobile social networking applications enable users to connect, share and play from anywhere at any time. The platform has a very popular blogging functionality

Nike's running app is another good example of technology that was engineered to offer real utility to the company's customers. The app has SoMoLo (Social, Mobile, and Location) relevancy which converges to create an extraordinary customer experience.

The Nike app offers users the ability to share their runs with their friends on social media, get weather reports and information from the run itself through shoe-tagging. This is incredible utility that creates great daily engagement and in the process, it positions Nike as the company that understands athletes the most and provides them with clothing and equipment that enhances their experience during training.

All this points to a future where digital is the key touch point for all consumer activities and transactions. Brands should create reasons why customers should interact with them every day.