Did you know that 42 percent of the top 100 brands aren't mobile optimized? Jon Mew from Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) shocked the Ad Week Europe crowd who attended the Cross Screen Summit this week with this fact. There is no doubt about it, brands are missing a trick if they don't deliver a good quality mobile experience. Brands need to be exploiting this platform and jump at the chance to be in front of eyeballs everywhere, at any time.
Consumers expect to, at a tap of a button, make a transaction and purchase whether it's at home or on the go. With 50 percent of the nation owning a tablet there isn't a question of whether it's mobile's year, more that it's critical that those brands, who haven't already, embrace mobile and bridge the gap with their customers. If they don't they will inevitably see a slip in customer engagement and loyalty. The proliferation of hand held devices has turned the mobile market into a constant prime time environment where the consumer chooses when to engage with brands and content.
While companies like Ikea, and NatWest are steaming ahead and leading the way in providing engaging mobile experiences for their consumers, others are simply missing the point. We have seen the same occurrence in desktop video as well which has grown to be a $5 billion sector within digital media and the same rule applies -- follow the customer! There's a rocket behind in the digital media market fueled most notably by mobile, as consumers are demanding brands to cater to their needs; whether it's purchasing online or viewing compelling content targeted to their interests. As a consequence, it's crunch time for brands to catch the tail winds of this growth and ensure they are catering to and curating for their audience across multiple screens.
This doesn't mean duplicating exactly the same content for TV or desktop video and make it work mobile. The full experience must be measurably shorter and brands need to grasp that while content and advertising should be platform agnostic, one has to do the messaging work for the mobile environment. A smart marketer doesn't pin a campaign on what platform the content will work for, rather determine who the audience is they're trying to reach and create a relevant experience for them. The bottom line is that the audience is across all devices and so content needs to resonate with consumers whatever screen they're viewing. Knowing who your audience is the first step.
The argument that traditional media channels like TV and high circulating publications is the only way to connect with consumers at scale is redundant in this day and age. By aggregating audiences, something we do at blinkx, brands can target specific audiences at scale. And now, as programmatic buying grows in popularity, mobile advertising is simple to execute. So there really is no excuse not to be creating and sharing content via mobile.
What's clear is that those companies that are looking to understand their customers and how they consume content are going to lead the way in this dynamic and continually evolving space. Mobile isn't an emerging technology, it is the fastest growing sector within digital advertising market and I'm certain that by next year's AWE all brands in the top 100 will have embraced advertising and content distribution across all screens!