One of my absolute favourite things to do is visit a coffee shop order my coffee and sit alone and empty my thoughts into my moleskin. Obviously sitting by yourself ensconced into your writing doesn’t look that odd (well at least I hope not!) but if you turn up to a coffee catch up early and you find yourself alone for a while you seem compelled to do something. Not that long ago cafe’s provided you with magazines and newspapers to fill the empty void but nowadays there seems little need for such trimmings as just about everybody sitting alone or even in groups are firmly engrossed with their smart phones.
Whether they’re playing games, listening to music, social networking, searching the local area, buying things, downloading apps, or just seeking out information we Australians are becoming more and more in love with our Smart-phones. In fact, Australia has rapidly emerged as one of the world leaders in Smart-phone adoption.
A few mind bending stats:
- By 2015, it is expected there will be 18.5 million Smart-phone users in Australia, up by nearly 10 million from today’s Smart-phone user population
- According to a recent Google survey 26% of Australian Smart-phone users have purchased something on their Smart-phone – a statistic that I am sure will increase year on year.
- And 79% of us use our Smart-phones to help us with our shopping process
- Mobile web is also growing 8 times faster than the desktop web, yet only 20% of retailers and brands in Australia have a mobile enabled website site (surely a big opportunity)
In order to take advantage now and into the future, Mobile really needs to be integrated into Marketing plans.
So here is who I have noticed are currently doing something about this.
Google Wallet – the app that makes your phone your wallet
QuickerFeet – giving you location based, real time offers
QR Codes well used
But to be honest the examples are few and far between and I believe provide marketers with a huge opportunity for innovation and cut through.
The opportunities could be endless:
Retailers for instance could tap into their already extensive market research and consumer base to develop target innovations that reach consumers when and where they shop. Real-time offers, location-based specials, incentives and developments like bar-code mobile shopping and QR codes that can give back the edge to the retailer, and help them to truly own the customer experience.
Or in Real Estate for instance why couldn’t a for sale sign out the front of a house have a QR code which results in a short video or fact sheet about the house being delivered to your smart-phone.
Or in store in the fashion department why not have interviews pre recorded with fashion designers available for mobiles describing the inspiration behind their creations.
There is simply no escaping the reality that people are using their mobile phones to shop. I cannot wait to see what our local retailers and their marketing and creative teams come up with to get me, and you, “mopping” (Mobile shopping) at their store!
