Capturing Today's Mobile Consumer
Leveraging lifestyle or cultivating addiction
PARTNER CONTENT
There has been a raging debate about mobile consumers and whether they are addicted to their phones. It's not surprising, since our reliance on mobile technology has happened with unprecedented suddenness. In the 10 years since the introduction of the smartphone, more than a third of global users now access all things digital via mobile only, according to Comscore. Last year, the number of mobile users was forecast to grow to 4.77 billion, with 50 percent of mobile users being smartphone users by 2018.
Americans spend an average of 5.5 hours a day with digital media, and more than half of that time on mobile devices, according to the research firm eMarketer.
Three quarters of 18- to 24-year-olds say that they reach for their phones immediately upon waking up in the morning. Once out of bed, according to a U.K. study, we check our phones 221 times a day — an average of every 4.3 minutes. This number actually may be too low, since people tend to underestimate their own mobile usage.
One might think based on these facts alone that consumers have become addicted to their devices. But it is impossible to be addicted to a device. Rather, it is the addictive content delivered through it that people become attached to. The mobile device has revolutionized the way we live our lives, allowing us to create and capture an abundance of amazing experiences that we would not have been able to otherwise.
What I believe is that these consumers reach for their devices as if mobile were a sixth sense. It's just like using smell, taste, or touch to engage and interact with the world around us. People can use their devices to access anything they want at any moment from anywhere.
Knowing this, it is more important than ever to look at how brands connect to these mobile consumers. I would like to highlight and share two principles that I use to capture, engage, and convert consumers in today's mobile world. Both principles address consumers' connectivity to their mobile devices and how to leverage their lifestyle.
Build a Relationship with the "I Need It Now Society" Consumers
Consumers have elevated their "I want it now" behavior into the "I need it now society." They are more inclined to purchase from those companies that understand how to help them get whatever it is they need now more quickly.
To capitalize on the "I need it now society" behavior, you have to build a relationship with consumers by marketing to them enough times in advance so that in the moment when they need it, they turn to you and your company. It takes seven impressions for a consumer to remember a brand. In their rush to fulfill their needs, consumers select the brands they know, like, and trust — brands they know they can rely on, brands with which they have built a relationship.
Starbucks, as an example, continues to innovate to keep up with customer demand and need. The coffee shop added mobile ordering in 2015 to help customers avoid lines. According to Forbes, mobile now accounts for roughly 30 percent of U.S. orders.
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However, on its first-quarter conference call in January of 2017, company officials attributed the lack of growth to long lines that were being exacerbated by an uptick in mobile ordering. Waits at its higher-volume stores at peak times caused some customers to walk out. Starbucks had to innovate once again.
To test ways of eliminating the bottlenecks, Starbucks opened a dedicated mobile order and pay-only store at its Seattle headquarters. The location only served Starbucks employees who made use of the Mobile Order & Pay app. Starbucks successfully recognized the mobile consumers' "I need it now" behavior by first providing the option of mobile ordering and then implementing changes to ensure that all consumers' needs for quick service are met.
Leverage the Platinum Rule
Dr. Tony Alessandra's Platinum Rule states, "Treat others the way they want to be treated." This is one of the most important keys to your success in integrating into the dynamic lifestyle of the mobile consumer. Most of the modern world grew up on the Golden Rule, which states, "Treat others the way you want to be treated." This is now an outdated approach. We want consumers to click on our ad, like us on our social network, or enter their information with this special form. We need to market to consumers the way they want to be marketed to.
A great example of the Platinum Rule is Taco Bell's Taco Snapchat filter. Snapchat let its over 100 million users celebrate Cinco de Mayo in a special way: by becoming a taco. This engagement by Taco Bell shattered Snapchat records with the number of views and engagement its Cinco de Mayo filter received. More than 224 million people interacted with and looked at Taco Bell's snap filter. You can attribute this success to the fact that Taco Bell and Snapchat partnered to communicate to the consumer in a way that the consumer communicates.
To create for consumers and their lifestyles, you must not discriminate or force them into your brand your way. It is about them — what they want and where they want to receive it, explore it, buy it, or use it. It is a higher level of service, which leads to a higher level of relationship and, ultimately, higher levels of engagement.
Conclusion
While it is impossible to be addicted to a mobile device, there is no doubt that consumers are more connected than ever. To market successfully to these consumers, it is essential to leverage their lifestyles and how they interact with and use the devices to communicate in today's mobile world. Market to these consumers knowing they live in an "I need it now society" and want to fulfill their needs with speed and efficiency. With strong connectivity to their mobile devices, the manner in which consumers communicate and relate to brands has also changed. By using the Platinum Rule when developing a communication strategy, you have the opportunity to elevate your engagements with consumers.
John Lim is the founder and CEO of linknexus.