GETTING STREAM
Four Key Lessons from the MMA Forum
Posted by Melissa Summers on Friday, June 24, 2011
By Anny Woo, Director, Product Innovation, Mobile
I had the pleasure of attending the MMA Forum in New York last week. Speakers from brands like Pandora, Coca-Cola, Gap, American Express, and NHL, as well as the mobile carriers, were there to discuss their experiences with mobile. Here are my key takeaways:
· Mobile devices provide a solution to consumers' pain points. As marketers, we must facilitate how a consumer interacts with our content, from mobile commerce to display advertising, to mobile campaigns and promotions. How we communicate to consumers via the mobile channel can be an asset to our brands -- or detract from it. I especially liked Lou Paskalis' (American Express) assertion that mobile devices should be considered Brand Value Proposition Reappraisal Devices, given how every interaction allows a consumer to be more embedded with our brand. Or not.
· The mobile channel is the new direct response. Mark Fiske of The Gap is right. Mobile can be tracked and measured. It can create awareness of a brand proposition, take it through all the consumer decision model stages (interest, decision) and facilitate the transaction. According to Fiske, mobile is direct marketing. The messages that resonated with the consumer become apparent due to the measurability inherent in the channel.
· Mobile gamification is a powerful promotional tactic. Another participant spoke of the need to move beyond the "dollars off" habit to drive traffic. They said that the use of rich media and game mechanics via mobile has delivered the results they sought. Gamification – the use of badges, points, leaderboards and small games to motivate consumer behavior - has been a recurring theme at conferences we've attended this year, including SXSW; so it's not surprising that such tactics also resonate over the mobile channel.
· Mobile is a connecting platform that complements brand-consumer interactions. Russell Wallach of Live Nation says we need to use both the mobile and social channels to enhance the everyday experience, as "music concerts are a social platform." For Live Nation, the mobile channel is employed at all stages of the concert experience. Before the show, there are touch points to allow for mobile connectivity introducing people to new bands and songs. When bands and music lovers come together for the evening, these fans will use their mobile devices to take videos, tweet, vote on set lists or encores. Data shows that 47% of fans text or email during a live show, 66% take photos, and 32% update their Facebook or Twitter pages. After the show, consumers share on social sites, upload photos, and even write reviews from their mobile device. Talk about consumer engagement!
Marketers are definitely exploring the potential of mobile and using the channel in creative, engaging, and revenue-producing ways.
Did you attend the MMA 2011 Forum? What were your takeaways?