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Mobile Ad Revenue Doubles In First Half Of 2012 (IAB via VentureBeat)
According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, Internet ad revenues are up 14% in the first six months of 2012, hitting a new record $17 billion. And that increase is dwarfed by mobile’s nearly doubling (a 95% increase) to hit $1.2 billion. This growth in mobile is particularly interesting. While certainly increasing from a smaller base, the near-doubling shows that mobile site and app revenue models depending on advertising are just starting to hit their stride. According to IAB numbers, the first few years of digital advertising from 1996 to 2000 showed triple-digit increases ranging from 110% to 320% annually, and if the pattern continues, mobile ad revenue has a long runway for growth.
Optimizing For Mobile Web Leads To Increased Listening And Reading (NPR)
When Digital Services embarked on NPR's quest to create a mobile web experience for stations, they had a simple theory: if they optimized the user experience for small screens by focusing on what the mobile audience needed the most, they should see mobile engagement increase. With a few dozen stations now using the new mobile web product, the initial results are in: engagement with stories is up and the amount of listening is skyrocketing. Streaming via the mobile site has more than tripled.
And mobile users are reading more stories.
The results are clear: If your web experience isn't optimized for your growing mobile audience, you're missing a key opportunity for audience growth and engagement.
There Will Be A 50% Rise In Mobile Shoppers In Next Two Years (Juniper via BizReport)
Juniper Research has released new figures in its Buy Now, Pay Mobile report estimating that the rate of mobile shopping will rise significantly over the next 2 years taking user numbers up to over 580 million. Greater consumer confidence in mobile shopping and mobile payments is reflected in Juniper's estimates showing e-retail migrating to mobile devices. Businesses that don't provide a mobile option won't meet consumer expectations, and risk falling behind their competitors and missing out on revenues. Total annual transaction values from remote digital and physical goods sales will hit $730 billion within five years.
Is Mobile Currency Really Making Cash Obsolete? (AdAge)
The value of the dollar bill is not derived from its material composition; it's merely a symbol that represents a cultural understanding of value. The widespread adoption of mobile phones (particularly smartphones) has brought about tremendous new prospects for loyalty marketers. While the mobile device increasingly possesses the ability to serve as a payment mechanism, the impact that the mobile device can have on currency goes much deeper. In many ways, the cultural currency of loyalty is becoming a material way to subsidize purchases as opposed to older loyalty programs in which the accumulation of points lead to the largely infrequent redemption of rewards. The recent advancements in mobile loyalty programs create an opportunity for a "cashless" value exchange; an exchange that can be meaningful for both brand and consumer.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD): Lessons Learned Thus Far (SAP)
From the millennial masses up through the C-suite, employees are using personal technology at work. It’s generating a lot of buzz about BYOD, and depending on who’s doing the talking, conversations tend to center around productivity (end-users), security/privacy (CIOs and IT departments), or cost (finance folks). Has BYOD helped or hindered your business model? Has IT been able to respond to this challenge / opportunity? What are your experiences (or those of the companies with which you work)? Success stories? Horror stories? BYOD class is now in session… Read more for some solutions to issues companies are facing.
Unlocking The Power Of Mobility: The Right Technology, Culture And Process (Cisco)
A recent global survey commissioned by Cisco from the Economist Intelligence Unit, Secure Data Access in a Mobile Environment, questioned 578 senior executives on the current and ongoing challenges stemming from increasing trends toward worker and user mobility, and how this has shaped company BYOD and rices and policies. Overall, the results found that although many executives are uneasy about the security of corporate information on mobile devices, the trend is largely unstoppable and proper policies must be initiated to underpin access to this sensitive information. Here are some key findings:
- 42% say that C-suite needs secure and timely access to strategic data, yet, only 28% believe it’s appropriate to access this from mobile devices
- 49% say the complexity of securing multiple data sources and a lack of knowledge about mobile-access security and risk are top challenges for their companies
- Larger companies are most willing to allow mobile access to critical data, but also impose stricter rules
- 47% of companies with revenue under $500 million permit access on personal devices with policies that are more informal
- Over 90% of companies with over $1 billion revenue allow access to data via personal and company devices and have written and enforced security policies
- BYOD requires that companies take a fresh look at how they attempt to control devices and use. And importantly, mobile policies must not neglect social networking
- There is a gap in what is stated and what is allowed; 56% of respondents have policies for acceptable use of social networks on mobile devices, yet, 33% of the executives are restricted from discussing work on these platforms
- With an influx of devices, available infrastructure is the key influence on company policies around mobile access
- 60% cite IT infrastructure requirements as the primary influence on policy around security and security related to mobile access
It’s clear from the survey findings that each new opportunity to further connect and engage employees brings with it a corresponding set of challenges.
Mobile Marketing Best Practices Driven by Consumer Insights (eM+C)
If you needed more best practices for your mobile strategy, here you go. Understanding customers’ behaviors and how they use mobile devices is crucial to marketing success in the mobile channel. Here are a few things to consider:
- Mobile web vs mobile app
- Does anyone use QR codes?
- The basics of mobile messaging
When considering brand-marketing strategies, be aware of developing mobile trends while applying marketing principles used on other channels. First, understand your customers’ mobile usage, place mobile strategies over that core, then focus on bigger ideas. Using this approach will ensure long-term success while providing customers with the information they need.
Estee Lauder Drums Up Sales Via Mobile Advertising (Mobile Commerce Daily)
Someone gets it. The Estee Lauder ads running inside Refinery 29’s mobile site include an image of a bottle from the brand’s Pure Color Nail Laquer collection. The ads encourage consumers to find their own nail color by tapping on the ad. The banner ad then redirects to Estee Lauder’s mobile site to the specific product page of the nail polish. Driving consumers to the specific page to shop is a smart move for Estee Lauder since it gives consumers quick access to the product advertised. Consumers can then click through to see the different shades that the nail polish is available in, read product reviews, “Like” items via Facebook and add items to their shopping baskets. From there, consumers can check-out either through PayPal or by filling out a four-page form. Consumers can also add a custom message to gift orders.
Nearly One Quarter Of App Gamers Only Play On Mobile (NPD via VentureBeat)
Mobile gamers are increasingly focused on mobile devices. Market researcher NPD said its research shows that 23% of app gamers say that they only play on mobile devices. This shows that mobile device gaming is becoming a destination for game players, rather than just a distraction. NPD said 59% of all game play now happens on a mobile device. About half of the gamers in a survey of 5,923 U.S. residents in August said that they’re playing more mobile games now than a year ago. The main reason, cited by 37% of those surveyed, was free games, followed by portability and convenience (34%). About 30% of app gamers have made either an in-app purchase (buying a virtual item from within a game) or have upgraded from a free app to a paid version. The average price that app gamers feel is a good value for a purchase or upgrade is $3.
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