“Mobile mktg should be consumer, not tech-focussed”

Thanks to emerging technology, the just-a-click-away media is now creating new avenues for brands to showcase their features and attract target audience. Today, digital media in itself serves a plethora of marketing options to brands. From personal computers, the Indian market is now looking at exploring personal devices such as mobile and tablets for marketing communications.

India is one of the fastest growing markets in the world in terms of mobile penetration. With over 930 million mobile users and increasing by 8.35 million every month, there is a huge opportunity for brands to explore mobile in India for marketing their products and connect to consumer in more efficient way. The ability to leverage mobile to target and reach out to the right audiences in the best possible manner is what will make the difference and determine success or failure.

Many industry experts believe that now is the time in India to understand consumer behaviour rather than focussing on emerging technology. According to Anurag Sachdeva, Assistant General Manager - New Services, VAS Digital Marketing and Mobile Advertising, Aircel, “We as mobile operators and as advertisers have to constantly observe consumer behaviour very keenly as it a 24x7 consumed medium. Integration of communication exercise should, therefore, emerge with changing consumer behaviour and not consumer technology.” Sachdeva also mentioned that it’s time for the market to look beyond display mobile and consider mobile as a unique medium itself.

Exponentially growing numbers of smartphones and changing usage trends of mobile devices and its value added services (VAS) in India are becoming attractive markets for mobile marketers and advertisers. The future of marketing could be foreseen happening on mobile. However, when and how this would emerge as a significant medium for the advertiser remains to be seen.

According to Sanjay Goyal, Chief Executive Officer, ACL Mobile, the telecom ecosystem is complex. Goyal believes that “The primary exercise of marketers is to first understand the ecosystem and then start thinking of leveraging this medium to its optimum.” Along similar lines, Dippak Khurana, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Vserv said, “It is time to bridge the gap between telecom and media itself. The telecom ecosystem is different in every market and one shouldn’t compare India with the global market.”

Users in India access the internet on mobile more than desktop, similar to markets such as China and Japan. There is diversity that mobile brings to users and in turn to brands. With increase in the number of smartphones, there is a rise in application usage. The medium is getting richer. There is an entire commerce build around this. Sandeep Deshpande, Country General Manager, InMobi shared, “With the trend that mobile users are setting up, mobile will soon be used extensively in cross media promotions. For instance, television can be used for reach, while engagement can be generated via mobile for multiplier effect.”

“Mapping consumer behaviour and integrating communication using the merits of the media is what brands should aim at. Brands should never look at force fitting the elements via mobile marketing,” cautioned Vinod Thadani, Chief Operating Officer, MadHouse.

The road ahead…
The industry believes that in marketing communication the ability of mobile should be combined uniquely. What is lacking right now is education of the mobile medium. Beerud Sheth, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, SMS GupSup Mobile remarked, “Mobile is too big to be ignored. What is a hindrance right now in mobile marketing in India is that campaigns are rolled out on short-term basis and there is lack of experimentation.” It’s time for the industry to take risks and perform better by using this personal interactive media.

Stating that mobile marketing is proving to be huge in rural India, Bharatesh Salian, Senior Vice President, VAS and Innovation, Pinnacle Teleservices noted, “Rural markets are now highly focussed on voice-based mobile campaign. This is because it generates tangible results.”

The future of mobile marketing indeed looks bright and highly profitable, but the industry needs to bring forth new innovations and understand that ever emerging consumers create landmarks for brands via marketing exercises.

The panelists were part of the Mobile Marketing Conference 2012, organised by the Internet and Mobile Association of India in Mumbai on October 10, 2012.