‘People still treat mobile like an infant’ – AOL digital prophet David Shing
Advertisers and marketers are still treating mobile as though it is in its infancy and aren’t experimenting enough when it comes to creating ads and content, AOL’s digital prophet David Shing has said.
Speaking at the IAB Engage 14 event in London, Shing admonished current content in the market, such as the map functionality in the Starbucks app, and drew on an example from Coca-Cola, which used mobile technology in the early 1990s.
“People still treat mobile like an infant, and I think it’s rubbish,” stressed Shing. “In 1997 I could text a Coca-Cola vending message and interact with their products – you have to experiment, experimentation is necessary.”
Shing went on to say that 70 per cent of consumers will try a brand’s mobile experiences once, with 80 per cent likely “to fall in love” and become “power users”.
Privacy was another theme that Shing discussed and called millennials the “we generation” who care more about privacy than social media, and who strive to achieve happiness and financial stability.