MWC 2014: Why mobile is driving digital for marketers
The Drum has launched its first ever Digital Trading Awards, designed to reward transparency and efficiency in the increasingly complex digital ad ecosystem, for which Millennial Media is a sponsor. With Mobile World Congress just over a week away now, Millennial Media’s Zac Pinkham, managing director, EMEA, takes a look at some of the anticipated talking points from the show and what they may mean for marketers in the year ahead.
Zac Pinkham
Each February’s visit to the annual mobile bonanza in Barcelona is the starting pistol for a new chapter in mobile. With new devices galore, every type of mobile – and increasingly non-mobile – company exhibiting that you could possibly fathom, and some 70,000 plus attendees, it has become one of the must-attend events for brands of all kinds.
Mobile is changing digital media and the way that brands engage with consumers, so MWC is a pertinent time to take stock. For me, there are three questions I like to ask come each MWC.
What can I expect to see at this year’s show?
What did I actually see in four tumultuous days?
And, perhaps most importantly, what does it mean for marketers?
More Boxes, More Bits, More… Everything
With 2014’s show starting next Monday, I can really only focus on two of those questions for the time being.
From a technical perspective, we can expect to see a lot of announcements around networks. Following initial commercial launches of 4G in 2013, and with more coming in 2014, we know that more consumers will be adopting faster services. For marketers, this means new opportunities to engage with connected consumers with compelling content and rich media.
Next, and perhaps most inevitably from the Congress, we can expect a lot of new devices to be unwrapped during the week in Spain. Samsung, Sony, Nokia and HTC are just a few of the players who will be releasing smartphones and tablets, as well as a veritable smorgasbord of wearable tech.
As 4G offers increased connectivity, new connected screens offer even more ways to engage consumers. And as entry costs continue to fall with sub-£100 tablets and smartphones, a wider cross section of consumers are becoming mobile first. Brands must follow suit.
With these advancements in networks and new devices, brands have an opportunity to engage consumers by leveraging two key areas: audience targeting and creativity.
The opportunity to reach targeted audiences on mobile remains unmatched, and will increase as faster, richer mobile data allows brands to tap deeper into their targeted audiences across screens.
When it comes to creativity, the unique capabilities of the mobile device – from voice to touch, accelerometers to vibration, connectivity to location – are pushing new creative experiences and services every day.
With more wearables and other non-mobile connected devices making their entrance into the world, the creative challenge for marketers is set to continue apace.
Still Powering the App Economy
At this year’s MWC we can also expect the biggest ever App Planet Exhibition, showcasing the products and services that are shaping mobile every day from more than 200 app-specific exhibitors. This will actually be our home for the week as well, in hall 8.1, so feel free to drop by and say hola.
Recent research from Millennial Media has demonstrated buoyancy in the mobile market for publishers and developers as more brands turn to mobile to engage customers, with our recently announced State of the Apps industry snapshot showing that three quarters (73%) were monetising apps from ads, with more expected to follow suit in 2014.
For companies looking to engage stakeholders through mobile, and for publishers who control the channels where new revenues and relationships are developed, there are two further areas on top of audience targeting and creativity to consider at MWC.
Firstly, measurement is one of our big discussion areas at the show, and specifically how mobile can help brands reap the benefits of real-world measurement. Advancements in technology and connectivity, and the combination of extensive first-party data with third-party data sources, are making it easier to track how mobile is driving consumers to specified actions, such as foot traffic, transactions and awareness.
Then of course, we have the buzzword of the moment when it comes to mobile: programmatic. We all know the programmatic opportunity in mobile, the reported numbers have been staggering. It’s the personal nature of mobile that’s fuelling that demand, allowing brands to target individual consumers on a real-time basis and at scale. Although there is undeniably a lot to get to grips with, collaboration, clarity and education in the programmatic landscape are key to helping drive mobile ad spend – all which will be big talking points come MWC.
Personally, I can’t wait to get to Barcelona and see all of the above – and inevitably more – unfurl across four whirlwind days.
The Drum has launched the Digital Trading Awards to reward clarity, transparency and client service when it comes to digital advertising. Find out more at digitaltradingawards.com
The deadline for award entries has been extended. For those looking to request an extension please contact events manager Katy Thomson.