Mobile marketing 2023: Top 3 expert insights and tips for the year ahead
To say the world has changed its ways since the pandemic would be an understatement
Of the many shifts that the world saw in these years, one notable transformation is in the way people have turned toward digital platforms, particularly mobile, for their daily needs, big or small.
Southeast Asia particularly saw consumers develop a new habit – using mobile to discover news, access entertainment, shop, play games, and stay connected with what and whom they love. In fact, this region spent a lot more than the rest of the world on mobile, with four out of 10 countries spending the most time on mobile being from Southeast Asia.
So, when the region began to return to normalcy, and this habit stayed strong, brands realized that it was imperative to offer innovative, immersive, and thoughtful mobile experiences for their audiences.
2023: A renaissance for mobile
The world of mobile is going through a revolution. How can brands approach mobile experiences differently to thrive?
The key is addressing the instant needs of the hyperconnected consumer – and taking them from a series of several steps (unlocking their phone to opening an app to searching and taking action) to a one-click experience that offers seamless, personalized discovery and easy completion with a single click.
Considering this revolution in the world of mobile, and what drives it, here is what brands need to implement to succeed with their mobile marketing efforts in 2023.
#1 – Take what consumers want straight to them
Lock screen marketing is the new phenomenon. With this, brands can create engaging, personalized experiences on the lock screen that consumers can discover seamlessly. Harnessing the power of the front page of mobile this way will help brands achieve objectives across the funnel, from driving top-of-mind awareness by catching the consumer’s eye before they unlock the phone to creating bottom-funnel impact by enabling seamless one-click app installs.
An example of this is how dental care stalwart Pepsodent drove the buzz around their toothpaste, Complete 8, through lock screen marketing. The brand continued its signature way of promoting oral hygiene and captivated the audience on the lock screen with a contextual visual and message tailored to the time of day they would see it.
In the mornings, they saw a mother and child getting ready for their day, with a reminder to get eight benefits from one toothpaste. At night, they saw a reminder to brush before going to bed. At any other time during the day, they were reminded to brush twice a day with Complete 8. This clever way of combining the power of time targeting with the brand’s core message on an unmissable surface delivered 5.2x CTR and drove consideration for their product, as well as purchases.
#2 – Engage your customers through mobile gaming
Brands must naturally fit into the immersive experiences that their audience loves, which is why brands must consider the platforms and experiences consumers embrace the most – such as mobile gaming and live experiences.
Take a leaf from leading ice cream brand Wall’s Paddle Pop, a brand that delighted parents and children with a gaming experience as they launched a new product, the Choco Magma ice cream. While involving parents and children in a fun ice cream-making mobile game and then showcasing a video, the brand maximized recall and boosted their click-through rate by six times. A post-campaign brand lift survey showed that 86% of respondents took positive action after the experience.
#3 – Strengthen your strategies with a privacy-first approach
With consumers and governments looking deeply into data privacy, brands must gear up for a privacy-first age. This means it is critical to find new ways of creating personalized experiences for consumers while respecting their privacy.
Brands can begin by establishing a first-party data repository, trying fresh targeting approaches, and upskilling themselves to better adapt to the ever-changing data privacy landscape. Toward this, brands can conduct surveys to collect data with consent or target deterministic audiences without going to an individual level.
A great example of this was how Garnier Men increased purchases for their AconoFight Anti-acne Facewash. The brand’s intelligent use of InMobi-Gojek and Telkomsel audiences enabled them to reach tech-savvy Indonesian men on both iOS and Android devices. Through InMobi-Gojek audiences, the brand was able to target several cohorts, getting as specific as 16 to 24-year-old men who were frequent ride-hailing users who had previously bought popular skincare products and/or just landed their first job.
Additionally, the brand obtained signals through Telkomsel audiences to reach people who used popular productivity, social networking, dating, e-commerce, and gaming apps. Garnier Men also reached college students and job seekers. All this, without compromising on the customer’s privacy.
Such practices will define whether brands will thrive or go obsolete.
There is no doubt that 2023 is the harbinger of a new age for both brands and consumers on mobile. InMobi’s 2023 Mobile Marketing Handbook for Southeast Asia shows how brands can evolve to the next level of mobile marketing maturity, stay relevant, and be loved in these times of change. Get ready for a year that marks the world changing forever.