Building Relationships With Your Customers Through Mobile: Mobile's Inheritance
I am far from a mobile marketing expert, in reality I would say that I know very little about it beyond what anyone watching an emerging platform would know. I have always had a sense that for me, as a consumer, it was not something I was interested in. This panel, however, has changed my mind.
MODERATOR:
Jack Philbin, Co-Founder and President, Vibes Media
PANELISTS:
Bob Wesley, CEO, Modiv Media
Dean Macri, Founder and CEO, Cielo Group
Brook Pitts, Senior VP, Marketing Innovation, Bank of America
The beauty of what was discussed here, was a real focus on CRM. CRM has always been touted as a necessary part of any brands online presence, but implementation of the concepts has been long and hard and still underutilized. So many brands kept a distance from email after the SPAM backlash, that it seemed CRM just wasn't in the cards. Keeping that in mind, I just couldn't see how brands were going to properly use mobile marketing. But it appears that time really does heal all wounds. Web 2.0 now rings through the halls of agencies, pundits shout it from the rooftops, and mobile marketing has inherited a much more eager brand base.
As I listened to the speakers discuss their experiences I found myself thinking about similar ideas that I know were pushed for online marketing many years ago and wondering how on earth these concepts of customer relationship management and interactivity were finding home now, and quickly, in what could be a much more intrusive medium.
The response was pretty straight forward.
The platform allows for immediate interaction on a very personal level, which can be integrated into all advertising online and offline. So if someone sees an ad that gets their attention while walking down the street, they can send a text right then and start the relationship. This isn't possible with a web address.
Another reason was experience. Brands have learned from their trials in the online space and have even learned to accept the fact that there is a learning curve. You're not likely to hit a home run the first time you step up to the plate.
So I have joined the converted and will now begin to look more closely at the opportunities that lie ahead for us all.
