A recent report has unveiled some surprising truths about brand awareness and how best to turn heads in a saturated market.
According to the study, by research firm Experian, mobile communications are set to be the most important tool for marketers by 2015.
Figures collated indicated that seven out of ten marketers said mobile will be one of the most important ways to communicate with customers within the next three years.
The results also match a previous study which highlighted that more than half of the Australian population – 12 million people – own smartphones and are using them with increasing sophistication.
However, the Experian report also reported that although many marketers realise the potential impact of mobile marketing, six out of 10 are yet to take action and implement a mobile campaign.
Many marketers said they are overwhelmed and confused about how to create an integrated marketing plan that uses modern and traditional channels, including mobile.
Despite only four per cent who said they regularly implement mobile marketing activities, 41 per cent said they had created a strategy but had not started implementing it.
Additionally, a quarter said they have discussed the development of a plan but are yet to take action.
By comparison, a handful of early adopters using the mobile channel said they found the channel extremely effective.
Ninety-eight per cent of marketers said mobile-optimised websites are very effective or effective.
Ninety-five per cent also rated QR codes, a readable ‘barcode’ that can be read by smartphones and then redeemed by customers, as very effective or effective.
Commenting on the results, Experian Marketing Services head of research and consulting Dave Audley said the results indicate a business landscape slowly adapting to new technologies.
“In the next five years Experian predicts more than 50 per cent of marketing budgets will be associated with mobile, particularly as traditional, above the line channels, such as TV and billboards become more interactive and entwined with mobile,” he said.
“As more people use their smartphones to research products while in-store for example, the mobile channel is becoming the ‘glue’ sticking the online and offline worlds together.
"And this becomes increasingly apparent as devices become more advanced, data transfer becomes faster and consumers become savvier in using and interacting with their mobiles.”
Despite many marketers understanding that consumers are becoming more discerning in how they interact with brands, knowing how and where to target them has also been a challenge.
Right now, when asked to rate the importance of marketing channels, 53 per cent of marketers said face-to-face communication was one of the top three most important channels.
Email was rated by 50 per cent of marketers as a top-three channel, and social media mentioned by 42 per cent of marketers as a top three channel.
Many marketers are also yet to develop plans that encapsulate both traditional and modern tools effectively, especially when it comes to mobile marketing.
Over a third of respondents said that incorporating mobile into their marketing plans was a challenge due to tightening budgets. Whereas 28 per cent said buy-in from senior leadership was their greatest challenge.
“Clever companies will integrate mobile with existing channels, without compromising other activity. Because mobile is cost effective, easy to implement and is nimble, it creates a dynamic platform where brands can create a two-way dialogue,” Audley said.
Source: ‘The digitised pocket: Embracing the mobile age' research report, by Experian.