• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, May 9, 2011

What most brands call their mobile strategy really just amounts to a collection of mobile tactics, according to Altimeter Group analyst Jeremiah Owyang. In a new blog post based on a presentation he gave at the recent Mobile Marketing Strategies Summit in San Francisco, he argues companies should look at how their customers use mobile technologies and build a strategy accordingly.

Specifically, they should integrate mobile across the customer lifecycle, which Altimeter defines as an "hourglass" rather than the traditional purchase funnel. The inverted pyramid forming the top of the hourglass includes "awareness," "consideration" and "intent." The bottom section features "advocacy," "loyalty" and "support." Both halves narrow toward the purchase phase of the lifecycle.

For each part of the process, Owyang provides marketing examples, mostly popular apps. In connection with the awareness-building stage, he highlights a number of apps centered on location-awareness features such as GateGuru, which airport retailers advertise on to drive users into stores. Another example is Nestle Purina's app providing a database of pet-friendly places in the U.S. to boost brand awareness and affinity.

When it comes to purchase intent, Owyang says apps or other mobile tools should reduce friction and smooth the way for a purchase to take place with a few simple clicks. Examples include Target's app that lets users create wedding and baby shower registry lists, and the ShopRite app that allows customers to view and add weekly sales items to their shopping lists.

The presentation also notes that social commerce, while still emerging, will drive sales growth for mobile commerce by populating shopping lists based on social and location data. Next-generation apps will automatically fill out these lists based on past behavior. And apps like Starbucks' mobile card already let people make transactions directly with a wave of their smartphones.

Apps have proven especially popular in providing customer support. In that vein, think Delta's app-based e-boarding passes or the AAA app for getting roadside assistance. Owyang recommends these kind of apps include features like frequently asked questions, peer-to-peer support, and direct customer service once other avenues have been exhausted.

The presentation includes more examples of mobile tools geared to other parts of the customer experience. One observation from considering these suggestions is that it could get expensive if a marketer were to build separate apps for each phase of the process.

A single app can cost several hundred thousand dollars at the high end. Short of that, it seems companies have focused on the aspects of the customer lifecycle most suited to their businesses. Retailers, for instance, have concentrated on apps that help people find stores, find products while shopping, and make purchases.

Brands may naturally focus more on creating product awareness in mobile. Creating more partnerships between brands and retailers is one way companies may be able to reduce development costs while expanding mobile across the entire marketing process. And if you think you have great ideas for marketing in this emerging space, Altimeter is looking for a mobile analyst.