Commentary

Why Brands Still Underinvest In Mobile

Given all the hype and heaps of data showing the power of mobile, you’d think brands would be throwing money at the medium.  

But, that’s just not the case. Instead, expect most brands to underinvest in mobile in 2016, says Forrester analyst Thomas Husson.

The problem is that “too many marketers still have a narrow view of mobile as a ‘sub-digital’ medium and channel,” Husson explains in a new report.

As a result, too few brands are going the extra mile to transform the entire mobile customer experience.

Sure, customer-obsessed businesses will continue integrating mobile into marketing strategies -- allocating up to 20% of their marketing budgets to mobile -- but they appear to be the exception.

Whether investment comes fast or slow, you can expect the line between the mobile Web and apps to begin blurring, Husson predicts. In part, that’s because new software offerings are making it easier to move between these environments.

As it stands, the typical smartphone owner spends more than 88% of his or her app time on just five downloaded apps, and messaging apps in particular. Complicating matters, top messaging apps like Facebook Messenger are fast evolving into standalone application ecosystems.

This year, brands considering an investment in mobile are taking a close look at artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and the Internet of things. Ironically, as Husson points out, it’s these emerging technologies that will take brands beyond what we currently think of as mobile.

Next story loading loading..