• by Jeff Urban , Columnist, March 17, 2017

As marketers, we already know that mobile is important. Over the past few years, the phone in one’s hand has become just as important as one’s TV, computer, tablet, etc., for consuming content, especially for the younger generations. Proving that further, Adobe recently released a report, "Touching the Infinite," wherein they studied 4,000 consumers in the U.S. and Europe regarding their mobile behavior. Through that report, Adobe found that 92% of respondents considered their smartphones to be their primary device for consumption. They also found that the average user checked his smartphone 85 times a day and that Americans check their phones 8 billion times a day. 

The statistics found through the study reaffirm mobile’s dominance with the following:

• Mobile is replacing desktop as the primary means of online access in the home. 

• Mobile represents almost two out of every three digital media minutes.

• More than 50% of searches happen on mobile devices.

From our research, we have found social natives, aged 13-24 years old and totaling 48 million in the U.S., prefer to consume content on social media via their phones. They prefer to lean forward and engage, to consume authentic content and want their media when and where they are. Social natives want content on mobile. Plain and simple. 

As a marketer, the study dives into the monetary spend behind mobile and creating mobile content. On average, marketing decision-makers reported that they spend about one-third of their digital marketing budget on mobile marketing programs. So what does that mean for ad-spend? Turning dollars towards the mobile landscape makes sense, especially when looking to engage those 13-24 year olds. 

At a social media platform level, Snapchat is at the essence of creating content designed for mobile consumption. What’s better than sharing selfies with your friends? Or connecting with social influencers through Snapchat Stories? Through the platform, where over 2.5 snaps are created every day, and through those billions of snaps, many one-on-one connections are being made every second. 

On a brand level, brands are taking their content to mobile to connect with their own communities. Hyatt Hotels debuted its new loyalty program through a spot captured with Snapchat Spectacles. Called “For a World of Understanding,” the brand wanted to show it understands the perspective of others so it had eight employees around the world wear the specs to see the world “through their eyes.” 

As the official sponsor of the event this year, L’Oreal Paris took Snapchat Spectacles to the Golden Globes to give viewers a sneak peek into the awards show and go behind the scenes beforehand. The sunglass-like devices were worn by celebrity makeup artist Sir John, as well as two brand ambassadors, to show everything from celebrities getting ready backstage to the walk down the red carpet.