Future Shock?
Among all the customer touchpoints, social media and mobile seem to be leading in cool factor – and marketing potential. Social media encourages consumers to engage with their favorite brands more often and for more time. It can spur and support word of mouth like no other medium. Mobile has an always-on ubiquity and presence/location capabilities that can give marketing more immediacy than ever. Both have unique benefits and challenges. And both have huge potential. What I wonder is this: Which do you think will have the greater impact on marketing five years from now and why?
Graham,
Thanks for the two links. VERY interesting reading, with some eye-opening statistics. I can see why you've chosen the combination of mobile communities rather than one or the other for the one that will have the biggest impact in 5 years from now.
Ginger
If you really want to understand the future of mobile telephony and social networking, take a look at Tomi Ahonen & Alan Moore's excellent piece on the future of mobile telecoms - http://communities-dominate.blogs.com/brands/2007/06/mobile_welcome_.html - attheir Communities Dominate Brands blog.
Be prepared for a sharp intake of breath if you are an American reader.
Graham Hill
Look no further than the youth of today and how they are interacting with mobile devices and social networking to see what the future holds.I watch my kids daily and the activities they are involved in all rely on connecting with their friends in that manner. Neighborhoods as we remember are now held online. I also see a lot of activity with Avatar type interactions/games as well as podcasts and as our youth reach the age of professional employment they will expect to continue interacting this way.
Michael W. Thomas
CRM Association, National President
In 5 years, it will be Social Media. In 10 years, it may be Mobile.
Mobile's biggest problem right now is there are almost no standards, and the carriers have no idea how to act as platforms. This means every different phone is an island in a thousand seas, with each sea owned by a carrier. There are companies trying to do things like Mobile AJAX (SoonR is one), but this lack of standardization is a huge issue.
Meanwhile, the web is a rich world that is highly standardized and well understood. It's simply a whole lot easier to make a difference in Social Media.
When all the smart phones have decent web browsers that do things in a standard way across all carriers, life will get better for the mobile world. The iphone is taking steps in this direction by having Safari and iTunes on board. The others will have to catch up.
Ginger
No brainer. The convergence of both: Mobile social media.
Want more proof. Browse Tomi Ahonen & Alan Moore's definitive mobile marketing blog at http://communities-dominate.blogs.com/brands/ and you will see what I mean.
The future is mobile communities.
Graham Hill
Independent CRM Consultant
Interim CRM Manager