Week 6: The World At Our Finger Tips #Week 6

The World At Our Finger Tips

Modern society has been entrenched by developing technologies, and no single device has had as much of an impact on the world than the mobile phone. Today, more people have access to a mobile phone than a toilet, with the average person touching their phone a colossal 268 times a day . It turns the user into what history would have called a superhuman with access to what feels like an infinite amount of  information and an ability to communicate with the world,  so it is clear why we are addicted to it!

This is why mobile marketing has been so successful; it leverages the opportunity of billions of people who can't take there eyes away from this device.  As a result brands are able to get customers viewing  more marketing messages than through any other medium. This is a marketers dream; a device which engulfs the users attention and is so compelling that the user will endure high volumes of advertising.  As a result brands can engage more customers, more often, more effectively. 

 

Essentially, the fourth screen has enabled the world to be at our finger tips, with unlimited access to a plethora of information being just one click away.  Micro moments are the events where we turn to a device to act on a need or desire that impact our decision making. Since  62% of smartphone users are more likely to take action right away toward solving an unexpected problem, as marketers we need to understand a campaign that supports the 6 step creator to grave user experience. 

1.     Consumers will identify a need or desire to buy something

2.     Engage in research about the item itself

3.     Evaluate different products and compare to build a short list

4.     Pick a provider and buy it

5.     Use the product or service & Evaluate post purchase 

6.     Dispose of the product

So whats next?

With the new technology developing at an exponential rate, its only a matter of time before we are in the realm of augmented reality systems. Technology where users are even more engaged and entrenched in a virtual world than on mobile phones will ultimately increase the levels of stimulus in the users experience and therefore the marketing messages positioned in this domain could have even more influential effect on persuading consumers.

Perhaps, the dystopian science fiction, Black Mirror which reflects the modern society and its unanticipated dark consequences of developing technologies  is not too farfetched...