Much is made of the explosive growth in mobile messaging, web traffic, and applications, but the savviest of marketers are preparing for the next step in mobile…extending the experience from one-off tactical executions to full-blown integration with business strategy. As good as a branded app looks in a PowerPoint deck, game changing strategic initiatives aren’t going to happen until the marketing and IT folks make nice and deliver cross-silo implementations.
The key to championing mobile within the upper levels of an organization is to realize that the business implications reach further than most people can even imagine because they aren’t confined to a specific functional realm. Basic mobile alerts are nice for the corner deli, and a gimmicky iPhone app might be good for a PR hit, but neither reflects a comprehensive strategy with long lasting impacts on brand equity, top-line revenue, and internal efficiencies.
By thinking of mobile marketing as existing solely within the confines of marketing, marketers are missing out on a tremendous opportunity to outsmart the competition and gain a competive advantage in the marketplace.
To help get started, here is a checklist of the functions that should be considered when developing corporate-wide mobile strategies.
- Outbound Marketing (print, online, events, etc.)
- Channel Partners
- Operations
- IT
- Sales
- Customer Service
- HR
- PR
- Social Media
The point isn’t to make mobile marketing overwhelming, but rather to realize the true potential of each and every contact point with customers, business partners, and internal teams.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Ouch, Sean, you’re making my head hurt. All along we’ve been saying that the Internet, and now mobile, is not about technology, that it’s just another communications channel. Now you’re making me think about mobile not as just a communications channel, but as a platform on which to conduct ALL of our business. In other words, it’s about the technology. Or, as McLuhan preached, the medium IS the message.
I’m looking forward to seeing some examples of some of the more ambitious projects, such as using mobile for operations and HR.
Thanks Ed.
It is, and isn’t, about the technology. The primary objective of marketers should be to start with a clean slate and think about “pie in the sky scenarios” in which they are best able to communicate with customers, prospects, and internal teams with no regard for the technical limitations. Worrying about the constraints of the technology, before addressing the business or marketing strategy, puts folks in a box and makes it difficult to imagine the possibilities.
My point is to think about needs and wants first, then figure out how to execute on those ideas with the most appropriate technology.
I’m with Ed. I think it has to be used as a vehicle to get a brand where it needs to be. It can’t only be about the technology. However, the technology is a huge part.