The battle for lead between digital and print seem to have come to an end and it sometimes seems as if the print advertising is going to get extinct if it could not adapt to the changing situations of the world and its inhabitants. The outcome is becoming increasingly apparent and the rise of mobile devices is becoming a big challenge for the print to survive.
Not much years have passed after the Smartphone technology was introduced to the world and this smart device changed the way we all work and interact with one another forever. Then on, these smart mobile devices are increasingly taking over the market, which is getting augmented even more by the subsequent arrival of tablets and other so-called ‘wearable’ technology. The ubiquity of these devices has changed the way consumers behave a lot, most remarkably the way in which they consume the content.
In fact, it is expected according to a recent study that mobile advertising spend will pass the £2 billion mark and surpassing print ad spend by 2015. This stat however should not sound astonishing to marketers as anyone can make out from the way Smartphones are increasingly being used by the people, whether a necessity or a luxury. People are consuming content on the digital platform more than they do on print making it hard for print to survive as the trend is expected to grow only, for homo-sapiens have always longed for sophistication and convenience.
And, so, it has not remained any more as to how this dramatic rise has taken place? It is just the matter of ease and convenience that has changed the consumer, the market and so the marketing. No matter where you are, what time is that, you have access to all of the content so getting hold of the information you want is possible just anytime, anywhere. All you need is the connectivity and the device. Connectivity here is certainly the internet connectivity. The more people are glued to these small screens, more are opportunities for advertisers and that they have the perfect device for generating awareness in their arsenal.
Of course, the Smartphone has been influential in the rise of mobile, but you can’t deny the fact that even the tablets have also started to hold sway. Smartphones for sure happen to be the first point of contact generally; tablets are also playing a great role as a brand enforcer for advertisers. Today, tablet ownership is up 63% in 2013 to 17.9 million users.
Knowing the fact that tablets are used in the home more than anywhere else, advertisers must explore this opportunity. Although, advertisers have long been aware of this fact, but only a few of them have tried to fully explore it. A targeted ad aimed at individual family members can be a way that can potentially pay well. One more way that allows advertisers to engage users with content that is relevant to them is the rising ‘second screen’ phenomenon. The study also revealed that the average level of reader recall is already the same on tablet as it is in print, which implies that the power to ensure brand recall is huge in case of tablets as well. But of course, one needs to explore these opportunities to reap better results.
Yet, the hope of being in constant contact with consumers at home or ‘abroad’ must kindle the longing for future planning. It is true that the Smartphone and tablet could encourage a pincer movement by advertisers, competing against which could be kind of impossible for the print media. So, if mobile advertisers really want to flourish quicker, they should make correct use of short, intelligent communication strategy permitted via mobile, combined with the long lead, browsing driven content experience, on tablets.
The emergence of smart mobile devices has laid the foundation for future generations to exist in a world with strong alternatives to print. A mobile lifestyle is becoming a tradition and advertisers should be looking forward to it with eager anticipation.
