As mobile device usage increases, new marketing strategies are in the horizon. A study from Oxford and SAP concluded that close to 60 percent of executives believe mobile phones will impact their businesses substantially within the next five years. The fact that half a million Android devices are activated every day is clear evidence of this trend.
On the other hand, due to their inmediacy, ubiquity and comfort, more mobile devices are replacing PC usage.
Businesses across the industry spectrum are paying attention, and therefore, are also having to adjust their marketing strategies in order to face the challenge of their users' constant change of habits, particularly the young. They are used to owning several models, but keep looking for a device which allows them more freedom and provides better features. In the quest for that particular one device, smartphones are doing the job and, because of that, becoming extremely popular. Nielsen indicates in a recent study that these
devices have reached a dramatic growth of 55 percent in terms of mobile sales this year. Last year that figure was 34 percent. With data from March through May 2011, the study concludes that smartphone penetration has gone up from 29.7 to 38 percent in a matter of months, even though 62 percent of the mobile phone market is still taken by feature phones. My forecast for Android right after its launching is proving to be accurate in terms of the platform dominating the mobile arena. Looking at the current numbers, Apple and RIM must be quite worried.
Such spectacular numbers in favor of smartphones is, for the most part, driving manufacturers, content providers and even government organizations to accelarate modifications to their mobile strategy in order to achieve their sales and marketing goals. The features and capabilities of smartphones out number those of feature phones by far. If these organizations are not taking the next step, they will be missing out on opportunities. But they are also have in their hands the chance to improve services, products and image as well as to make them more socially available in the process.
