I think mobile phones and tablets have a massive advantage over traditional marketing because they let you reach someone at the exact moment interest can turn into action. A print ad, a billboard, or a TV spot can raise awareness, but they can’t personalize the next step or move the customer into the purchase journey. Mobile marketing can do that via time and location targeting, social commerce, app links, voice search and geo-targeted offers. One study found that there were 6.4 billion smartphone users worldwide in 2021 and that mobile is now a fundamental part of the omnichannel approach, enabling customers to move from social to the online store with much less friction (Ivanova & Vovchanska, 2021). The sales impact is very real too. In one hotel example, 48.05% of their 2018 sales were via the mobile app, compared with 8.48% via the website, and online sales increased again in 2019, with most of that increase coming from the app channel (Bali et al., 2021). To me, that shows why mobile isn’t just another marketing channel, but it’s the bridge from awareness to action.
Mobile marketing also creates a much stronger dialogue/marketing contact, as the interaction can continue after the initial point of contact. A good brand app can provide product information, coupons, entertainment, shopping tools, and customer service all in one place. Affiliate apps and in-app advertising can then connect users with relevant products because they’re already in the market for them. Research on app marketing has shown that app advertising, brand apps, and affiliate apps all positively affected perceived consumer value and purchase intention (Tian & Yao, 2023). The caveat to that is that the effect of the various app tactics was not the same. That qualification matters because mobile marketing works only if it feels useful rather than intrusive. Chatbots and AI-based mobile experiences add another dimension by providing instant answers and personalization. Some 40% of internet users globally reportedly prefer to interact with a chatbot (Ivanova & Vovchanska, 2021), which is one reason brands are so keen to use them for 24/7 customer service and customer base growth. In that respect, mobile marketing can be a very effective enabler of loyalty programs, as it keeps the brand in front of the customer through a series of useful interactions rather than just one-off promotions.
I don’t think mobile marketing just works because people have mobile devices. Marketers have to overcome the constraints that can make a mobile campaign annoying, risky, or difficult to use. Key mitigants include good app design, clear opt-ins, robust privacy practices, reliable network and payment infrastructure, and staff properly trained in e-commerce. In the hotel case, the top recommended strategy was developing simple, easy-to-use mobile app tools. Other issues mentioned were optimization, development time, technical and organizational issues, workload, and production costs (Bali et al., 2021). Privacy is just as much an issue as the marketing itself, as personalized advertising notifications can, in fact, increase the perceived risk of privacy (Tian & Yao, 2023). My view is that mobile marketing should be based on relevance rather than pressure. The offer should be relevant, the value clear, and the customer in control.
References
Ivanova, L. V., & Vovchanska, O. (2021). MODERN TECHNOLOGIES OF MOBILE MARKETING. Herald of Khmelnytskyi National University Economic Sciences, 300(6 Part 2), 176–184. https://doi.org/10.31891/2307-5740-2021-300-6/2-29
Bali, P. N., Nurtirtawaty, I. G. A. S., Murni, N. G. N. S., Bali, P. N., Bagiastuti, N. K., Bali, P. N., Ruki, M., & Bali, P. N. (2021). Digital marketing strategy through mobile application to increase room sales At Ibis Styles Bali Legian Hotel. Journal of Applied Sciences in Travel and Hospitality, 4(2), 93–100. https://doi.org/10.31940/jasth.v4i2.93-100
Tian, S., & Yao, C. (2023). Exploring the Impact of Mobile App Marketing Models on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions. Asia-Pacific Journal of Convergent Research Interchange, 9(12), 277–292. https://doi.org/10.47116/apjcri.2023.12.23
