“If your plans don’t include mobile, your plans are not finished” – Wendy Clark, Ex-president of The Coca-Cola Company
The smartphone penetration rate as share of the Singapore population has increased from 77.37% in 2015, to 82.33% in 2020 (Statista 2020). As smartphones have become an indispensable device for everyone around the globe, an IMC plan not comprising of mobile marketing is like an autonomous vehicle without wheels. In the digital era where information is at your fingertips, it is imperative for marketers to upkeep with consumers’ mobile usage trends, to satisfy and adapt to their ever-changing needs and habits, or risk getting displaced by competitors. This is even more so when marketing to the growing demographic group, Gen Zers, who prioritized involvement in decision-making and getting their voices heard above all else.
After justifying the importance of mobile marketing, the real question is: is there a secret recipe when it comes to developing applications?
Upon researching on successful yet widely differing applications such as Youtube, Whatsapp, and Facebook, I found some commonality in them.
- These applications all solve important needs of consumers – psychological needs, self-actualizing needs etc.
- They are usable across frequented platforms – desktop computers, laptops, tablets, phones etc.
- Monetizable. These applications allow users to make a profit – leveraging on the platforms’ in-built features, or the platforms itself.
- Low learning curve – These applications are user-friendly.
These commonalities all stem from one word, and that is empathy. The underlying reason on why some applications stood out from the rest, is because the developers clearly understood the needs and wants of their intended audiences, and work towards fulfilling those demands. Hence, the secret recipe is empathy.
So how and where can we empathize with our target customers? The best platforms will be 1) social communities (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. that facilitate interaction), 2) relevant community forums, and 3) customer support.
All in all, I believe that empathy is a key success in marketing. When we integrate empathy in all our marketing activities, there is a good chance for success!
What are your thoughts? Let me know below!
Word count: 348
Hao Zhen's Digital Marketing Journey 
Hi Hao Zhen!
Interesting read up on how much mobile has influence and affected users like Gen Z. I agree with you marketer should focus on up-keeping mobile usage trend, However, To those older generations who are less expose to the internet. Can we assume that the older generations struggles to adapt to the current digital age?
LikeLike
Thanks for the question Bong! It is without doubt that the older generations such as Baby Boomers have difficulty adopting digital technologies. I have witnessed the difficulties my grandparent have on using mobile phones and computers. However, more often than not, I felt that the older generation seems contemplated with using traditional media such as newspapers, magazines and television advertisements to upkeep with the times. Rather than pushing them to adapt to the current digital age, perhaps we can engage them using their preferred channels instead?
LikeLike