Experts have noted that they are not receiving the information that they require to push the channel forward.
Despite the considerable opportunity presented by mobile marketing, and the fact that it is an affordable form of advertising and promotions, its potential is barely being tapped at the moment.
Many experts are saying that a lack of knowledge based on good data is holding the channel back.
A group of experts in the field were asked about their opinions on the present and future trends in mobile marketing and expressed that knowledge and the means to obtain it were among the top barriers to progress and expansion in this channel. Among the experts were Samsung India’s digital marketing head (Aman Malhotra), Aircel’s vice president of marketing (Sunil Kuttam), Neilsen’s head of big data and digital services (Raghu Venkataraman), and IMImobile’s vice president of business development and marketing (Manish Khanduri).
Many marketers struggle to determine the ROI on mobile marketing and its various techniques.
This channel has been found to be difficult to accurately measure as it is not exclusively a matter of direct online conversions. Smartphones and tablets are often used as a multi screen or multi channel shopping experience. Just because the ad was viewed over the device, it doesn’t mean that the purchase will occur there. This means that the actual influence of a campaign is quite difficult to determine.
Furthermore, Venkatraman pointed out that because the communication over mobile devices is a highly personalized experience, it can be both advantageous, but it can also present some challenges if not properly managed. He explained that “Because of this very aspect, you stand a chance of upsetting the recipient as well.” He also stated that ROI is a non-issue as the majority of brands are only testing out the channel. He said that trying out the medium should be the primary objective at the moment, not achieving a return on investment.
Malhotra also explained that mobile marketing spending at Samsung is spread out over three broad areas, including apps, the mobile web, and lead generation through the devices. He did point out that they are seeing a solid ROI from this effort, but that it is dependent on the primary purpose of the specific campaign.