Ofcom, a Government media regulator, has published the results of their research, which discussed the issue of “smartphone addiction” and its graying of the area between the professional and the private life.
The report explained that smartphone use has worked its way into every element of our lives. However, while there were a number of different negative aspects discussed, it also examined a number of mobile trends that open up potential for businesses but that are, for the most part, being greatly underused.
Though many large companies have had their own apps developed, according to vice president David Eads of Kony, the majority of retailers are not yet using mobile technology to its fullest. He explained that the “smartphone addiction” element of the research findings was not entirely surprising because it is evident when you look around and see how many people are using the devices at any given time.
Eads said that what was striking about the research was that businesses were so greatly unprepared to take advantage of the willingness of their customers to use these devices at all times. He said that there is a significant “discrepancy between business strategies and consumer preferences when it comes to mobile commerce.” He went on to state that because of this, new possible sources of revenue are being ignored altogether.
He stated that only 16 percent of retailers have implemented a complete m-commerce strategy. Retailers, as a whole, must reconsider their marketing strategies and must do so quickly in order to take advantage of what mobile has to offer.
