Smartphones are a staple part of everyday life. Almost everybody has one and they have become a vital lifeline for many people. With technology constantly being developed, one can’t help but wonder what is next for the humble mobile phone. The basic mobiles that were only ever used to call the emergency services or the breakdown company have all but disappeared, being replaced by devices that can do everything from guide you to a specific address, to buy furniture for your house. From a marketing perspective however, what does that mean for the future?
Mobiles make the rules
The sheer power of the mobile phone means that it can dictate what people use them for and they are constantly becoming more integral to our day-to-day living. While it’s illegal to use a mobile phone when you are behind the wheel, the development of technology has made it possible to get almost full functionality from your mobile, without having to hold it. Hands-free kits and built in ‘car modes’ mean your mobile phone will work with or without your hands controlling it. The result of this means that mobile phones may eventually become an integral part of the car, as well as our pockets and handbags. With this in mind, mobile marketing companies may find themselves having to contemplate a complete overhaul.
Hands-free, advert-free
With mobiles being able to perform commands through voice activation, mobile marketing may not reach as many people as it has done in the past. Adding adverts to emails may prove to be useless if they are being read out to the user, rather than them actively seeing it for themselves. They can be ignored in that the visual impact of them is lost, meaning companies will need to come up with a new campaign. Various different manufacturers are working with some of the biggest names in mobile phone technology to create fully-integrated systems, designed to make the experience as easy as possible for the driver.
New campaign, more effective?
The idea of having a mobile phone completely integrated with the car may sound warning bells for marketing companies, but it could also be seen as a unique opportunity. In the same way that advertising is successful on the radio, a similar policy could work with the mobile phone concept. Different tactics would need to be employed and text marketing may increase. The car may have a system that reads out text messages to the driver, meaning the type of language used would need to complement this. Text slang would not work, so marketers would need to ensure they used proper English and made their point in a concise, interesting manner.
The future of smartphones in cars remains to be seen, as a constantly developing market. While there are some systems in place at the moment, progress is still needed before a fully-integrated system is in place. In the meantime, marketing companies may need to think ahead and come up with a new strategy that works with the latest technology to try and prevent falling behind in a rapidly moving market.
Richard Parker is an eminent columnist with a publication. He is a telecom engineer and a broadband specialist. Writing news based articles based on mobile marketing for online journals are one of his favorites. Currently he is busy playing with his newly bought iPhone 5.
