Every-where, every-how:
There are people who earn and live on less than a few dollars a day. Yet they have mobile phones. They are using these technologies to try and improve the quality of their lives or those of their loved ones.
Perhaps more than any other technology in use, the effectiveness of the "URL-strategy" (Ubiquity first, Revenue Later) is being demonstrated by the number of people using mobile technologies for a variety of old and new purposes. Games, shopping, services, entertainment, ... the list of what's available and can be accomplished via mobile technologies grows every day. And "[...] oh yeah - you can even make a telephone call." (Source: textbook, page 391) It's not just business or fun either; a new collaboration called the mHealth Alliance wants to bring together governments, NGOs and mobile firms to save lives. Alluding to this incredible growth, one comedy sketch video points out how all the features that not too long ago appeared 'cool' now seem antiquated enough to be the objects of ridicule.
History and evolution:
I actually didn't realize how old the wireless phone concept and technology was, dating back to the late 19th century, even though it did take a while before "the mobile phone truly became mobile" (Source: textbook, pg 393, 394). Learning about this re-emphasized a critical point to me: the power of context (such as a particular time and space). In the 19th or much of the 20th century, the time hadn't come for mobile technologies to become an integral part of our lives. Just as I doubt "smexting" would have caught on when people could continue to spread second-hand smoke to their loved (and not-so-loved) ones indoors. Recognizing (or in some cases creating) the right opportunity has a lot to do with successful business use of mobile technologies.
What's being done with it:
Examples abound on mobile applications and their effective use. Even something as simple as a clever ring tone can work as an incredibly simple yet effective communication and marketing vehicle. However, I found this Business Week article on Google vs. Apple quite interesting in pointing out that in the age of information overload and little time, the power to deliver relevant, timely information (including ads) to people wherever they are might be the success factor. And some of you may have already seen the TED video about "sixth sense technology" describing how we can (soon) carry even more capability around in our pockets (IMHO it's worthwhile to get beyond the first 5-6 minutes - and the entire video is embedded at the end of this post).
Try this at home, but with care:
I share these thoughts with the hope that at least part of the above will be read/ seen before the reader's mobile phone notifies of the fresh coffee it has just prepared for its beloved user :) Perhaps these examples will illustrate and support my thought that the current technologies and media are not just a different way of communicating with customers or target audience, it's entirely a different paradigm. And yet stories of successful use of mobile technologies continue to demonstrate that the underlying principles of understanding target audiences and bringing value to them (i.e. what they consider value) hold true across all paradigmatic changes.
List of links and references:
- An image of mobile technology use in the developing world
- Digital trends mentions a UN report about mobile phones narrowing the digital divide
- A service to send money via mobile phones
- An article by "Read Write Web" on mHealth Alliance
- A comedy sketch video on various mobile phone features
- Definition of the term "smexting"
- Conservative party (in UK) uses famous speeches as ring tones
- Business Week magazine writes on how the battle between Apple and Google will shape the future of mobile computing
TED's sixth sense technologies:
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