“Greater use of browsers and apps, in addition to the already widespread use of text messaging, mean enhanced opportunities for marketers to engage customers at every stage of the purchase process, from building awareness all the way through to after-sales service and customer relationship management,” said eMarketer principal analyst Noah Elkin, author of the new report, “Western Europe Mobile: Trends, Case Studies and Best Practices.”
Further good news for marketers is that Europeans are already fairly warm to mobile marketing efforts.
“The willingness of consumers in Europe to interact with brands on their mobile phones—and their growing appetite for perks such as coupons and special offer alerts—have jump-started a new phase in mobile marketing,” said Elkin.
More experienced companies are moving from one-off direct response campaigns to efforts aimed at driving awareness and ongoing customer engagement. Loyalty efforts are likewise becoming more sophisticated, and marketers are placing renewed emphasis on permission-based practices, dovetailing well-established practices of opt-in mobile marketing in the region.
These, along with other factors, will contribute to major increases in mobile ad spending in the region. Mobile ad network aggregator Smaato and research firm mobileSQUARED predict tenfold growth between 2010 and 2015.
“Successful mobile marketing demands a comprehensive approach,” said Elkin. “Leading European marketers understand that mobile is central to the ways customers interact with them. Consequently, they know that mobile is central to the health of their brands.”
