Allen Adamson, managing director of the New York office of branding consultancy Landor Associates, put together an outline for brands looking to go mobile with their messages. And what brand isn’t?
Among other things, he says mobile “is very personal.”
Unlike TVs and PCs, which may be shared with other family members, a cellphone is personal space. As such, tolerance of unwanted content is nil. And while consumers have shown some interest in accepting advertising in exchange for freebies, the payback has to be something they truly value.
Brands that are invited in will provide consumers with what they want, not interrupt them with content they don’t want. Adidas was aware of this when it created a third-screen component of its campaign surrounding the NBA All-Star Week in Las Vegas. The brand designed a mobile experience alerting fans to where they could catch sight of players en route to hotels or games and letting them know about special events and promotions.
Bottom line: Mobile space is personal space, so if you have something to say, make it personally relevant.
While I’m in total agreement here, I’d take this argument far beyond the third screen. “Provide consumers with what they want, not interrupt them with content they don’t want” is a media-neutral mantra for all modern marketing communications plans.
[via Ad Age]
