Throughout the pace of evolution, marketers have been trying hard to make better use of prevalent technology to beam their messages to prospective customers. In the earlier days, it was the humble radio which broadcasted only audio. Then came the golden age of television, which was a significant step in advertising. Though brand managers were happy to send out their messages to millions at a time, there were a few crucial elements that were missing; User Statistics & Interactivity. No doubt the messages sent through TV were shown to millions, but companies had no idea how many actually watched it, let alone acted on the message.

This changed for the better with the onset of Internet & brand marketers rejoiced. Here was a medium that truly offered a chance to get up-close & personal with the end recipient. Companies could design campaigns that got the viewer involved. By keeping him or her engaged for a longer time, marketers could increase the likelihood of making a purchase. Despite the obvious advantages there was still a crucial element missing. Users could not take the internet & in turn the brand messages, with them. By being tethered to the desktop, marketers were losing out on the majority of the population who was out & about.

The final frontier of advertisement to break new ground is the Mobile Phone. This device holds true potential of being the ultimate weapon in the hands of advertisers. With India’s mobile population about to breach the 1 Billion mark, companies are now realigning their advertisement strategies to incorporate mobile based advertising.

An impressive video published by ad2c, mobile marketing and advertising firm explains how the ubiquitous mobile phone is actually a very huge mass media, which is also very personal in nature. A fairly young company spear headed by Madan Sanglikar (Co-founder & CEO, ad2c) after a long stint in Mindshare shares his thoughts with iMedia Connection exclusively on the creation of this video that captures our world around this small yet powerful device; “The idea was made to showcase how everyone has a phone that occupies their daily lives to a great extent and that makes this mediums the largest in size. But at the same time everyone has a different device and a different need which makes it interesting for a marketer. So those who cannot be reached by internet can be reached by voice & messaging. Also, proximity based tools will just keep on getting better with NFC coming into the picture.”

While advertisers get a very large base to send out their messages, they can & many a times have to, tailor their advertisements to suite the tastes of the recipient. Since all social networks can be easily accessed from a mobile phone & many also have a dedicated mobile app to do so, each user has to be treated as an individual & advertisements beamed accordingly. Not just mobiles, but fruits of technological development include Tablets, Smartphones & other portable devices that offer internet connectivity. “The idea was to showcase all this without making it complicated and appeal to the marketer. For the first time, digital advertisers think it's important that their digital assets are mobile ready first. In that way, they can get to leapfrog those who have been digital but have not adapted to the new ecosystem. “ adds Madan.

Another added advantage these devices offer is the location awareness through GPS connectivity. Having accurate knowledge about the whereabouts of the user can easily be used to serve advertisements to deals, products, etc. which are nearby. This aspect itself, exponentially increases the chances of enticing the customer, to make a purchase. Other aspects include segregation based on OS, Operator, Content, Context or just about anything else & neatly use features like Applications, Web, Voice, Messaging, Proximity etc. to get the best possible ROI on marketing spends.

Mobiles are & will be the new driver of beaming advertisements that are not only relevant, but also precise, concise & targeted to achieve results. Bottom line, in today’s ‘mobile’ world where people spend majority of their time, it is imperative to have a marketing strategy that is mobile ready.