The invention of the remote control changed the way the world watches TV. The computer changed it again. Then the smartphone and tablet came along. Each step of the way,
programming and marketers had to play catch up to get the share of viewership they needed to successful. Digital marketing solutions, including innovative rich media, have finally found a sweet spot in engaging customers where they live, work, play, view and tweet. But now there’s something else on the horizon. Another device that will demand brands and marketers play catch up, unless they start preparing rich medial solutions now. That device is the mobile remote.
Rich media with Dynamic Ads on the same devise that remotely turns on your lights.
Just picture the home of the future. It is not too far away. You walk into any of the rooms in your home or office and the lighting, temperature and more immediately adjusts to your presence. Maybe your favorite music starts playing, your vacation pictures project onto the walls, the air conditioning turns up a notch. And all of this will be controlled by the smartphone in your hand. Your entire ambiance will be controlled from a mobile remote, which can automatically signal your house that you are home.
Pretty neat. And it is probably only a few years off. What savvy digital marketers should anticipate however, is how these new mobile remotes will impact digital marketing solutions. Will they be a whole new canvas for rich media campaigns?
Will they be the next place you need to catch a customer’s eye?
The answer is yes. In the same way people today are reached at the gas station pump, in the elevator and at the public toilet with marketing messages, we must start planning on how to interact with potential customers through what they will be interacting with next. And that includes apps that allow them to control the electronics and environments around them. Before long this seamless integration—this “Internet of Everything”—will mean marketing must be equally integrated into everyday experiences. These mobile remotes and other devices and apps will definitely simplify our lives. But it won’t simplify how we market to customers. Rich media will need new ways to surprise and engage with customers who will be using new devices in brand new ways.
Seamless integration will be key—just like it already is
Companies and the agencies and partners who market for them will need to ensure the content and advertising they put out to customers can start on the mobile devise and then be easily transferred to other screens and devices. Mobile will become more of the starting place—the hub—of any effective campaign, which will then expand and spread throughout a user’s environment. Everything is about to become more “experiential” and rich media solutions will need to be flexible in order to gain the most attention. The mobile remote will be a new way to offer advanced targeted premiums, events and offers in new and exciting ways to the consumer.
Get ready to turn on the interaction.
It’s going to be a whole new world of interaction for brands, marketers and providers of rich media and digital marketing solutions. Are you ready for the shift? The Internet of Everything will be hear sooner that you think, and the mobile remote will be at the center. Will you be flexible enough to stay ahead of the competition?
What are your thoughts and ideas on the future of rich media? We would love to hear from you.