Opinion

For mobile commerce to truly take off, the benefits of buying on a mobile device have to outweigh the associated challenges and risks.

Consumers evaluate brands based on their overall experience, rather than differentiating online from offline.

Despite a huge, captive audience that actually eagerly anticipates these commercials, for mobile marketers, the overarching theme has been “missed opportunities.”

Shoppers are natively an impulse consumer. They buy, in what retailers call, “5 by 5” (five seconds by five feet). At home they may write out lengthy shopping lists and do hours of research on products, but in the store, 80 percent of their basket is full of products bought on pure impulse.

Print media is said to represent only 8 percent of consumer time, but accounts for 27 percent of ad spending. Mobile also represents 8 percent of consumer time, but only 0.5 percent of ad spending.

It is not just about team colors, beer and finger foods anymore. This year, many eager football fans will add one more thing to their Super Bowl party to-do list: downloading apps.

Developing a mobile Web site and mobile application can cost around $30,000, let alone the exhaustive man hours it takes to vet ad networks and find the right partner.

Skepticism of tablets has faded as consumers adopt the device in droves. In some regards, it has already outshined the smartphone as the mobile marketing weapon of choice for brands.

Marketers are discovering that applying gaming mechanics to campaigns can be an effective strategy for advancing brand loyalty by increasing participation.

More searches are being made from mobile devices, more purchases are being made on the go, and more people are sharing their location to get good deals.