Opinion

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.

Last week NRF in New York hosted retail folk, but it seemed as if every show vendor was hawking technology solutions to help retailers track product lifecycle from factory to sale.

Despite mobile being everywhere you turn these days, with soaring usage and engagement rates, mobile advertising revenue continues to lag significantly behind desktop display. Why is there such a mismatch?

Imagine a world in which all you need before heading out the door to shop, grab a bite or catch a movie is your smartphone. That is right: no wallet, credit cards or cash required.

The smartphone and Apple’s high-end devices have opened mobile to the luxury sector. Marketers have a new challenge: getting the best for their brands through this medium.

Mobile is poised to revolutionize media less than a decade after the desktop Web demolished long-established business models. How will mobile channels such as apps influence media’s future?

While it is clear that marketers cannot ignore the tablet as a channel, the mobile device landscape has become increasingly complex and confusing for brands and consumers alike.

Retailers are still learning, however, that mobile technology should augment the traditional shopping experience – not replace it.

Can mobile business models and banking solutions from Africa be transported to main street North America, where there are approximately 60 million people unbanked or under-banked?

The potential and opportunity of mobile marketing is astounding to professional and do-it-yourself marketers of all levels.