Mobile Phones in the Future

Sheri Wernert
Managerial Marketing: BUS620
Mobile Phones in the Future
Professor Steinhagen
November 18, 2010 Mobile Phones in the Future Mobile phones are changing the face of communication and marketing in emerging markets around the world, and the implications are profound (Wilson, 2010). Companies must face the marketing issues of the fast moving trends in the mobile world. Identifying trends that are sure to emerge over the next few years is the first step in establishing the right marketing issues. The world is currently in the midst of the fifth major technology cycle of the past half a century (Ingram, 2010). As technology progresses we can see the changes that have come about since the 1950’s. In the 50’s and 60’s the world had the mainframe era, which led to the mini-computer era in the 1970’s and the desktop Internet era of the 1980’s. Now with the fast paced life that most of us live with in juggling work and family we have entered into the mobile Internet era. I, myself thought I would never need a mobile phone with internet access so when I purchased my current phone which is a smart phone I was surprised how much I rely on the internet use. Users that switch to smart phones and connect to the Internet over the use of laptop is predicted to rise within the next five years (Ingram, 2010). While the mobile boom could take a toll on mobile carriers they are not adverse to the money that will bring the company profits. Marketing is the key to making this happen. AT&T carries the I-phone, which is the biggest seller for Apple. Marketing on this phone is essential to show the consumer world the benefits and functions of this phone. Verizon has its own version using the android technology in phones such as the Droid and Ally. Analysts predict with the mobile data traffic of these phones usage will increase by almost 4,000 percent by 2014 (Ingram, 2010). Ecommerce will likely grow within these years also due to things such as location-based services, time-based offers, and mobile coupons. Social networking is likely to grow with the usage of these phones. Many consumers are able to keep up to date with friends via their phones through facebook and twitter, which have applications on most smart phones. While once thought to be the quickest way to communicate these social networking sites have now surpassed emails. There have been some mobile trends over the years that are likely to continue to increase in the future. Mobile usage has become pervasive, in 2009 usage of mobile devices have increased by 70 percent. With the prices of devices and airtime price decreasing and will continue to decrease means that mobile usage will continue to grow (Wilson, 2010). Marketing departments should not be shy to get a bit fancy with marketing schemes and should not underestimate the consumer. Most consumers tend to purchase items from things they remember from advertisements. If a marketing device is not memorable, a company may not see the sales they are hoping for. Thinking about tomorrow’s users is another marketing aid for example smart phones are at the higher end of the phones but it should be remembered that today’s high-end is tomorrow’s mid-range. Smart phones that are in demand today will be more outdated within the next five years. Marketing is the largest way to reach millions of consumers. Every company needs to show these consumers how their product will outweigh its competitor. Advertising needs to memorable and employees also need to be knowledgeable about the product. While I had not seen any advertising on the Ally, after what the verizon employee had shown me what the benefits of the phone were I purchased the phone and have not had any regrets. I am always on the go and the Internet has been helpful, I am able to access my emails anytime along with other websites that I may need right away. Reference:
Ingram, M. (2010). Mary Meeker: Mobile Internet Will Soon Overtake Fixed Internet. Retrieved November 16, 2010 from www.gigaom.com/2010/01/12/mary-meeker-mobile-internet-will/
Wilson, C. (2010). Seven major mobile trends you should be aware of. Retrieved November 16, 2010 from http://memeburn.com/2010/10/seven-major-mobile-trends-you-should-be-aware-of/print/