A Quick Start Guide to Mobile Marketing: Create a Dynamic Campaign and Improve Your Competitive Advantage

Citation

Guang Tian, R. (2012), "A Quick Start Guide to Mobile Marketing: Create a Dynamic Campaign and Improve Your Competitive Advantage", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 29 No. 1, pp. 76-78. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363761211193082

We must adjust with the times and new technology in order to be successful in today's business world. Technology is evolving every day and, correspondingly, businesses need to evolve every day as well. Simple “word of mouth” in earlier years was sufficient to market a company and communicate with consumers, but this has been totally changed nowadays as most business and communications conducted through mobiles. Customers and employees have plentiful information readily available, and business managers need to make sure that firms can design their mobile platform to supply or to provide the information that their customers are seeking. This is what Neil Richardson intends to tell us in this newly released book.

It is true that in most developed industrialized societies many people have the very popular “smartphone”. Consumers can review, critique, and purchase products, all in a matter of seconds. New business firms entering the current market must have these types of accommodations, because that is what their customers expect and demand; in fact, they have already had their customers been immersed in technology from the beginning. Lack of an easily accessible mobile site for consumers can result in products and services being overlooked and bypassed. Mobile phones are changing the face of the way business is being conducted. They are changing the “lingo”, the speed in which purchases are made, the ways news travels throughout the company, and so on. Richardson warns that firms will suffer business loss if they do not adopt adroit mobile capacity in their business model, given today's economic and technological environment, an argument that this reviewer fully agrees with.

According to Richardson, with technology changing and the rise of mobile smartphones, consumers are purchasing on their fingers. Most consumers have very busy lives and therefore do not have the time to come to a physical office or retail space to discuss their purchases with a representative. They use their mobiles to search for reviews and make the decisions based on what is the most convenient choice for them. In addition to the change of how the firm delivers information to its customers, business leaders need to update the ways in which they communicate with their employees. We all know the fact that communication is one of the most important functions to master in order for any business to be successful in today's increasingly competitive markets, particularly for firms doing business internationally. A firm's profitability is in part determined by its marketing communication strategies and skills.

Communication for any type of firm is a vital tool and asset for it to run at maximum efficiency and productivity. There are many ways to implement good communication into firms. However, as Richardson suggests, it is important to remember that business leaders need to have readily open lines of communication between them and their employees, as well as between the firm and its customers and between employees and customers. In everyday operations, it is important to have employees up to date in training and to revise company policy in order to create a positive attitude in the work place. It is also critical to have positive employees and to generate happy consumers, who in return generate positive feedback about the firm.

In the book, Richardson stresses that to be effective in communication, m‐commerce, and technology it is important to do the relevant research. Business firms must know the market in which they are operating and the people whom the firms expect to serve, so that they can run their business efficiently and be productive. It is also critical to know what product is to be distributed, what the attributes of the products are, what the probability is in the market for success, and whether or not there are ways to update and keep the products updated. Distribution is another aspect of the operation firms must well take care of. Other business‐related issues, such as knowing where customers would like to purchase the products, where to sell the products, and how customers will receive the products, are also very important for firms to be successful.

M‐communications or mobile communications allow managers to keep up with their employees in real time. Improving the internal m‐communications will benefit not only large employers but Small Market Enterprises (SMEs) as well. In the book, Richardson provides the readers a list of basic requirements for good internal communications. The basic requirements he discusses include the following: “General information about the organization; Specific information about their role in the organization; Clarity around their role; A clear understanding of the organization's vision; Information on workplace practices; Opportunities to be involved and consulted; Feedback on performance; Access to training and development and Access to communication channels.”(p. 61). Communication is so important because it allows for a smooth operation. By doing so there will be no confusion over employees not being a critical factor in the organization and customers know exactly what the firm is about.

To Richardson, another imperative factor that has a substantial effect on the success of a firm is marketing. It is critical to know the best way to get the product to the right place according to customer needs. He suggests that M‐marketing is an effective way to do so. He defines M‐marketing as doing marketing via a mobile device. Business firms need to determine the medium by which they are going to deliver their message to the public. Advertising, e‐mails, mobile devices, widgets, apps, blogs, viral marketing, and social network sites are all ways in which firms may market to their consumers. However, managers must keep in mind that when doing M‐marketing they need to avoid noise, which refers to non‐business related information delivered to the customer. When marketing in the “info‐tech” world, marketers need to make an effort not to get lost in translation or in between the spam.

Author Neil Richardson is an experienced senior lecturer in marketing at Leeds Business School and is one of the authorities in sustainable marketing. Through sharing his case studies, tips activities, and questions to business leaders, Richardson gives the reference points to help readers apply the material to their firms' mobile marketing practices. The information he delivers is about how to ensure the company's stability by succumbing to technological advances. He explains how to enter the mobile market and use it to create competitive advantage. Richardson states that in the tech age it is imperative to accept the fact that mobile devices are taking over in terms of marketing and adjust accordingly.

The book consists of ten chapters. In the beginning chapters, Richardson sheds light on how technology has changed and argues that firms existing in today's market must learn to adjust themselves to adapt to new technology advances; he then provides a platform for firms to assess if they are doing a good job of changing. In later chapters, he provides information on how to make the changes in firms and why these changes are necessary in order to keep business afloat in the market. He claims that “there is a high degree of ‘fit’ between m‐communications and the applications of existing marketing theories such as macromms process, opportunities with social media, practicalities such as monitoring environments, using feedback (i.e. research for new product development), using opinion leaders and other credible sources, advertising, sales promotion, PR and direct marketing activities” (p. xi).

The first chapter discusses the role of e‐commerce and a company's readiness to change in the new market, as well as approaches to marketing. “Mobiles virtues in dynamically tracking responses and its speed in responding to events make it ideal medium for direct marketers.” (p. 6) The second chapter concerns change: how the product works in the market, with the author providing ideas that if changes need to be made to the product, then make it, “ … . although employees need to be motivated to change their behavior” (p. 39). The third chapter discusses strategies of active communication. The author provides detailed solutions that business leaders can use to update their means of communications not only in the office but also to stakeholders and to employees as well; “m‐marketing is appropriate for all shapes and sizes of companies” (p. 65).

The next few chapters discuss the implications of mobile marketing. Richardson stresses that firms must determine the positions they have in the market and gather the necessary knowledge to make sure they can adapt appropriately. “Marketing is about not only satisfying customers but also delighting them.” (p. 78) It lays the basis for where the firm wants to be and what it wants to achieve by being a part of the larger market. After applying the new mobile aspects to the firm and making information readily available, it is necessary to encourage changes and make an environment where the changes can happen, as well as to assess how to implement the changes well. Since technology transforms continuously, it is important to keep the m‐communications and mobile aspects of the company up to date, and companies should use “m‐communications to overcome barriers to adopting sustainability” (p. 129).

I agree with Richardson's statements on how mobile devices and technology must be a part of company strategy and capacity in today's business environment. There is no doubt that communications needs to be a major component of a firm's everyday process, and that the lines of communication need to be readily available for not only consumers but also for employees and executives. “Increasingly, mobile technology will provide platform for new business models and Web 2.0 drive m‐commerce will be one of largest business opportunities for the next decades” (p. 141).

In conclusion, it is this reviewer's opinion that this book, although a pocket book, offers insightful thoughts and advice to companies that may not have implemented new forms of technology into their operations yet. The author provides readers with a good background as to why they need to change, in addition to how to change. The informative background knowledge contained in the book suggests that the author has done all his research very well. There is no doubt that this book is a very useful tool kit; it makes readers understand why new technology, mobile devices, and communication must be a necessary part of business organizations. It is educational in the sense that it provides background knowledge to readers for making a connection with their own firms. With its informative content, the book can help readers “revamp” their communications departments as well as improve their overall standing in the market.