With the increasing penetration of mobile devices in the MENA region, it’s no surprise that the media closest to a consumer is his mobile device.
This high level of accessibility is at the inception of the multiscreen phenomenon – people watch TV with their eyes and fingers on the screen of their mobile device, consuming different types of content simultaneously. This behavior has now evolved into multitasking – people are using their mobiles while reading a magazine, browsing through a newspaper, or while standing on the street and seeing an advertisement.
This creates a big opportunity for marketers to create enhanced and enriched ads. Such ads extend the life span of the advertising message, by turning the ad into an experience through which the consumer can interact with the brand.
For example, Shazam, a music-recognition application, allows users to interact with a brand through a quiz or contest by enabling the app during a TVC. Advertisers insert QR codes in their ads to provide further information and a richer experience to users viewing a print ad. Better yet, augmented reality provides consumers a more immersive experience than a simple poster.
All of these real-life experiences make the brand message more meaningful and have a higher likelihood of transforming a customer into a loyalist or even a brand ambassador.
Native Applications
However, marketers tend to forget that these experiences require applications that consumers need to install on their mobile devices. This is an obstacle for marketers as it makes the journey between the brand message and the target audience longer and more difficult. Brands should ask smartphone manufacturers to think of making these applications native or even embed AR and QR code readers in the mobile camera so that it is easier for a consumer to interact with a brand.
Enhanced Content
However, the fact that these applications aren’t native should not deter marketers. In order to successfully pull off providing an experience, brands should carefully select their targeted audience – consumers that are aware, influential and opinion leaders. They should be the ones who will share the experience on social networks, demonstrate the way it works and influence others to try it themselves.
To sum it up, all brands and marketers, should consider offering richer content to their target audience. Think of harnessing the power of the technology accessible to consumers and use of it to offer the best brand experience – whether it is via QR codes, videos, or augmented reality. Create inspiring hashtags to shape conversations on social media and create virality. Work on making your brand content meaningful and relevant because the richer a brand experience, the higher the level of engagement that follows.
