2015 was such an exciting, transformational year for every aspect of mobile, you’d be forgiven for asking “how much more can it rise?” Well, read on as we share our thoughts on the drivers and trends that will make this year, the official Year of Mobile.

(NB: Look out for links to case studies and support content, throughout!)

>1 Growth flows where the eye goes

According to eMarketer, mobile marketing reached its tipping point in July 2015. With 51% of the average adult’s total time spent on digital devices devoted to mobile screen time. Similarly, 2015 also saw mobile search overtake desktop search. Add the rollout of Google’s Mobilegeddon Algorithm and yes, this year is most certainly set to be the Year of Mobile Marketing.

2> The Lens has finally changed

The change over has happened, as brands and marketeers begin to stop viewing the world through the lens of technology, and start viewing technology through the lens of contemporary human needs and wants.

Sharing, on-demand, hyper-personaliztion, immediacy and video-as-standard will all continue to drive mobile forward as the default channel/platform/vehicle for human engagement.

 >3 Here, Now, Me!

Customers are now so empowered and sophisticated in their usage of mobile that they unconsciously expect to get anything they want, immediately, and in context on their mobile devices.

Google’s drive into micro-moments, the explosion of marketing automation, the proliferation of wearable tech and the shift from customer data to customer obsession are all tangible and extremely dynamic reflections of this. Expect sophistication and urgency to increase this year.

4> Mobile Shopping to Mobile Buying

It’s safe to say (now) that M-Commerce will start to move down the sales funnel. During 2015, mobile was more of an influencer in the buying funnel. In fact mobile transactions only accounted for (eMarketer estimates) 1.6% of total retail sales in the US.

But thanks to major plays by giants such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon, this year will see a seamless and simple transition from mobile shopping to mobile buying.

 5> Less Utility, More Lifestyle

With continued forced restrictions on how much people can download, app developers will play a pivotal role in creating new Apps that act more as lifestyle attachments rather than just useable “things”.

Travel brands, concierge services and most of the social power players are already ‘utility-mashing’ to provide their users with broader lifestyle support experiences through one App.

 6> More Beacons

As customer obsession increases, and retailers continue to fight back against online competition, Beacons are rapidly growing in relevance. Both as an excellent means of gathering customer data, but also of delivering hyper-personalisation, value and experiences.

Google’s summer launch of its open-source beacon technology (Eddystone) not only adds competition to Apple’s iBeacon, but also demonstrates its commitment to bringing hyper-everthing capability to a wider audience.

Beacons can also connect with Wearables (see next page), alerting apps when users are approaching or leaving specific, activated locations. Making them an integral and indispensable part of the ever-expanding personalisation eco-system.

Look for mass integration of Beacons and Locational-based marketing solutions this year, especially within museums and art galleries, retailers, event facilities, travel hubs, and hotels & resorts

7> Mass Wearable Adoption

The Apple Watch did a marvellous job of stoking the fires of consumer fascination with Wearable technology in 2015.  And as less expensive, luxury alternatives  and non-watch based devices continue to roll into the market, this year will see Wearable tech go Mass.

Similarly, as marketers continue to mine and leverage the data generated from the interactivity between Wearables, Beacons and Smartphones (to deliver new levels personalisation and user relevance) our value and need-ranking of Wearables will increase.

8> Branded Virtual Reality Will Grow Up

As a trend and topic, VR needs its own presentation! Such was (and is) the current virtual zeitgeist sweeping the world of gaming, film and with increasing enthusiasm, brands. And as we accelerate into 2016, prepare for the latter of these to explode.

Why…?

1// Facebook360 and 360Youtube is making interacting and experiencing 360 degree video content familiar, preferred and expected.

2// Mobile VR viewers like our own Glance and Google’s Cardboard supported by brave and pioneering content providers such as Netflix and New York Times brought the real VR experience to the masses, in preparation for the arrival of large format VR hardware (Samsung Gear VR, Oculus etc…)

3// Early adopter brands such as Mariott, Volvo, Tommy Hilfiger, Atlantis The Palm and Infiniti have demonstrated how and where branded VR can be used to bridge the gap between emotion and fact to deliver stratospheric levels of brand immersion.

Consumers are buying into VR en masse (just see Gear sales on Amazon), given how powerfully it feeds their demand to ‘feel’ new Experiences from brands. And brands are responding.

So as the Gaming, Film and Entertainment industries continue to drive up its capability (better quality,  technology and more efficient production), the opportunities and NEED for marketers to on-board VR into its consumer engagement strategy will become paramount.

9> Augmented Reality 2.0

After enjoying 3 to 4 years in the limelight, 2015 was a relatively quiet year for AR1.0. Overshadowed perhaps, by the VR hyperbole, and often (and wrongly) confused as being one and the same thing.

Nevertheless, the the mystical Magic Leap narrative continues to attract it $million’s in funding without (yet) revealing the augmented promised land it teases to be creating.

Facebook, Snapchat, Google Glass and Microsoft Hololense also made significant strides in AR.  With Googles recent agreement with Luxottica, to collaborate on the design and manufacturing of its next Glass generation a potential game changer, with possible integration it LUX’s leading brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley.

AR company Metaio was bought by Apple, whilst Qualcomm’s leading AR engine Vuforia was bought up by 2D and 3D software company PTC.

All very significant developments implying the technology remains very much front and centre. Set to reestablish its positioning, and position, next to VR this year, as a major engagement tool for brands and marketeers looking to deliver new levels of interactive experiences.

 10> B2B

Expect the B2B and B2C sectors begin to look increasingly similar. Particularly on mobile.

Content marketing, marketing automation, paid amplification and mobile optimization will all continue to grow during this year. So will enterprise apps, that support sales and business development teams at trade-shows, events and networking, as Sales Enablement through mobile evolves from nice to have, to imperative.

Similarly, VR and AR will become increasingly commonplace as solutions to product demonstration, immediate customisation and virtual trial.

So, as 2016 gets started, the most powerful developments in mobile marketing and innovation will serve to build and enhance the two-way consumer relationships. Make the process of discovery and outreach far more immediate, relevant and personalised. And provide customers with branded experiences that genuinely enhance their lives.

Companies that  continue to embrace mobile as a means to transform customer experiences will not only accelerate the business benefits, but also see new revenue opportunities, cost savings and consumer loyalty derived from the higher satisfaction and delight of having their Here, Now, Me needs suitably anticipated. And met.

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 By Christian Burne

Managing Partner,  ARworks Middle East

ARworks Middle East is a leading developer of innovative mobile applications. Specialising in creative technology such as Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Beacons to develop innovative mobile app solutions. The company focuses on strategic and campaign app development across mainstream and wearable mobile devices, and in the commercial and experiential application of creative mobile technology. Recently ARworks was awarded with the Bronze Medal at Creative Festival in Cannes (2015), Silver for IAB MIXX Awards (2015), European Excellence Award (2014) for Mobile Communication and Social apps

Using the Oculus Rift VR head set, users participate in the ultimate 360˚  drive in the Infiniti Q60. From the sweeping bridges over the Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway, and  heart-stopping switchbacks on Italy’s Stelvio Pass, to the colourful Moroccan Gorges du Dadès and Norway’s dramatic Trollstigen mountain pass.

To entertain the visitors queuing up for experience, we also added a (not so simple!)  function that allowed us to interpret the twin view feed from the Oculus experience,  to a single view on surrounding flat screen TVs.

So far it’s proved to be a fabulous success with over 1000 participants in the previous 2 days, and is another poignant example of how brands can use VR to connect with their audiences in emotional and powerful ways.

Full case study to come.

11, March 2015
7:30 I’m waking up, checking the weather on the live 360 panoramic camera feed from the Burj Khalifa in my bed – sunny day ☺. Preparing kids for school, then leaving the house. On the go my app tells my road toll balance as we’re passing by the toll gate – and congratulates for not overspeeding for 3 months.. Arriving to school, dropping of the family – then booking on my phone the parking spot for today at the office.
8:30 Arriving at work. First scrolling through the new pitch/purchasing announcements from the Ministry of Infrastructure on my iPad – we will actually apply for one of them then approving our numbers for the last month to be automatically send to the authorities. My first meeting is about a real estate project – I’ve just updated the full 3 dimensional model of the new buildings so I can present it to my clients on our interactive 3D projection map. Besides the living 3d model of the new Free Port Zone, I’ll show them how the development is going on with a 360 panoramic video – the video was recorded by the automatic system on site yesterday. They are satisfied with the progress, so I’m happy to leave for lunch.
12:00 My app proposes to go to the new restaurant about 10 minutes drive – since I can see in the app, that my friends will be there as well, I’m going there. While waiting for the coffee my app alerts me that my driving license will expire – I check my connected personal datasheet at the Ministry of Interiors within the app – I have one more month to renew it. No problem, I’m booking immediately a time with the app for the next week.
14:00 I’ll have visitors from abroad for the afternoon to show around so I’m going to DWC to pick them up. On the road I just check the interactive real time statistical menu point of the Dubai Tourism app – there were another 5% increase in this month of tourist trips to Dubai. I can understand why ☺.
15:00 They’ve arrived and we are going to the Dubai Creek first, to walk through the virtual tour of Dubai in 1900 – we pick up the necessary Google Glasses in the booth – as we can do at many places of the World’s First Connected Smart City. A kind of time travel, it is. The virtual, otherwise non-existing 3D buildings of the ancient city impresses them very much – so they make some images in them, and share it.
16:14 My son just sent me a mail that he managed to collect all of the virtual characters on their historical augmented reality treasure hunt game in school. Finally, he enjoys learning.
17:00 Since we don’t have time to visit the 2020 World Expo site, we check it through our app, again. A virtual walk within the 3 dimensional, 360 panoramic model of the Expo city is downloaded to the app, and we can discover together the fantastic location, like actually being there.
18:27 Another alert from the app – my medical test are ready, they just came in from the hospital to the app. I check them on the screen. I have to log in first for this info – and there are so many passwords but finally I succeed. I also see the doctors recommendation – a bit less stress, sleep more and eat more fruits to make my cholesterol level right.
19:30 Since we haven’t agreed on anything for tonight, I’m checking the interactive GPS based camera view of the programs tonight in the city. There is one just across the street – and I can book within the app one of the last seats.
22:00 The guests are in the hotel, I’m at home, children are sleeping. It was a pretty intense day in Smart City.