Occam’s Razor

Iain McCallum, channel development director at Brainstorm Mobile Solutions, who will be speaking on the Mobile Advertising panel at our Media Playground event next week, says the mobile world has all too often focused far too narrowly on the ‘next big thing’, instead of fully exploring the opportunities currently available using existing technologies…

These days, every brand has a well thought-out mobile strategy to engage and wow customers, replete with sparkling, bleeding edge technology to deliver their latest witty, yet accessible, marketing communications to the masses, right?

Well, not so you’d notice, actually…

Sure, there are some obvious exceptions. But all too frequently there seems to be a significant disconnect between a brand’s strategy, no matter how well targeted and ingenious an agency might think it is, and the actual target audience.

Too often, the customer just doesn’t get it.

Of course, moving forward, the integration of media planning with social media is vitally important, and geo-location will be too (when all the mobile networks make it available to third-parties – come on guys, get a move on!). But to focus predominately on the (admittedly very exciting) commercial opportunities that these developments auger is to miss a blindingly obvious fact – that the vast majority of brands and marketers haven’t yet worked out how to exploit the basic mobile technologies available NOW to engage their customer base in an insightful and (mutually) beneficial dialogue. Let alone know how best to figure out the complexities of a mobile eco-system that seems to get more labyrinthine every day.

It’s not all bad news, of course…

Take a deep breath, step back and ask yourself: if you’re finding this new environment tricky to get your head around, what on earth must your customers make of it all?

I’ll risk the slings and arrows that may be aimed at my Luddite naiveté and just say this: Occam’s Razor.

To paraphrase the late, sometimes great, Tony Wilson of Factory Records, via the medium of Steve Coogan: “… if you don’t know what that means, fine. But you probably should read more…”.

It’s not a new Motorola android – it’s the basic principle that you should pare potential ideas down to the most basic model that works – in other words, “Keep It Simple, Stupid”.

I find myself overcomplicating things all the time, especially around technology; it’s an understandable response to evermore mind-bendingly intricate and sophisticated kit – at least, that’s my excuse. But we should be wary that we don’t allow the complexity of the segmentation, targeting and delivery mechanisms we use, to blind us to the fact that those messages themselves should be clear, concise – and deliver immediately tangible and realisable benefits to our customers.

Having twenty years experience in the world of mobile telephony makes me more than just an old fart. It makes me yearn for a future when the brands whose products I choose, and choose to stay loyal to, reward that loyalty with simple, clearly-defined communications that deliver benefits I can easily grasp and realise.

Historically, simplicity and elegance have been hallmarks of the very best marketing campaigns; people respond far more favourably to an honest and direct approach than to any other. I can hear the guffaws of derision from those who would call ‘honest marketing’ a perfect oxymoron, but let’s ignore them shall we?

This begs the question: how do we, whose business it is to market and sell brands, products and services, ensure that our communications are as effective as possible when they reach their audience?

This is where the inventive use of technology comes into play. Since my return to the mobile fray, I’ve been amazed at how technology, which is now available to build, deliver and optimise mobile marketing campaigns, has moved forward, enabling brands and their agencies to start delivering truly targeted interactive solutions to the age-old need to engage your customer. Of course, this isn’t easy, and, in my experience, even less of it is simple.

I cannot help but conclude that, as an industry, the mobile world has, all too often, focused far too narrowly on the ‘next big thing’, instead of fully exploring the opportunities currently available using existing technologies.

Let’s start talking to brands about what mobile technology can deliver TODAY to ALL customers, not just some customers in two years’ time!

SMS anyone?