Digital consumers are mobile consumers. Gone are the days when digital marketing needed to incorporate mobile into plans. Now, digital marketing must be led by mobile strategy, as that’s the go-to device for modern consumers. This was a point of complete agreement during the Ad Week Europe session on 'The Global Mobile Strategy', and one that’s been underlined by Yahoo research, writes Shan Henderson, director, mobile, Yahoo UK, exclusively for ExchangeWire.

More than a third of current UK smartphone users (36%) are ‘Smartphone Dominant’, meaning they spend the majority of their digital time on their smartphones, rather than laptops or tablets. This proportion has doubled in just two years, up from 18% of UK smartphone users in 2015. Mobile is fast becoming the best digital route for reaching consumers.

During the Ad Week panel, Greg Grimmer, COO of Fetch, reminded us of a time, not too long ago, when media buying spreadsheets had ‘mobile’ as a line item at the very bottom of their list. Thankfully, most brands are now thinking ‘mobile-first’ when it comes to their marketing strategy; and this is undoubtedly the way it should be. The landscape is moving so fast that last year’s mobile plans won’t be good enough next year. We must keep innovating to get mobile right.

At Yahoo, we’ve found that data holds the key to unlocking the effectiveness of brands’ mobile strategies. Our clients frequently remind us that they need mobile data to refine their plans and get their mobile budget signed off. They need to show detailed insights and point towards the ROI from the outset. 

But should every digital ad be exclusively performance-focused? Perhaps not, but its performance must be measured. Accurate measurement continues to underpin digital marketing – regardless of device or platform – in order to help us learn, adapt, and improve. "Test, refine, learn", as Grimmer put it; and that starts with gathering and analysing data. 

While every ad must be a performance ad, to some extent, we still mustn’t forget that it should always work for the overall brand as well. An ad may deliver fantastic numbers, when we’re looking at viewability, reach, or even sentiment, but it must be the right fit.

This means that a global mobile strategy must still factor in local differences in order to work. Every country will have different needs; and brands must approach each one differently. Victoria Havens, director of mobile for Adidas, pointed out that the priority for her brand is to have one voice for consumers, whether they’re in Berlin or Sydney. But while this strong, global brand voice is important, it must be translated at a local level to make sure it has impact and resonates. To borrow a neat phrase from MEC’s Ben Rickard, global mobile campaigns "must be flavoured locally". 

As we move further away from the desktop-first campaigns of the last decade, it’s even more important for brands and marketers to harness data to deliver a consistent experience for the user. We need to be striving for a single customer view – one ID for a user that allows us to provide a smooth, holistic experience, regardless of the device they’re using. This isn’t a new idea, but it remains vital, especially while consumers are still using more than one device. 

According to Yahoo research, 60% of UK smartphone users are predicted to become Smartphone Dominant within the next three years, ensuring that the importance of mobile will only grow. While marketers who think ‘mobile-first’ for their campaigns aren’t necessarily pioneers, they can still anticipate this change before they’re left behind. Smartphone dominant users may currently represent a third of UK smartphone owners, but this will change at an incredible pace before 2020. 

One point that Ben raised during our session was that no matter how well-tailored the content may be, the majority of mobile advertising is still interruptive by nature. It still disrupts the consumer’s overall experience on their mobile device. We believe we must find opportunities to connect with consumers when they’re most receptive to advertising. Our 'Receptivity of Emotions' research has found that the impact of advertising could increase by as much as 40% if a consumer’s mood is taken into account, and this is the next step. 

Our industry has known for some time about the need to deliver tailored content to the right person, at the right time, regardless of device. Now we need to do so when they’re in a receptive frame of mind.