The past 18 months in digital marketing can be boiled down to a few key phrases: big data, mobile, social, mobile and mobile. Also, we’ve seen a sharp uptick in TLAs that start with the letter “m.”
Once you get beyond my hyperbole (heads up, there might be more), I think you’ll agree. (If you don’t, well, that’s what why the Internets gave us the “Comments” section. And unlike Popular Science, I welcome your comments.)
The most recent bit of evidence of mobile’s growing role in digital marketing: IBM announced Thursday the acquisition of New York-based Xtify. Billed by IBM as a “leader in mobile engagement” Xtify specializes in targeted offers sent via mobile Web, app-based push notifications or SMS messages. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Xtify inhabits a very popular space populated by companies such as Vibes and Urban Airship, all of which have carved out important roles as the mobile driver of their clients’ digital marketing strategies. IBM executives were quick to point out that Xtify fills two important strategic roles — delivering multi-device mobile marketing capabilities to its digital marketing platforms and a powerful mobile enhancement to its commerce offerings.
In the past year we’ve seen other platform players such as SAP snap up mobile application companies or we’ve seen digital marketing platforms such as ExactTarget develop extensive partnerships with companies such as Urban Airship.
Beyond simply reacting to the growing popularity of smartphones and tablets, platform players such as IBM have realized their customers — from retailers to hoteliers and banks — have to fundamentally redesign how they communicate with consumers. Mobile is increasingly being viewed as the linking tool that enables a company to establish and maintain an on-going relationship with their customers and prospects.
Need more evidence for mobile’s importance? Well, keep an eye on the Mobile Marketing page of Gartner for Marketing Leaders. We will be publishing some very cool primary research in the coming weeks based on surveys of actual mobile marketing strategists and practitioners — research that will give you some real insight into why you’re seeing some of these acquisitions and alliances popping up.
Still not convinced of mobile’s ascension? Tell me why in the aforementioned “comments” section.