MMA Forum: Mobile First Strategy Is Becoming the New Norm

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Major brands are starting to see the value in tailoring their market strategy around the mobile platform.

This year's Mobile Marketing Association Forum saw executives from across industries preach the power of mobile first market strategies. Execs preached on the growing use of mobile tools as primary devices and the platform's potential to reach every segment of a consumer's life.

"We want to be sure that we are building around the mobile first strategy," head of mobile product marketing and partnerships at JPMorgan Chase Russ Eisenman said during a presentation at the 2013 MMA Forum.

During the conference Eisenman spoke about JPMorgan Chase's headfirst dive into the mobile platform. From the company's early days offering text-based banking to today's growing staple of apps, Eisenman was proud of the firm's mobile first agenda.

"Originally when mobile was launched it was an adjunct to web. [However,] as we start to build out and design we realize we now have to design mobile first," continued Eisenman.

Eisenman says that having the ability to perform banking functions on your smartphone or tablet creates a more active user base. The always-on functionality of smartphones means consumers are more willing to perform banking tasks during down time.

At the conference Eisenman wasn't the only presenter to herald the potential of mobile platforms. Crid Yu, vice president and managing director at ad network InMobi, preached the opportunity mobile has to reach every avenue of consumer life.

"Mobile has the potential to touch a user at every aspect of life," said Yu at the conference. "Mobile is everywhere, we use it in bed."

According to Yu, the growing use of mobile devices will mean that mobile marketing dollars will also soon see an uptick.

"Consumption leads and ad dollars follow," continued Yu.

Yu's words are also backed up by recent statistics that show marketers are investing more money into their mobile marketing agenda.

A recent study by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and MediaVest found that over 85 percent of marketers plan to increase their mobile advertising budgets in the near future.

Despite the potential of the mobile platform for both marketers and businesses, many warn that it's important to be "mindful of the pocket."

"As we do more research around mobile we hear about respecting the pocket. As we get more engaged we need to get more aware of ways to not be overly obtrusive," continued Eisenman.

Eisenman believes that the personal and always-on nature of mobile means that one mistake can lead to major disappointment on the consumer's end.

He compared the issue to businesses' dilemmas in the days of dial-up. According to Eisenman, the slow nature of dial-up meant that one mistake could cause significant consumer negativity.

"You have to make sure you're making it a personalized service. We are not into selling for the point of selling," said Eisenman.