Smartphone evolution

Technology is bridging the communication gap and getting us to be more social than ever before. Mobile phones became an instant hit with users being able to connect and stay in touch with just anyone they wish to. As technology gets easy and intrusive, (if I can say) the growth rate of mobile phones is enormous. The mobile market in India is the fastest growing with 791 million users with China leading with 900 million users!

If that’s what the market is, the entry of the smartphone is sure changing lives and getting us closer to the digital and social world. The features and the innumerous benefits that the smartphone provides is letting businesses and consumers explore the mobile market with great fervor. Mobile developers are working on applications for smartphones that break the digital divide.

Get your movie tickets, place an order for the book you want to lay your hands on, send that tweet, check-in from any location with Foursquare and make the whole experience as exciting as possible. Though the mobile industry is growing rapidly, the numbers of consumers are few and the question of accessibility and penetration is an issue.

With America catching up with Europe, the number of teens entering the market is pretty interesting. With India, of course we all want to possess a cool smartphone but with 3G just making it here, it will be a long way to go. Internet penetration in India is an issue and this needs to be tackled to reach the smartphone generation.
What are consumers using the smartphone for? There are applications that get you instant information, updates, reviews and entertainment. Marketers do not want to ignore mobile marketing, as the benefits it produces are enormous! Tell us more…

Are you experimenting with QR Codes?

There is no dearth for marketers to get their products/services across to businesses and consumers. In the highly connected world, we are all marketing our ideas to people and ourselves. Just when the smartphone is taking the US market by storm, marketers across the globe are investing in the 2-D dimensional bar code called the QR Codes or the Quick Response code.

It’s a Japanese technology trademark of Denso Wave and has been extensively used. With the evolution of smartphones, and digital content a part of our lives, the QR Codes is being extensively used by businesses and organizations. All you need is a bar code reader on your mobile phone which has a camera of course. Take a picture of the QR Code and get information fed into the code. The digital information here can be a link, a picture, video, website, contact details, customer feedback form, instructions, registration details, social media communities and many more!

They are placed on products, magazines, newspapers, catalogues, event venues, you name it! Be as creative and imaginative as possible when it comes to these as they are inexpensive to implement. The expense factor comes into play when marketers risk playing with these codes in a market that is still unaware about its usage and benefits both as a business and a customer.

In India, QR Codes have been initially used by Ford and Mid-Day. Ralph Lauren introduces QR Codes on its clothing and United Airlines used it as boarding passes! Sky is the limit! Businesses today are using technology like never before to reach specific and niche audiences in a short span of time making it profitable for both. The process is also known as tagging.

Advertisers and mobile services are cashing in on the experience here in India. Catch up on the Blackberry ads and look out for more such marketing around you :)