By now, it shouldn’t be a surprise mobile advertising is not going away – it’s growing. Most business know they should do digital advertising, but do businesses really understand mobile’s significance? Deloitte Consulting co-led a webinar on Adweek titled “The Next Era of Mobile.” While the name suggests all businesses have accepted mobile had an era of advertising already, that may not be true. Some businesses, and media buyers, are still hesitant when it comes to mobile advertising. The statistics Deloitte found in their research study, though, may change their mind.

The Edge of Mobile Mania

Smartphone ownership alone has grown by 77 percent from last year, with the largest demographic of growth coming from the age 55 and older group. Smartphones aren’t just for Gen Z and millennials anymore. However, smartphones are not the only mobile device. To understand the mobile landscape, we have to understand smartphones are just one piece of the connectivity puzzle. Smartphones can now connect to cars, homes, smart watches, voice activated devices (like Amazon Echo and Google Home), and tablets; and that list is hardly the extent. Deloitte’s study expects we could live in a world where a single person owns 40 or more mobile devices! While we can’t advertise on all of these devices quite yet, we have to expect one day we’ll be able to and gather insight on consumer behavior now, as well as advertise on the mobile devices we have at our fingertips.

It’s already easy to see the consumer journey is seldom contained to one device. We know the 50s picture of a family sitting around the TV and watching a commercial is over, but do we realize that even a search engine query on a desktop computer is showing its age? Deloitte found 93 percent of the US use their phones while shopping and 89 percent use their phones while watching TV. As people switch between devices to consume content and shop, it is important for brands to show up with consistent branding on mobile. If your business is not on mobile to begin with, you’re missing an opportunity. Consumers will choose a competitor who is consistently visible across devices, and one they can click on when they’re ready to learn more or make a purchase.

As technology continues its breakneck pace, adopting proven methods are in every business’ best interest. Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets already have scale to fit every business and can layer on targeting to make your advertising work harder and smarter. Don’t wait to start adopting mobile advertising when your competitors have moved on to more connected devices, like VR and voice activated home devices, because you may find yourself struggling to stay relevant.

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