Many companies have realized that a great way to reach and engage with customers, regardless of their location, is via mobile devices. More intelligent companies realize that the mobile phone can even drive customer engagement and offer insight into customer preferences, ultimately securing brand loyalty and additional revenues.

But just how is mobile technology redefining this customer relationship? And how can mobile boost your CRM strategy? My colleague Caroline Doussot, VP & Head of Mobile Marketing at Gemalto, addressed these points at the Digital Strategy Conference during the GITEX trade show in Dubai. Here are her key insights:

-          The mobile phone is completely reshaping the relationship between advertisers & consumers.

-          Advertisers and marketers are ready for it.

-          Mobile marketing is still a small market, promising but small.

-          Consumers are open to it, if handled appropriately.

At Gemalto, we decided to run our own survey to better understand consumer expectations and obstacles mobile marketing faces. The IFOP institute ran a survey in France and the UK with the following results:

When asked about their current experience with mobile marketing, consumers are expressing concerns and fear:

When asked about their expectations regarding mobile marketing, consumers are stating very clear and precise expectations:

So what are the best practices for implementing mobile CRM strategies?

1. Ask for permission.
2. Implement the golden rules of engagement.

Privacy – respect who they are, respect the permission they gave you, respect the personal data they accept to share with you.

Relevance – respect what kind of people they are. What they like and dislike and what they expect from this relationship.

Transparency – make it very clear who is talking to them, what the relationship will be about and what the rules of the relationship are.

Reward – make sure that there is something in it for them. Monetize rewards, like promotion, rebates, and when the relationship is moving ahead, personal recognition and privileges. Make them feel special.

1. Manage the complete consumer lifecycle.

Awareness >>> Conversion >>> Loyalty >>> Retention

I’m pleased to say that we recently followed these steps for a leading mobile operator in the Middle East to offer daily MMS alerts for the times of pray during Ramadan and achieved a 16% transformation rate. Do you also have successful examples of mobile marketing engagement? We’d love to hear about them if so.