ExactTarget Blog

Each Thursday at 11am Eastern, marketers from around the world join the ExactTarget Nexus partner ecosystem on Twitter for a conversation about trends and campaign ideas across the interactive marketing industry.  We call the virtual coffee chat the Nexus Café.

A recent #NexusCafe chat explored mobile marketing campaigns trends and technology. We featured two guests from ExactTarget team who love everything mobile. R.J. Talyor, senior director of mobile products, has worked at ExactTarget for more than 7 years and is focused on mobile campaign offerings. Melinda Krueger, senior marketing consultant, has extensive industry experience and a regular marketing industry blog contributor on ClickZ and MediaPost.

Here is a snapshot from the conversation:

@ETNexus: Q1 In less than 4 words, how do you describe the principles when thinking of marketing on Smartphones, Tablets, or Computers?
@rjtalyor: Honor the device strengths
@melindabk: Focus on User Experience
@csabbarese: Deliver exceptional customer value
@kkestler: Relevant, timely, actionable content
@coreybauer: Communicate On Their Device…

@ETNexus: Q2 What will be hot in 2012: MMS, SMS, or Push?
@rjtalyor: Depends on the audience. SMS = strong MMS = colder and Push = hotter. Can I vote for mobile optimized email?
@csabbarese: All of the above...? SMS, MMS & Push all seem to be very relevant in 2012
@kkestler: I have to lean towards push. For brick & mortar, even location-aware push.
@JenerationY. We keep emphasizing mobile = platform, not a channel. Socials is in the mix.
 
@ETNexus: Q3 How would you rate designing email on a mobile device: over played, neutral, or emerging?
@rjtalyor: feels like the industry talk is overplayed, but the practice is emerging. Mobile email = LOTS of oppty for marketers
@melindabk: None of the above: essential
@coreybauer:  I think email should be designed properly to render on all devices (and test test test) to make sure…
@brandcolby: Emerging - I don't have the time to read LOOOOOOOOOOONG emails on a tiny screen.
@caleb616: If email clients would update their HTML/CSS rendering to allow min/max width we could design for ALL devices.
@candicelyn: designing email for a mobile device is neither emerging or neutral 

@ETNexus: Q4 What are your thoughts for Mobile Apps versus HTML5 (mobile web) in 2012, 2013, and 2015?
@kkestler: I can't WAIT until most sites go HTML5 as opposed to Flash. So much better.
@coreybauer: Until 4G becomes "STANDARD" I think Mobile Apps (if free) will still work best for a while (still hard to browse alot)
@coreybauer: Mobile devices are getting as fast as computers... Just need the bandwidth to catch up...
@fancentric: apps for the next few years but with the cross platform capabilities of HTML5, seeing it get bigger and taking over!

@ETNexus: Q5 With mobile, privacy is a hot topic. Does your company have a privacy policy? How do set up promos in exchange for personal data? How much is too much?
@melindabk: It's all about value exchange. Give me my loyalty points, coupons and easy payment and I'll give up a lot
@candicelyn: although the data may come in through ET services, our privacy is set up and managed in our CRM system
@kkestler: See this in practice at conferences all the time. Name & email for a free branded water bottle? Sure!
@kkestler:  If you're confident that Company A's security is strong as can be, you'll be willing to give up a bit more info prob.

@ETNexus: Q6 Are there really any differences between B2B vs B2C mobile marketing?
@melindabk: What does the customer need in the palm of their hands? Very different answers for B vs. C, but the same question.
@fancentric: Similar tactics but in practice not every B2B or B2C campaign is the same either, still needs to be relevant and personal!
@candicelyn: At the end of the day B2B or B2C, you still have consumer as the bottom line, so I say no

@ETNexus: Q7 Has mobile influenced your job responsibilities? How do you work with other departments to extend the experience for multi-channel?
@melindabk: Must be collaborative. Read Steve Jobs and get a new appreciation for "tight integration."
@coreybauer:  I think mobile "FORCED" web / email / social / analytic teams to work together more and for comprehensive cust profile
@kkestler: @coreybauer "Bye bye, silos."
@csabbarese: Definitely...Apps, incorporating MS tags...lots of time spent on researching new ways to connect via mobile

@ETNexus: Q8 What are your favorite resources for following mobile marketing trends and use cases?
@melindabk: But since you begged, here is a link to my columns on mobile on ClickZ
@coreybauer: RT @Marketingland Satisfaction Lower with Mobile Than PC Websites, May Impact Brand Perception by @gsterling
@coreybauser:  I like to use EMarketer, Mobile Marketer and Mobile Marketing Watch