Swiss companies rely on these instruments in mobile marketing

Editorial - April 5, 2016

MOBILE MARKETING How important are mobile tools such as responsive websites, apps or QR codes in the marketing of Swiss companies? The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the University of St.Gallen surveyed 129 companies.

The mobile boom is increasing the importance of mobile marketing in companies.Around 70 percent of the Swiss population own a smartphone and use it every day, and the trend is rising. This rapid spread and new mobile technologies allow companies to personalize communication, target marketing and handle business processes more efficiently: The app directs the father to a child-friendly restaurant and shows the customer in the store the way to the wine shelf - and at the same time makes a recommendation for the right cheese. The bill is also paid via smartphone. Mobile technologies are also giving rise to new communication channels such as WhatsApp and Snapchat, which enable a direct line to customers and other target groups.we are talking here about mobile marketing, i.e. all of a company's measures via the mobile channel. The spectrum ranges from pure advertising messages produced for mobile devices, QR codes and apps to shopping options in the web store. The Lucerne School of Business and the University of St.Gallen (HSG) investigated the importance of mobile marketing for Swiss companies. The research team surveyed 129 companies from various sectors.Responsive website will be the most frequently used mobile marketing tool in futureThe study makes it clear that many companies in Switzerland are already making good use of the opportunities offered by mobile marketing: More than half of the companies surveyed already show a high to medium intensity of use. This means that they are also achieving their marketing goals via the mobile channel and are addressing their customers in an individualized manner. Unsurprisingly, the pioneers are companies with a strong focus on communication and technology, followed by companies from the transportation, traffic, tourism and retail sectors. Companies mainly use mobile marketing to communicate with their customers, interact with them and disseminate information, using the following mobile tools most frequently: apps (71 percent), a responsive website (66 percent), mobile advertising on the web (60 percent) and QR codes (60 percent). The popularity of responsive websites in particular is on the rise. A quarter of companies are planning to use this tool in the future. "This means that the responsive website will soon replace the app as the most frequently used mobile tool," says mobile expert and co-project manager Thomas Wozniak from Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.