Marketing to the Mobile

If you're not already marketing to mobile-phone users, it's high time you considered doing so. Fully 86% of Canadians now use a mobile. Smartphones, the sophistication of which permits a wider array of marketing approaches, are spreading fast: 38% of Canadians use one, up from 31% in 2011. And research shows that mobile users are receptive to being marketed to on their devices—if you take the right approach.

One key to doing so is to differentiate between mobile users who treat their device like an extension of their hand and those who use it more like, well, a phone. An Environics Analytics' analysis of the Asking Canadians mobile usage survey shows that the country's three million heavy users* are more educated, affluent and foreign-born than the average Canadian. They enjoy attending basketball games, taking yoga classes and visiting food shows. Canada's 10 million light users* are not quite as educated, affluent or foreign born—although they are more so than the average Canadian. Light users enjoy activities such as fishing, camping or attending a country-music concert.

In order to connect with heavy users, choose from the list of mobile-marketing tactics in "Please Market This Way to Me" . But note that light users are almost as receptive as heavy users to each tactic.

Light users aren't as tech-savvy, so you should make it as easy as possible for them to respond to your mobile marketing. And if you support this marketing with ads in traditional media, you'll need different media buys for each group. Print Measurement Bureau data show that light users favour oldies and country-music stations on radio, and TV fare such as soaps and Mystery TV. In contrast, heavy users prefer hip hop and news stations on radio, and sitcoms and awards shows on TV.

* heavy users use a mobile device several times a day to phone, text and email, while light users use a mobile only a few times a week to phone, text or email

Produced by PROFIT in partnership with

Infographic by Jennifer Spinner