Mobile-first strategies will gain ground
Shopping malls use it to entice more families to visit their facilities and more
moviegoers to watch in their cinemas. Some major Philippine newspapers and
magazines use it to save the declining readership in the country. A local fast-food
chain used it to encourage people to visit their branches.
As a marketer or entrepreneur, you should not ignore
mobile device users this 2018. An Ericsson report notes
that smartphone penetration in the Philippines will grow
to 70% in 2018 from 40% in 2015. Moreover, Filipinos
use the internet on their mobile devices for over 3.5
hours every day, per the latest GlobalWebIndex data.
Rise of the chatbots
Artificial intelligence (AI) is still in its infancy in the Philippines, with financial
institutions being among its first adopters through chatbots. Nonetheless, in the
near future, these AI-powered computer programs will redefine interactions
between brands and consumers.
Also noteworthy is the growth of mobile shopping or
m-commerce in the country. The Philippines posted the
highest year-on-year increase in mobile shopping in Asia-Pacific
based on a consumer poll conducted in 2016 by Mastercard.
In 2017, RCBC and UnionBank launched their own
chatbots that use Facebook Messenger as a platform.
Althou gh their functions seem to focus more
on customer service than brand
promotion, chatbots are very
promising as marketing tools.
With more Pinoys getting mobile-savvy and having access to cheaper and faster
mobile data plans, brands should prioritize mobile marketing in their digital
marketing campaigns for 2018.
Videos to dominate content
marketing
In the 2017 GetCRAFT survey, marketers
rated video as the most effective content
marketing initiative, beating
popular content
formats such
as articles,
infographics,
and
e-newsletters.
Looking back
at the past
years, videos were
obviously the favorite
content format among local fast-food
chains. The two leading brands, Jollibee
and McDonalds, have churned out one
tear-jerking video after another. Other
brands caught on later in 2017 with light
and funny video campaigns.
Trends that
will shape
digital
marketing in
the Philippines
in 2018
As long as they tell heartwarming stories
Filipinos could easily relate to or something to
tickle their funny bone, videos will continue to be
watched, liked, and shared in 2018. Of course, that would
mean more exposure for such brands.
Big data will be the next big thing
The year 2017 marked the emergence of big data in the banking and
telecommunication industries. This year, more industries are
expected to invest in this game-changing technology.
Spurring this growth is the institutionalization of big data
as a profession, as well as the subsequent entry of big
data professionals in the workforce. About four years
ago, some universities in the country began to include
Big Data and Analytics subjects in their undergraduate
business and IT courses.
For any company that strives to understand its customers
better, it makes good business sense to leverage big data.
Because Filipinos are among the heaviest internet and mobile users in the world,
huge amounts of data can be collected to study their online behaviors. The more
you know about your target customers’ wants, needs, and dislikes, the better
you can decide which marketing tactics will effectively communicate your brand
message.
More ways to engage customers with AR
A digital marketing innovation that has been around in the
Philippines for almost a decade, augmented reality (AR) allows
businesses to provide customers a new, immersive way to
experience their brand.
Convenience and speed
are the biggest advantages
of using chatbots. In just a
few taps on their smartphones, potential
customers can get instant answers rather
than go through the hassle of personally
visiting a branch or calling a company’s
hotline.
Using chatbots will continue to be
an effective way to connect with
customers, considering that Facebook
Messenger is the Filipinos’ instant
messaging tool of choice.
However, FB Messenger’s popularity is
not enough to sustain the consumers’
interest. A 2017 Amdocs-commissioned
worldwide survey found that Filipinos
preferred polite, smart, caring, fully
customizable, and funny chatbots. Also, 51%
of the 500 respondents said they would like
to see a human-like bot rather than an avatar.
Mobile payments will play a
bigger role in mobile marketing
While most financial transactions in the Philippines are still in cash, more
and more consumers are using digital payments. As the latest Visa Consumer
Payment Attitudes study revealed, 65% of Filipinos purchase with their
smartphones and 41% make mobile payments at least once a week.
Just imagine how broad a customer base you can reach out to if you take advantage
of mobile payment and integrate it into your mobile marketing
strategy. It is cost-effective, too. Compared to traditional
print ads and billboards, using mobile payment to
promote your brand does not cost as much. Plus, your
marketing message will more likely reach and engage
interested consumers.
For example, you can create special deals via coupons to
customers who pay their purchases using their phones.
When customers redeem those coupons, you can extract
customer data that will give you insights as to when and how
frequent they buy from you. This enables better targeting and
tweaking of your ads based on your customers’ buying behavior.
Final notes:
Simply implementing all the digital marketing innovations discussed above does
not automatically guarantee a smooth-sailing 2018 for your brand. A word of
advice: review your company’s or clients’ business objectives and align your
digital marketing strategies with these goals. This holistic approach to running
digital marketing campaigns can help propel your brand forward this 2018.
Gary Viray is a Filipino tech entrepreneur, marketer, author, data analyst, and the Founder and President
of Propelrr, an innovation and digital marketing agency.
(Rappler, 01/23/2018)
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