The Past, Present and Future of Mobile Marketing – Highlights from the Street Fight Podcast with Mike Stone

You learn quite a lot about mobile marketing when you have over a decade of experience in the industry as Airship does. Airship’s SVP of Marketing, Mike Stone, recently joined Mike Boland on “Heard on the Street, Street Fight” podcast to discuss lessons we’ve learned throughout Airship’s 10-year journey. The two Mikes talked about the key elements of mobile marketing from the past, present and future for this growing industry. 

Check out the recap below and you can also listen to the full podcast here. 

Learning from a Decade of Mobile Marketing Expertise

You don’t get a decade of experience without making some friends along the way. Airship’s customer base is made up of companies big and small and we’ve worked with over 1,500 brands throughout the years. 

There was a lot to learn from our experience with working with the different brands, but Stone highlighted some key lessons from our past that remain relevant now and in the future:

• Have clarity on how your mobile marketing can enhance your customer’s experience.
• Refrain from “bombing” the user with countless notifications but consider instead the various ways you can reach them at their preference.
• Know that there are different types of notifications and that each come with a unique value.
• Targeting your messages can make a big difference in the crowded real estate of the phone screen.

There are, of course, plenty more lessons learned and to be learned, which is why we have a blog and a resource library regularly updated with content filled with insights and knowledge to help our clients understand and succeed in mobile marketing. 

The Importance of Adaptability in Today’s Growing Environment 

Marketers can claim that they can predict what the main channels for information consumption will be in the future, but that isn’t realistic. Instead of trying to guess, Mike noted, marketers should focus on being adaptable for whatever changes may come. 

Airship’s platform continues to be architected in a way that is as adaptable as possible for mobile marketers. We’ve learned that it’s important to offer multiple channels but also have the ability to tie those channels into an existing infrastructure the customers may already have in place. For example, Airship has APIs that can be combined with new channels and devices as they emerge. 

Looking into the Future with RCS

So what does Mike Stone see when he looks into the future of mobile marketing? 

RCS, or rich communication services, is quickly rising as the next generation of text messages. With the ability to include rich media and cards that customers can take action with directly, RCS can create amazing experiences for customers–with no app required. The power within RCS lead to high engagement rates, with “75% of consumers prefer RCS over SMS for interacting with brands.” 

Considering the rich video motion and the interactivity RCS offers, “it’s going to change the game,” as Stone put it. He sees it as a new way for brands to reach people with rich, targeted experiences. Plus, having different forms of communication channels allows brands to create a more comprehensive strategy with mobile marketing. 

You can read more about RCS Messaging here.

From Urban Airship to Airship

A big part of our ten-year-long narrative is our rebrand story, from Urban Airship to Airship. Mike talked about the process behind our rebrand and how we wanted to “signal to the market that our offering was radically different than it has been in the past” but that we are remaining true to our heritage, hence the name change (along with a new look!). 

As Mike explained, we are proud of our mobile heritage and our sustained leadership in notifications, but we have also evolved to become a strategic partner for our clients to reach their customers in real-time and across channels. To learn more about our rebrand and the steps we took to make the change, check out our rebrand journey! 

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