Skip to main content

The mobile revolution is not about technology

The truth is, we live in a permanent technological revolution. Remember when you didn’t have a cell phone because no one did. Granted some of you may be too young to remember that – but the majority of readers are not. That’s a pretty short window. We’ve gone from not knowing what a mobile phone was to 91% of adults have a mobile device within arm’s reach 24/7 in less than 25 years.
And if anything, things are just moving faster than ever, which means we’d better buckle in because we’re on a never-ending roller coaster.
Consider these additional facts:
  • 95% of all text messages are read and read within 90 seconds of receipt
  • 65% of all email is opened on a mobile device versus a desktop or laptop
  • Mobile is now the first screen worldwide – eclipsing screen time on both PCs and TVs
  • There are more mobile devices on the planet than there are people
Mobile has become THE place for media consumption. It’s where people connect on social media, it’s where they watch videos, read, search for where they should eat dinner and, based on their apps – renew their prescriptions, pay for coffee with a quick scan or board a plane. And that’s child’s play compared to what is coming next.
But the important thing for us to recognize from a marketing point of view has nothing to do with the devices. The real mobile revolution is about our behaviors and choices, not the device of the day.
This technology has changed how consumers behave. They are less patient, more demanding, have higher expectations and a lower tolerance for any sort of delay, disappointment or lack of options.
Forget Millennials or baby boomers. We’ve become the IWWIWWIWI culture.
The “I want what I want when I want it” attitude is evident in how we consume today. Wait for a TV show to actually be on TV? Forget it. I’ll watch what I want, when I want and I will binge watch as many episodes as I want on whichever device I want. Wait a week for you to get something in stock? I don’t think so. I’ll just order it on Amazon and I’ll have it tomorrow.
A global survey asked respondents to assign a value to their smart phone and the average consumer came up with an implied value of $6,000. Which makes perfect sense, given how we’ve come to rely on the super computers we carry in our pockets every day.
Those are the consumers we’re trying to reach and sell to every day. How should we be taking advantage of this mobile revolution to win the loyalty and buying dollars of these consumers?
As marketers, we can and should be using mobile to:
  • Deliver time sensitive content to audiences
  • Reach out to audiences with location specific information and offers
  • Solve problems for key audiences at the exact moment/location they need it
  • Create community around a passion or cause or shared need/experience
  • Develop a deeper, more meaningful experience or connection
  • Accomplish tasks in a faster, easier and better way
One of the realities of this new world is that what used to be unattainable for the average small to mid-sized business is now well within your reach, both in terms of access to the technology and affordability.
by  on August 9, 2017

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

New CEO Named at SF Fire CU

  In San Francisco, – SF Fire Credit Union has appointed Robert Kassab as its president and chief executive Officer. Kassab, who has served as the $1.6-billion credit union’s CFO and most recently as Interim CEO, will lead the organization as it builds on 75 years of community service and pursues an ambitious strategy for growth and member impact, the credit union said in a statement. Robert Kassab “SF Fire Credit Union has a 75-year legacy of doing right by its members, and I take that responsibility seriously,” Kassab stated. Kassab joined SF Fire Credit Union in 2022 as CFO, where he played a central role in strengthening the institution’s financial foundation and positioning the credit union for long-term growth. His appointment as CEO follows a period of interim leadership, during which he worked closely with the board to develop a strategic vision for the credit union’s future, according to SF Fire. An Institution That ‘Deserves Them Back’ “SF Fire Credit Union was built on ...

Crews Shares Vision For NCUA, Refuses To Enter Board Battle

By Ray Birch WASHINGTON—NCUA nominee John Crews used his Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing Thursday to lay out an agenda centered on reducing regulatory burden for smaller credit unions, encouraging technological innovation and reviving the formation of new credit unions, while declining to weigh in on the legality of the NCUA's current one-member board because of pending litigation. Although much of the hearing was dominated by sharp questioning of fellow nominee Christopher Phelan over the economy, inflation, tax policy and President Trump's agenda, Crews' exchanges with senators offered insights into how he might approach regulating the credit union system if confirmed. The hearing proceeded despite questions on Capitol Hill over whether it would even take place following Wednesday's political turmoil surrounding President Trump's demand that Congress pass the SAVE America Act before he signs bipartisan housing legislation and the Senate's decisio...

NCUA Board Meeting Coverage: Here’s Where Deregulation Project Stands

  ALEXANDRIA, Va.—An update on NCUA’s ongoing Deregulation Project was provided during the Thursday board meeting. Offering the update was Amanda Parkhill, acting director of the agency’s Office of Examination and Insurance.“There’s a lot going on and we anticipate over 50 rulemaking guidance and policy actions as a result of the deregulation project and other efforts taken to reduce burden and streamline processes,” said Parkhill. “These cover a wide variety of topics from new,   innovative technology to long standing anti money laundering and consumer compliance requirements. Many of the actions we are working on involve coordination with other regulators to ensure that requirements are consistent among banks and credit unions.” Parkhill said 31 proposals have been made as part of the Deregulation Projects, two of which are still out for comment.  “We are in very stages of finalizing several of the proposed rules,” Parkhill said. adding that objective is to wrap up phas...

DC Round-Up

  HUD Makes ACU-Requested Change; Hearing on Payments Today; CU-Backed Candidate Wins in Utah WASHINGTON–The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has updated Federal Housing Administration (FHA) quality control requirements to allow greater flexibility and alternatives to appraisal field reviews in a change that had been requested earlier by a coalition of 10 trade groups, including America’s Credit Unions .  The new provisions took effect immediately when released in a Mortgagee Letter on June 23, . According to ACU, the change removes the requirement for mortgage lenders, including credit unions, to obtain appraisal field reviews on at least 10% of origination and underwriting quality control reviews.  “The change will make field reviews optional for appraisal quality control, maintain FHA’s core appraisal compliance framework, and give lenders the ability to tailor their review methods on a case-by-case-specific risk,” America’s Credit Unions said. “The r...

Healthcare Fraud Sweep

  The Justice Department has charged 455 defendants across 45 states and US territories in a $6.5B healthcare fraud crackdown , which officials described as the largest coordinated enforcement action in its history and the second-largest amount ever charged in a single operation (behind last year’s $14.6B operation). Authorities say the schemes targeted Medicare, Medicaid, and other healthcare programs through fraudulent billing, illegal kickbacks, opioid distribution, and telemedicine operations. Those charged include 90 licensed medical professionals, while 295 defendants are tied to over $500M in false Medicaid claims. Investigators also seized more than $127M in cash, vehicles, jewelry, and other assets tied to the alleged fraud. The two-week crackdown comes amid the Trump administration’s antifraud push, with expanded data-sharing efforts across agencies (scroll to see coordinated effort ). Experts estimate healthcare fraud costs t...

Facial recognition to secure payments will exceed 1.4 billion globally by 2025

BASINGSTOKE, U.K.– The number of users of software-based facial recognition to secure payments will exceed 1.4 billion globally by 2025, from just 671 million in 2020, according to a new study from Juniper Research. “This rapid growth of 120% demonstrates how widespread facial recognition has become; fueled by its low barriers to entry, a front-facing camera and appropriate software,” Juniper said, noting the research identified the implementation of FaceID by Apple as accelerating the growth of the wider facial recognition market, despite the challenges to facial recognition during the pandemic with face mask use. The research recommends that facial recognition vendors implement robust and rapidly evolving AI based verification checks to ensure the validity of user identity, or risk losing user trust in the authentication method as spoofing attempts increase, Juniper reported. Fingerprint Sensors The new research, Mobile Payment Authentication: Biometrics, Regulation & Market Fore...

Boston Firefighters Credit Union Becomes First Responders Credit Union

New name reflects nearly 80 years of service and a growing commitment to first responders across Massachusetts BOSTON, MA, June 15, 2026 — Boston Firefighters Credit Union today announced that it has officially changed its name to First Responders Credit Union , reflecting the broader first responder community the organization serves while honoring the firefighters who founded it nearly 80 years ago. Founded in 1947 by members of the Boston Fire Department, the credit union was established to serve the financial needs of firefighters and their families. Over the decades, it has grown into a trusted financial institution serving firefighters, law enforcement professionals, EMS personnel, civilian employees of first responder agencies, and their families throughout Massachusetts. Today, more than 12,000 members rely on the credit union for banking, lending, and financial guidance tailored to the unique demands of first responder life. While the name is new, the mission is not. ...

Twenty-Five Years of Showing Up

www.NCOFCU.org/Tucson-AZ-2026    Attendee Registration Schedule at a Glance ...

47-Second Loan Décisions. Underwriting in Minutes. How AI is Revolutionizing Turnaround Time in Mortgage Lending

May 27, 2026 CU Today TORONTO–While AI has been deployed across a host of back office functions, on the consumer-facing side its promise is increasingly being seen in mortgage lending, where lenders are promising mortgage approval decisions in as little as 47 seconds, reporting that up to a third of inquiries are now being handled by chatbots, and slashing underwriting time to just minutes. Toronto-based TD Bank Group said it has also deployed its first agentic artificial intelligence system in mortgage lending, reducing the time required to prepare applications for underwriting from an average of roughly 15 hours to less than three minutes. According to a statement from TD Bank, the new AI model automates mortgage pre-adjudication — the process that occurs before a human underwriter reviews an application. The bank said the system classifies borrower documents, extracts and validates financial information, calculates income, performs policy and consent checks, identifies discrepancie...

AI Rapidly Reshaping How Consumers Discover, Compare & Choose Banking Products (But Trust Remains an Issue)

  Frank Diekmann May 26, 2026 SYDNEY — Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how consumers discover, compare and select banking products, forcing financial institutions to rethink their digital marketing and customer acquisition strategies, according to a new report from Bain & Company .  The report, titled “How AI Rewrites the Rules of Brand Discoverability in Banking,” found that AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude and Google Gemini are increasingly acting as the first point of contact between consumers and banks, particularly in Australia, where consumers are using the technology to evaluate products, interpret fees and even prepare applications for loans and credit cards.  According to Bain & Company, the traditional banking sales funnel — once driven by branches, brokers, advertising and search engine rankings — is rapidly shifting toward AI-generated recommendations and responses. ‘Increasingly Influencing Choice’ “AI assistants increasingly influen...