Mobile marketing researcher Dr. Michael Hanley spoke to Elon students on Thursday afternoon about the past, present and future of mobile marketing.

The one feature of a cell phone that’s usage is decreasing? Talking.

Texting is taking its place and is the most popular form of communication today.  Two and a half billion texts are sent every day.  Marketers are quick to see this as an opportunity to connect with the “mobile” society.

The mobile society doesn’t exclude many people and is therefore extremely powerful.  Mobile phones reach groups that missed the PC revolution—underdeveloped nations, low socioeconomic classes, and the elderly.  People in Africa are actually managing their money via mobile internet in place of banks.  Increasing mobile and tablet sales are causing PC sales to decline.

Mobile marketing operates on an “opt-in” feature, and it is the one medium we cannot get bombarded with advertisements on—unless we so choose.  This works out for companies as well because they don’t have to go looking for their target audience, interested buyers find them.

How are they reaching us?

SMS- 60% of mobile marketing is via text message.

MMS- Picture and video messages.

Ads- There are different display styles—think banners at the bottom of music you listen to on your Pandora app or the WAP push types that pop up while watching a YouTube video.

Mobile web sites- WAP-sites are designed and formatted differently, so mobile users can enjoy visuals and features like they would on the computer.

Apps- Because who wants to take the time to type in a URL? Download this shortcut button to your phone and you’re ready to go.

Proximity- Stores can send special offers and coupons if a subscriber is in the area. Operates via radio transmitter known as Bluetooth.  Research has shown people are more likely to buy a product if they are given a deal while nearby its retail location.

QR codes- “Shortcut to interactivity”- these codes are found on 2-D advertisements and with a simple snapshot bring the interested consumer to the WAP-site.

Location-based- same as proximity, but is not limited to Bluetooth, operating on the GPS system installed in many cell phones today.  If you answer yes to the pop-up asking, “Can we use your location?” then you have given permission to receive these notifications from the stores you subscribe to.

Advertising has transitioned from “mass to me,” abandoning traditional television and print ads and opting for a more personal interaction that customers today crave through mobile marketing.  Mobile marketing allows companies to store your information, like what mobile coupons you use most, so they can send offers most relevant to your personal taste.

Mobile marketing is only about five years old, and the future will see brands further developing their mobile identity.  Hanley predicts marketers will try to provide a connection between the real world and its interactive counterpart using location-based services, proximity and QR codes.

Dr. Hanley co-edits the International Journal of Mobile Marketing, which is available online at http://mmaglobal.com/resources/international-journal-mobile-marketing.

We’ve all heard about the horrifying scandal currently going on at Penn State, and we cannot overcome the shock and disbelief that something like this could happen. There is so much chaos surrounding the school, and so much confusion about who is to blame.

We are asking ourselves how something so terrible could happen, but we are also wondering if Penn State will ever regain its honor. The fate of PSU lies in the hands of its public relations professionals and their ability to reconstruct its tainted reputation.

While no amount of crisis communications could change the allegations made to these once-beloved Penn State officials, the situation could have been handled much better. These representatives made some very poor decisions in dealing with this particular case, and the repercussions are proving to be severe.

For instance, PR representatives should have never delayed a response to the allegations. If they simply came out front to admit fault and state what they planned to do about the issue, they could have avoided a lot of scrutiny.

The athletic department’s PR office, the Office of Athletic Communications, and other PR representatives attempted to do some damage control, but their efforts were largely ineffective.

Instead of facing the public and promptly clarifying any misconceptions, Joe Paterno was wrongly advised to cancel his weekly Penn State news conference. In the days that followed, requests for reporters to ask designated questions fell on deaf ears.

The main problem in this case seemed to be that Penn State’s public relations representatives did not have an established crisis plan to follow.

Of course, there is no amount of planning that could have prepared the university for such a scandal, and there is no way that anyone could have known the specific actions that needed to be taken in this situation. However, the representatives in this case did not properly apply their PR skills.

They did not stay informed about the allegations, they did not respond quickly, and they did not have their clients‘ best interest in mind.

They were too busy trying to hide away from the media, rather than looking at the important details of the matter and responding on behalf of the university in a transparent, professional and timely manner.

A lack of organization and communication led to this PR catastrophe, but there is a lot to learn from this example in order to prevent similar predicaments from occurring in the future.

In the past, there haven’t really been instances of a situation quite like this, but somebody had to be the first to deal with it. Unfortunately, it had to involve some highly-respected people at a prestigious institution.

Penn State University has a huge support system, so there is almost no doubt that it will reclaim its credibility and integrity. But for now, it is up to the public relations practitioners at Penn State to take control of the situation to assist the university in restoring its image.

In crisis communications, it is important to remember three things:

1. Be prepared. Even if there is no plan for a particular situation, it is important to use what you know to develop one quickly.

2. Admit responsibility as soon as possible so you can beat the media to the story.

3. Be honest with the media and give them correct information. The media is incredibly powerful, and giving them the facts will only benefit you and your client.

How is it possible to prepare for emerging trends in social media when the digital world is changing every day? With new trends popping up in mobile marketing and social media, it is essential to understand the business and know how to connect brands to consumers.

At our October Chapter meeting we heard from Scott Palmer, a senior account executive at French/West/Vaughan. Scott shared his insight about the industry and how agencies and brands are adapting to the changing technology.

1. Build consumer relationships

Brands need to take advantage of their social voice to build consumer relationships. Market to brand advocates who can disseminate your message to his or her own networks, serving as a brand ambassador.  As Scott said, “unless you are cool and hip to the people you are trying to reach, you are irrelevant.” Brands need to control a message and steer it in a direction that will make them profitable.

2. Numbers, numbers, numbers

We are moving into a data driven society and everything is measurable online. Be able to prove that what you are doing is working using analytics. Use Facebook Insights, Cision, Google Analytics, etc. Provide data, numbers and solid proof of success.

3. “Tra-digital” the new “traditional”

Every aspiring PR pro needs to be studied in digital technologies and marketing techniques. Start blogging and engaging in conversations about the industry. Understand campaigns and research what makes them successful. What tactics are working? What companies have had the most success? Why?

4. Put what you are learning into practice.

Plain and simple: Gain experience and build a portfolio.

The PR industry is fast paced and constantly changing. We can’t predict where technology will take us in even five years. Do your best to immerse yourself in the digital world and understand it from a PR perspective. In doing so, you will further your understanding of the industry and be able to market brands in the most successful way.

Learn more about French/West/Vaughan: http://www.fwv-us.com/

Connect with Scott Palmer:  http://www.linkedin.com/in/heyscottp

@heyscottp

After reading PR Daily’s 10 everyday decisions that will lead to social media success,  I chose my favorite five that will help students learn from the industry and keep the conversation going.

• Join a new group or online chat to learn more about your industry. Once you join a group  make sure you continue to stay updated on discussions, and posts so that you can contribute and share new information.

•  “Like” 5 Facebook business pages to learn from them as a PR professional. This will help you get ideas of what to do or not do for your organization’s page.

• Share information you learned from someone else. Tweet an article someone else posted, or share something you learned from a group you joined. Be sure to mention where you got it!

•  Respond to every comment or post on your blog or profile page and write meaningful comments on other posts and walls. Keep people engaged in what you are doing and allow for conversation by continuing the conversation.

• Go through your friends and connections and get rid of people whom you never interact with. If they are not meaningful relationships and people you have not stayed in touch with, may not be the best fit for building your network.