1.
Edelman Mobility Quarterly: Edition One
Mobile Business
is Everywhere. Today.
August 22, 2012
By Tim Hayden, Senior Vice President, Mobile Strategy, Edelman Digital
Edelman Mobility – August 22, 2012

2.
The “Age of Mobility” Has Arrived
A s more than 50% of cell phone-carrying Americans now own a “smartphone”, no one can deny that
we are well underway into living each day as a mobile society. As the United States eclipsed this
veritable and undeniable tipping point of smartphone ownership in the first
quarter of 2012, a tremor ran up the spines of CMOs and media executives
who believed they had seen it all, surely knowing what to plan and budget for “…every now and again, a truly
the coming 3+ years. disruptive technology appears
and causes major changes to
business, society, or economics.
US Cell Phone Ownership It yields non-linear effects on so
many levels and at such a grand
scale that it’s very hard to grasp
12% the scope until after the dust
settles. Mobile computing is
Smartphone this type of disruptive
Feature Phone technology.”
44% 44% No Cell Phone Michael Saylor,
The Mobile Wave, How
Mobile Intelligence Will
Change Everything
SOURCE: “The Smartphone Consumer”, June 2012, Arbitron and Edison Research
To put this abrupt shock into perspective, consider that 36% of smartphone-owning Americans have
owned such a device for less than one year.
Length of Smartphone Ownership
13% Don't Know
10% Less Than 3 Months
18%
3 Month to < 6 Months
9%
6 Months to < 1 Year
1 Year to < 3 Years
17%
3 Years to < 5 Years
31%
5 Years or More
SOURCE: “The Smartphone Consumer”, June 2012, Arbitron and Edison Research
Edelman Mobility – August 22, 2012

3.
The Dawn of an Untethered World
With the explosive growth of tablet computers (~20% of Americans 18+, from multiple sources)
factored into view, the dawn of an untethered world grows increasingly more complex with a mix of
behaviors and media consumption habits that are causing a dynamic shift in business and life.
While technologists and marketers are excited to capitalize on an additional medium, it is crucial to
respect how mobile devices and their accompanying technology fit into usage patterns and the daily life
script written by the mobile audience.
Anyone who dismisses this phenomenal growth and its swift associated changes as simply another
medium will soon learn the harsh reality that mobility is about more than a technology and new form of
media. This is an evolutionary chapter in human history that will alter our standards of communication,
commerce and more.
The addiction to, and dependence on, mobile computing is here and now.
"Smart" Dependency
Almost Never
Rarely
Sometimes How Often Is Your
[SmartPhone] With You or
Most of the Time Nearby…in Arm's Length?"
Always
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
SOURCE: “The Smartphone Consumer”, June 2012, Arbitron and Edison Research
The time has arrived, with urgency, for brands to embrace the opportunities and
address the threats that mobility brings to business today.
Edelman Mobility – August 22, 2012

4.
All Media Boats Will Rise (Or, “stay afloat”)
When considering the untethered audience, now free from the chains of a desktop, one can surely bet
heavy on the presence of a mobile device being always there and always on. With this, so much of
broadcast media that has been dismissed recently as irritating “push” messaging is actually now back in
play. The things users see, hear and experience are now often the catalyst for engaging social media and
search tools to learn about, discuss and purchase those products and services with compelling creative,
messages and media experiences.
The universal presence and probable “in-the-moment” use of mobile technology means that there are
multiple pathways and opportunities to intercept and engage known and unknown brand advocates and
prospective customers. Integration is critical. At least, aligning all media today is paramount to ensuring
advertising, marketing and public relations activities do not miss these opportunities, or “mobile
moments.”
Offline Ad Exposure Leads to Mobile Search
70%
58% 57% 60%
48%
50%
36% 40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
TV Shop/Business Magazines Posters/Billboards
Source: Our Mobile Planet: United States, Google/Ipsos OTX MediaCT, US, May 2012
Edelman Mobility – August 22, 2012

5.
Mobile Is Social, Social is Mobile…
Much fuss has been made about Facebook’s mobile headaches, and this is for good and valid reasons.
It seems as if Facebook never forecasted how use of the social network would change once subscribers
were no longer sitting in front of a computer for hours on end. Not only is the experience packed into a
smaller screen on a handheld device, but a user is less likely to “surf” the network or her/his newsfeed
in the absence of tabbed browsing and prolonged periods of screen attention.
The jury is still out in understanding the behavioral balance between voluntary Facebook viewing on a
smartphone versus primarily going to the network (web/app) in response to notifications. That being
unknown, there is no doubt that the proliferation of smartphone use has resulted in higher volumes of
social content. More specifically, visual storytelling has exploded in social media as more photos and
videos are captured and immediately uploaded to a social network and/or a microblog, such as Twitter.
Of particular note, the rise in popularity of supply-side social apps such as Instagram and Path may
demonstrate how smartphone owners are frustrated with/ too busy for Facebook (which is often the
object of complaints around poor app and mobile web performance) and have chosen a tributary to the
network with less friction and noise.
Just know that with real life in the way, social media
will be more about “ in-and-out” activity than the
dedicated screen attention we knew in the desktop era.
Edelman Mobility – August 22, 2012

6.
The Mobile Investment Conundrum
In mobile marketing, challenges rise when deciding the technology and tactics in which to invest first or
next. Outside of mobile advertising, those technologies that require more involvement by the individual
user tend to carry a higher price tag while being used less frequently, if at all by mainstream users. In
other words, mobile assets such as native applications, augmented reality and mobile wallets may be
adopted and used often by only a brand’s most loyal and (hopefully) influential customers and
community members, while the audience at-large is most comfortable with legacy desktop (mobile web)
and more universal touch points such as SMS texting and social media.
If there is one must-have item in your 2013 marketing plans, it is a mobile web strategy. Mobile
search, as the predominant consumer utility on smartphones, and sideways traffic (links shared through
social media and email that are primarily accessed via a mobile device) are together responsible for the
majority of all mobile web traffic. Those brands that are delivering brief, actionable content to the
arrivals of this traffic stand the greatest opportunity to convert it into business. Those who do not
optimize a mobile web presence and mobile search strategy are missing a significant portion of their
existing or inquiring audience.
Edelman Mobility – August 22, 2012

7.
Mobility Tips For the End of 2012
Mobility is About Behavior, Not Technology
Put forth the diligence and research to understand your individual and audience segment behavior.
Framing their daily contextual situations from home to office to play, alongside analysis of existing
marketing data, is imperative to making decisions on where to focus and invest.
Don’t Forget, It is Still a Phone!
Within mobile apps and on the mobile web, ensure a clickable phone number or “click-to-call” button is
on each screen of navigation. With so much search inquiry coming from handheld smartphones, do not
ignore or lose respect for the power of the human voice to qualify a transaction or relationship.
Capitalize on the Intimacy
The smartphone is the most intimate consumer electronics device we have ever carried. It is just as
private as it is social, and we have opportunities to curate personal feedback and data direct from the
user on top of objective metrics on the use of the technology.
Mobile is Busy
In addition to the many apps, texting, email and social media that converge on a smartphone (how
convenient), we must respect that the individual is now liberated with places to go, people to see and
things to do. Attention spans have no option but to shrink in this environment, and so too should our
messaging and “asks” of the mobile audience.
The “Push Button” Life
Make it easy. The performance of your mobile marketing efforts will be largely dictated by the simplicity
and ease of use of your mobile apps, mobile website and other channels accessed through smartphones
and tablets. Seriously, if an 8-year old cannot navigate any of these without parental guidance, then you
cannot expect your customers to consistently use them.
Don’t [Always] Believe the Hype
Beware of “shiny objects” and over-stimulating statements from developers. Mobile technology makes
many things possible, while what is plausible or probable for widespread and successful adoption today
is not as great as the potential. In other words, not everyone can afford a new smartphone or tablet
with the latest functionality, and only a select few of your customers have the bandwidth or
consideration to experiment with new technology.
Edelman Mobility – August 22, 2012

8.
“Go Mobile, or Go Out of Business”*
The “Age of Mobility” is nothing new. Humans have been upright, walking and mobile for nearly 4
million years, while we have been sitting in front of keyboards for less than 200 years. It is this
evolutionary reality that has alarms blaring across the business world, and it is for this human reasoning
that no brand can afford to ignore or dismiss the rise of mobility as just another technology trend.
The data, media and integrated business opportunities that are arriving alongside mobile liberation and
an untethered audience may create a more segmented, complex marketing puzzle. In the end, this is
about market communications, customer service and business operations working together to assume a
real-time actionable role; one which is a more human role.
This inaugural edition of Edelman Mobility Quarterly is primarily focused on statistics and observations
specific to the use of smartphones and tablets in the United States. The point-of-view and opinion
presented here is sighted on select areas of responsibility to address shifts in mobile technology
adoption and usage that has been brought to our attention as immediate and urgent.
There are vast differences in the way mobility is being addressed by business and how it is reshaping
consumption habits. Industry by industry, brand by brand, this disparity becomes even more complex
when comparing the unique traits shaped by geography, culture and economic conditions. At Edelman
Digital, we respect the need to be agile and diligent when scoping mobile solutions, and this has become
a top priority for our Global network of offices and services to ensure each client is prescribed an
appropriate and effective solution based on these coordinates.
Each quarter, a new edition of Edelman Mobility Quarterly will be shared with clients, partners and the
public at-large. Please enjoy this resource and supplement to navigating the exciting future ahead.
*a popular battle cry heard within the Online Services Division at Citrix (makers of GoToMeeting, PODIO and other online collaboration tools)
Edelman Mobility – August 22, 2012

9.
Questions & Inquiries
Photo Credit: Tyson Goodridge on Flickr
Tim Hayden is SVP, Mobile Strategy for Edelman Digital. In
this role, he helps teams and clients understand the current
and future landscape of mobility in order to develop
appropriate integrated strategies and programs.
Tim can be contacted on Twitter (@TheTimHayden) or via
email (timhaydenATX@gmail.com). He is also a frequent
contributor to EdelmanDigital.com, where insights and
opinions are shared on the larger view of emerging
technology and human behavior.
(The opinions expressed within this report are his and do not
necessarily reflect those of Edelman Digital or its clients.)
Edelman Mobility – August 22, 2012