Do you find it hard to go through a day at work and not check your phone? I do.
Do you sleep next to your phone? Is it the first thing you check when you wake up? Yes and Yes for me.
After completing the smartphone addiction quiz, I sadly learnt that I am addicted to my phone.
My results for a Smartphone addiction quiz. Source: All the tests, unknown.
CNN believes 50% of teens are addicted to their smart phones. This is embarrassing for consumers- for digital marketers, this is celebratory.
In 2007, the first iPhone release revolutionised telecommunication, and enforced many people to adopt smartphones. Ten years later, it can practically be viewed as an extension of our body. Nobody leaves home without it, or in fact goes anywhere without it- even the toilet!
As they should, digital marketers have centralised their focus on this. Approximately one fifth of budgets are allocated to mobile marketing (source). Within two years, this is projected to increase to one quarter (source).
Mobile marketing spending. Source: eMarketing 2015
Furthermore, last year for the first time, websites accessed on mobile phones exceeded those that were accessed on computers (source).
“With smartphones quickly becoming the number one web access device, every touch point along the customer journey should be planned with a mobile-first mindset”
Salesforce report
QR codes, SMS marketing, mobile commerce, location based marketing. The opportunities for marketers in the mobile phone space are endless. The device consumers look at multiple times a day is a powerful connection to consumers.
To conclude, I believe this tweet by actress Megan Fox perfectly summarises not only the importance we place on mobile phones, but also the power they have over consumers.
Do you think you’re addicted to your phone? Do you think it’s wise for marketers to target us through our phones or is it a breach of privacy?
Contribute to the sound of this digital marketing issue and comment below.
Megan Fox tweet. Source: Twitter, 2017
The Sound of Marketing 
I have grown attached to my phone and yes, I am addicted to it. It’s a good thing that mobile based sites are also increasing rapidly to keep up with the addicted consumers. However, as you have said that our phone is basically an extension of our body now, it holds incredibly personal data, and I think it a lot of consumers wouldn’t like of idea of them being targeted like that, they may feel like they have no more privacy in this world anymore.
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It’s a bit sad in a way isn’t it? But I know I’m not the only one- there’s many of us that are!
I agree. There is a lot of personal data on our phones.
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I think we are all addicted to our phones to some extent, or at least we have been forced to by the ways of society. If marketers don’t take this into consideration it would be harming their potential for success, so it just must be done from a marketing perspective. Wether thats a breach of privacy for consumers, i’m not too sure!
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True, it’d definitely sad though. Especially when you compare it to the way people were during the pre iPhone era!
Definitely! They would be losing out big time if they didn’t capitalise on this.
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It’s an interesting topic – being addicted to your mobile phone. I’ve read some articles about whether it’s a blessing or a nightmare to be constantly using your mobile phone. On one hand, smart phones have given us the ability to access information whenever we need/want! On the other hand, they’re a distraction and can cause us to become “anti-social”. I’ve heard a lot of advice from people from our and other generations saying “You need to get off your phone and start having real conversations with people!” But then I think to myself, what if I want to become a digital marketer? Don’t I need to be on my phone or online constantly to know what’s the latest? It’s ironic isn’t it?!
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That’s very true. There is definitely pros and cons to mobile phone usage. I just personally reckon as long as you don’t fall out of touch with reality and become too fixated on it you are fine. 🙂
Well that’s what I tell myself anyway!
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I think we all have grown extremely attached to our phones! It’s crazy the amount of times I check my newsfeed!! that being said, it represents a perfect marketing opportunity for many brands. I don’t think it’s a breach of privacy – it really comes down to how the message is executed. Great post 🙂
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Which is a bit sad in a way when you think about it! I’m the same. Sometimes I will open facebook or instagram and the newsfeed just hasn’t updated 😛
Thanks Ruby!
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Sadly I too am addicted to my phone! I definitely would rank web mobile optimisation ahead of browser based optimisation. I think it should be the top priority of digital marketers today. Like you said, it is pretty much an extension of the body now. Most people have their phones within arms length 24/7… On top of this the new Samsung Galaxy phone is also a desktop, so mobiles and computers might start to merge in the near future.
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Yes I did read about the new Samsung Galaxy phone! And I was also reading about the HP Elite x3 and how that can too double as a computer! From that perspective I definitely agree with you – mobile may even eventually take over computers in market share!
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I think all people our age are somewhat addicted to their mobiles – sad to say! Digital Marketers would be silly to not take advantage of our thirst for social media and digital applications!
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Indeed we are 😦
Since writing this article however and getting my test result I have tried to be on it a lot less.
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Definitely guilty! If ultimately the information collected through our phones can come back to benefit us (which definition is debatable from person to person), I think it’s justifiable.
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That’s true. Ultimately it is benefiting us despite invading our privacy!
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Today, most of the people use mobile phones and yes, we can sat that people addicted with mobile phones and surely it also helps the digital marketing service providers. Thanks!
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I don’t say that i am disagree with that but now a days everyone uses mobile, and very easy to handle anywhere as compared to laptops and computers.
Internship in Digital Marketing
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great post. In China mobile phone addiction has just been recognised as as real and as serious as heroin addiction. We are being pushed the drug by people who want to make money out of us just like pushers on a street corner
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