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Huawei’s commitment to user privacy and security

The mobile giant, which launched in China in 1987, has recently faced bans or restrictions in several countries, including the United States, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Additionally, some European countries also imposed restrictions on Huawei’s involvement in their 5G networks due to security concerns.

However, despite these restrictions, Gonzalo states that privacy and security are not just buzzwords for the brand, instead, fundamental principles that guide every aspect of its operations.

He tells Mobile Marketing Magazine: “We continue to stand by our commitment to strictly protect users’ privacy and security while providing them with a unique and smart experience.

“Huawei operates through transparency, ensures compliance with global privacy regulations, and creates a better customer experience.”

“We have always complied with security policies, laws, and regulations in every country in which we operate,” Gonzalo adds.

“Any company or organisation working with Huawei, or consumer using Huawei devices or software can have confidence in our data security and privacy practice, regardless of location.”

Empowering brands to thrive in the Chinese market

One key focus for the company is empowering European brands to tap into the vast potential of the Chinese market, especially with the “evolving landscape of China’s luxury and travel sector”.

As a result, he emphasises the importance of understanding the unique characteristics of this market, where luxury, sustainability, and ethical products are in high demand.

Leveraging Huawei’s Petal Ads platform, European brands can tailor their strategies to resonate with Chinese consumers, he claims, whether they are in China or high-value travellers.

He notes: “With our expertise and insights at Petal Ads, we’re ideally positioned to help European brands navigate this dynamic market and achieve success in engaging with the Chinese audience.

“To leverage on the opportunities and thrive, European brands must adopt a clear understanding of their target audience and craft personalised strategies that resonate with Chinese consumers.

“This involves not only recognising their preferences for luxury, fashion, lifestyle, and jewellery but also acknowledging their inclination towards sustainable and ethical choices.”

Navigating challenges and adapting to evolving trends

Regarding navigating obstacles related to bans on its mobile business, Huawei Mobile Services has employed strategies such as identifying new markets for expansion and developing new technologies, Gonzalo reveals.

As a result, the move comprising of Huawei’s very own ecosystem of apps and services in a bid to provide benefits for its users.

Meanwhile in Europe, Gonzalo acknowledges the challenges posed by regulatory requirements such as GDPR.

He says: “Navigating the labyrinth of European regulations while keeping up with diverse linguistic and cultural landscapes can be quite the maze. From the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to roaming charges, each country brings its own flavour of complexity.

“Europe has stringent regulations like GDPR, which mobile services need to comply with – adding additional layers of complexity to operations.”

As a mobile service provider which trades in several countries, Huawei needs to adapts its offering across Europe, which “is also home to a multitude of languages and cultures across countries” to cater to this diversity, “adding another layer of challenge”, he claims.

Alongside this, historically, roaming charges have been a key issue within the region, with consumers facing high fees when using their phones abroad.

While regulations have been implemented to address this, managing the transition and compliance can also be challenging, he says.

However, Gonzalo reaffirmed the company’s commitment to compliance and transparency, ensuring that user privacy remains a top priority.

He says: “Huawei will continue to embrace these challenges and keep connectivity and innovation flowing across the diverse continent.”

On the future of mobile marketing

Looking ahead, the VP of HMS outlined key trends shaping the future of mobile marketing, including AI-powered personalisation, mobile-friendly approaches and the rise of virtual reality (VR).

“It’s an exciting time to be in the world of mobile marketing, where creativity meets technology to shape unforgettable brand experiences,” he says.

Meanwhile, he also emphasises the importance of AI, branding the tool as the “secret sauce for marketers”, allowing them to “harness the power of data in ways we never thought possible”.

He says: “With AI, we’re not just talking about flooding consumers with content; we’re also talking about delivering personalised experiences that resonate on an individual level.

“It’s like having a digital marketing assistant that knows your customers almost as well as they know themselves. This shift enables marketers to focus on the creative aspects of their campaigns, while leaving the heavy lifting of data analysis and optimisation to machines.”

In today’s digital, fast-paced world, where people are glued to their smartphones, it’s imperative that marketers prioritise mobile-friendly approaches.

“Mobile isn’t just another channel; it’s quickly becoming a significant platform for reaching and engaging with audiences,” Gonzalo continues.

“Tailoring content specifically for mobile consumption ensures that users can interact seamlessly and effortlessly, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.”

“From responsive web design to mobile-first ad formats, the mantra is clear: think mobile, think user-centric,” he concludes.

The post Interview: Huawei’s Jaime Gonzalo on ‘trust and transparency’ despite product bans in several countries appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Q: How has LinkedIn evolved as a key platform for brand marketing, especially in the professional space?

“We now have more than one billion members across the globe who come to LinkedIn to connect, learn, sell and get hired, and our growing professional community presents a huge opportunity for brands and businesses to reach and engage their audiences. 

“Our rich professional data including job title, industry, seniority, geography and skills, is our superpower and makes it easy for brands to segment and reach audiences with precision, including decision-makers and C-suite executives.

“We’re constantly innovating our ad formats, products and services to help brands reach audiences in new and engaging ways.  For instance, recognising the need for brands to authentically communicate at scale through real-life advocates and build brand equity, we recently launched Thought Leader Ads – to enable companies to sponsor content from employees, executives, and members. 

“We’re seeing brands bolster creative campaigns on LinkedIn which is exciting to see. We know that proving the impact of marketing on the bottom line is one of the biggest challenges facing marketers today, and to help we’ve launched new measurement tools such as the Revenue Attribution Report that enable marketers to build financial fluency and communicate effectively with the CFO.

“As a brand, we’re also setting an example for what creative campaigns for a professional audience can look like. Our recent ‘LinkedIn Knows How’ campaign aimed at Gen Z professionals, is an example of how brands can connect with professional audiences by building relevant and relatable content.”

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Q: How important is authenticity in brand storytelling, and how can brands maintain a genuine connection with their audience on LinkedIn?

“It’s critical for brands to have an authentic connection with audiences, tapping into real pain points and the external environment – that’s how you build trust and relevance. My team has recently done this in our latest campaign that targets Gen Z and those starting out in their careers.

“We wanted to build a memorable brand film that heightened those everyday feelings we have all experienced at work, such as trying to understand workplace jargon and the hesitancy to ask for help. 

“We tapped into the human truth that it can be impossible to know where to start, with a view to helping them grow their careers during a period of time in which the world of work was changing so quickly.

“Alongside the TV spot that we developed with our in-house creative team, we also partnered with creative agency, VCCP to create a live activation: ‘Know-How To Go’ coffee truck with a twist.

“Gen Z are famously the microlearning and coffee-culture generation so the idea was for us to use this as an opportunity to create a genuine connection with them in real life, whilst they dive into a career-boosting chat over a cup of coffee, and enjoy some easy learning on their daily commute. 

“Alongside this, we shared practical advice on LinkedIn through expert, influential voices to build a direct connection to our audience.”

Q: LinkedIn caters to a professional audience, how can brands tailor their messaging to effectively resonate with this demographic?

“Emotion, storytelling, and authenticity are all factors which are crucial but often overlooked when communicating with professional audiences, resulting in a brand that may feel unmemorable. For brands to stand out and become top of mind, it’s important to be bold and dynamic.

“One of the pitfalls we often see from brands is that they “over-correct” to cater to a professional audience. This group accounts for over 25% of the population in the UK, and general workers account for over two-thirds, so we recommend still thinking about human-to-human mass communications.”

Q: What role does thought leadership play in brand marketing on LinkedIn, and how can brands establish themselves as industry leaders?

“Thought leadership is a powerful tool in brand marketing, which enables brands to share valuable industry expertise and build trust and credibility – ultimately helping them to humanise their brands. 

“The brilliant aspect of our platform is that it democratises thought leadership and allows anyone to share their views on a trusted platform. 

“In terms of industry leaders, we’re seeing a diverse range of influential voices including entrepreneurs, industry experts and C-level executives coming to LinkedIn to share company news exclusively on the platform, including product innovation announcements, mergers and acquisitions, and company earnings.

“We are seeing a 9% year-over-year increase in the number of posts from C-level members, and these posts range from company updates and workplace policies to behind-the-scenes at industry events, meetings, and work trips, offering a glimpse into the organisation’s culture and boosting the company’s employer brand. 

“By putting executives at the heart of corporate strategy on LinkedIn, companies are building greater brand equity with customers and employees.”

Q: What are some current trends in brand marketing on LinkedIn, and how can brands stay ahead of the curve?

“One of the audiences that most brands are focused on today is Gen Z – including their buying behaviours, lifestyle choices, learning habits, and outlook on their careers. 

“They are the fastest-growing audience on LinkedIn, and this is why we launched our new brand campaign specifically for this group. A key trend we picked up alongside developing our campaign was the intergenerational differences we are witnessing and the need to address generational gaps in the workplace, and we expect this trend to continue to be front of mind for professionals and brands.

“In addition to Gen Z, unsurprisingly, AI is here to stay as a topic, and it’s an exciting time to see how marketers will continue to leverage AI tools in their day-to-day jobs to be more creative and productive. To uncover new trends, we always suggest to marketers to follow key thought-leaders, and pages on LinkedIn, or to follow LinkedIn News to stay ahead of the curve.”

Q: Are there any specific industries or sectors that you’ve observed achieving notable success in their LinkedIn brand marketing strategies? 

“We’ve partnered with some of the biggest brands in the world including Dove, Headspace, and Virgin to create authentic brand stories and to lead the way in how you can build powerful B2C campaigns on LinkedIn. Like these campaigns, notable successes on LinkedIn have come from smart thinking on how you can use the platform creatively to drive a bigger impact amongst our 1 billion members.

“In B2B, Santander’s ‘Connections’ ad featuring actor Brian Cox, is a great example of how B2B companies are investing in building creative, memorable, and innovative campaigns to build their brands.”

Q: How can brands foster a sense of community and encourage meaningful engagement among their LinkedIn followers?

“A big tip for brands who are looking to create community amongst their followers is sharing your views, insights, and knowledge regularly. 

“Consistent posting helps build trust, fuels deeper levels of engagement, and keeps your audience coming back for more insights. It’s also important to vary your content – video continues to dominate LinkedIn as the top format, so experiment with long or short-form posts, videos, and visuals to bring your insights or brand message to life.

“As brands look to leverage executives as thought leaders, it’s important to support leaders with guidance and training to cultivate a distinctive voice. Encouraging executives to share personal anecdotes and speak authentically around topics like leadership, company culture, company values, and work-related content can help organisations humanise their brands, reach a wider audience, and build an engaged following. 

“Ultimately, people trust people, and this is a key driving insight to building community and driving meaningful engagement.”

The post Q&A: LinkedIn UK Head of Brand Marketing Zara Easton on Gen Z engagement strategies appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

In a strategic move towards this further transformation, the cosmetics brand, known for its army of sales representatives, recently promoted former CMO, Kristof Neirynck to the position of Chief Executive. This promotion has paved the way for the appointment of Özlem Citci as the brand’s new Chief Marketing Officer, marking a pivotal moment in the company’s evolution.

Citci’s journey with Avon began in 2020 when she assumed the role of Marketing Director for Türkiye, laying the groundwork for her promotion to Head of Marketing for Europe in May 2023.

It was in this position, that Citci spearheaded one of Avon’s most ambitious transformation journeys, revolutionising commercial plans and brochures to align with the evolving mobile industry.

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Central to Avon’s transformation into mobile is its embrace of omnichannel marketing, a strategic shift aimed at enhancing brand visibility and accessibility.

“Our business model is built around human connection, and we believe relationship centricity remains key to our success,” Citci tells Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Underscoring the pivotal role of Representatives who provide personalised experiences and beauty advice within their communities, Citci says the company has “modernised relationship selling” by providing its Representatives with more ways to sell and reach customers.

This includes brands’ new digital tools like the selling app ‘AvonON’, via training courses on social selling and through offering Reps opportunities to even open up their own physical stores.

“By supporting Reps in more ways to reach their communities, we continue to provide the most personal shopping experience for our customers. Our Reps provide tailored beauty advice and are trusted experts among their communities,” she says.

On leveraging mobile marketing

“We have a fully digitised, mobile-enabled, shoppable brochure, enabling Reps to share it directly with customers via WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, without draining mobile data,” Citci says.

Finding a correct balance between mobile marketing and direct selling, she identifies both challenges and opportunities.

Avon’s commitment to empowering representatives as digital entrepreneurs underscores its dedication to delivering personalised experiences that resonate with modern consumers.

For example, to optimise an omnichannel journey for its customers, Avon is focusing on understanding and addressing its customers’ pain points and opportunities, ensuring seamless and consistent experiences for all customers – from personal product recommendations, ratings, and reviews, through to payment options.

It is also ensuring a customer-centric approach, to ensure it’s creating emotional, personalised connections at the right place and time, with the right message and evolving its omnichannel customer experience, which leverages its brand pillars of trust, community, and personalisation through providing experiences that enlighten and guide, connect and empower its Reps and customers.

Meanwhile, Citci cites success stories from around the world, where representatives have leveraged social media platforms like TikTok to reach new customer segments and drive sales.

“Whilst not available in all of Avon’s markets, we see social selling catching on more and know it will continue to grow worldwide,” she states.

This comes as 52% of millennials are thought to have bought a product because they saw it on TikTok in the last year.

She notes: “Coupled with the authentic and “real” nature of the platform, this is an opportunity for Avon to continue to empower Representatives to utilise TikTok as a sales tool to offer their products to customers.”

“We are continuously evolving and optimising our mobile experience to keep pace with how customers like to buy in each individual market we operate in.”

On a data-driven approach thanks to AI

At the heart of Avon’s mobile marketing initiatives lies a data-driven approach to personalisation, where Citci showcases the brand’s use of AI-powered tools to provide consumers with accurate skin analysis and personalised product recommendations.

Citci also reveals Avon is leveraging the use of AI for campaign planning and some creatives.

“It is all about leveraging the marketing technology out there to help digitise our Reps and their businesses at pace.

“However, the human touch will never lessen in importance, only we have a true understanding of peoples’ pain points and that informs campaigns that are routed in human truths and resonate powerfully with our customers.”

Meanwhile, AI is not the only technology Avon is leveraging.

Like the skincare tool, the organisation has also tapped into Augmented Reality (AR), which allows customers to virtually try on lipsticks enabling them to find the perfect shade through technology. The tool is available on the Avon website and gives customers the opportunity to virtually try different lipstick colours to see which suits them best.

On the principles of sustainability and social responsibility

“Our sustainability strategy underpins our entire business, incorporating both people and planet initiatives, and is inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” Citci states.

“It commits us to reducing emissions from our operations and supply chain, innovating in sustainable packaging solutions, and switching to regenerative ingredients.”

She adds that the company is looking to provide packaging that is made from recyclable or recycled materials and ensure its ingredients are derived from more natural formulations, in line with its pledge for all its packaging to be 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2030.

On the future of the brand

Citci notes: “Our focus for the coming year is to continue with our ongoing omnichannel, digital and brand transformation.

“In 2023, we began to refresh our brand look and feel and, as part of this, we’re rolling out new product packaging in the next 18 months which will be much more modern, elegant, and streamlined.”

The Chief Marketing Officer also reveals the firm is working on developing further apps and digital tools.

“Our aim is to continue improving and evolving the customer experience and support our Reps to tap into new consumer segments who undoubtedly want a beauty expert to support them, but who are also digital-first, busy and technology-loving – and keen to try our products,” she concludes.

The post Interview: Meet the woman revolutionising beauty marketing at Avon appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Q: How does Spotify formulate and execute mobile-first marketing strategies to stay ahead in the highly competitive music streaming market? 

“As the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service, we have a uniquely engaged audience as people use Spotify for more than 2.4 hours every day, making it essential to people’s daily lives. 

“Spotify is the home of premier audio content that drives culture, empowering brands to build authentic connections with audiences. With over 100 million tracks, five million podcast titles, and 350,000 audiobooks, people use Spotify to soundtrack their lives.

“Spotify connects fans with the artists and creators that they love, bringing a cultural influence that makes it a must-buy for advertisers. From programs like music consulting via AUX and interactive ad formats like CTA cards to more visually inspiring video ads, Spotify offers brands a range of creative opportunities to reach key audiences and effectively drive impact for their brand.”

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Q: What strategies does Spotify employ to enhance user engagement within the app and across various mobile platforms? 

“The Spotify experience offers inspiration, discovery and interactivity. We connect fans with the artists and creators they love through personalised and engaging experiences.

“Personalisation is at the heart of what we do. In fact, when we ask our listeners what they like most about us, more than 81% cite our personalisation, which drives strong engagement. 

“Spotify’s existing recommendations come to life through innovative, personalised products like DJ the Spotify Home feed, Discover Weekly, Blend, Made for You Mixes and daylist. 

“Most recently, we launched Song Psychic, a fun and mystical experience that can help listeners answer life’s questions — all through the lens of music. With Song Psychic, listeners have the chance to choose from a selection of pre-populated questions relating to nine topics, ranging from My Future to Life’s Greatest Mysteries. Based on your responses, Spotify’s Song Psychic will select the perfect song to answer your question.”

Q: How does the development of innovative advertising formats cater to Spotify’s mobile users? 

“Since Spotify entered the podcast space just 5 years ago, we’ve transformed the industry. We’ve gone from practically zero market share and a handful of podcasts to being a global leader in the market with more than five million podcasts on the platform in more than 180 markets.
From 2018 to 2023, there has been a 110% increase in daily time spent listening to podcasts across the UK population (source: eMarketer 2023), and brands are taking note. The consumption is already here but the ad revenue is still catching up.

“Just like with digital video, it took a while for ad spend to follow consumption. We’re seeing the same trajectory in audio as more and more consumption and distribution moves from broadcast to streaming, and we’re leading the charge in evolving the audio experience, including monetisation.

“Over the last few years, we’ve been modernising podcast advertising to make it a true digital ad channel – just like video and social. By introducing better targeting with tools like Streaming Ad Insertion, helping advertisers reach podcast listeners at scale with the Spotify Audience Network, proving the impact of podcast advertising with innovative measurement solutions like Spotify Ad Analytics and innovating on the ad experience itself – we’re bringing digital audio to the forefront and making it a must-buy for advertisers.

“This isn’t just good for Spotify, but for advertisers and creators across the industry.”

Q: On the back of Spotify’s recent partnership with On Running, how did the partnership evolve?

“On wanted to focus on highlighting the synergy between music and running in its latest campaign ‘Max Energy. Always.’ Given this, On naturally turned to Spotify to effectively reach their target audience of runners and build a deeper connection with listeners. 

With video, audio and display ads on Spotify, On was able to not only raise awareness around its Spring 2024 collection and tease the launch of its new Cloudmonster shoes collection, but also spotlight the intrinsic connection between music and running with a new track by artist Jayda G that was created specifically for the campaign.”

Q: With the partnership, how does the platform ensure a seamless integration of brand messages within the mobile user experience?

“On leveraged a variety of ad formats to create a holistic experience on Spotify. The audio ads highlight the launch of the Cloudmonster 2 model and tease Jayda G’s new track, ending with a call-to-action for listeners to check out the exclusive song on on.com.

“Meanwhile, the video ads were created to be in the style of a music video, highlighting our collective need for energy – featuring Jayda G along with real runners, and showcasing the new Cloudmonster 2 model.

“On also targeted runners for its Spotify ads, ensuring that the sportswear brand would effectively reach its key audience and build a deeper connection with listeners.”

Q: With Samsung recently announcing its Galaxy Ring, how does Spotify envision its role in wearable technology, and how does it adapt its marketing strategies accordingly? 

“People now have more ways to listen as they integrate devices like smart speakers, phones, tablets and more into their lives. 

“We aim to deliver a seamless listening experience for users across platforms, programs and devices – enabling them to listen wherever they are and whatever they’re doing. No matter where you are or the moment you’re in, we want to create less work to get to the audio you love. That means being everywhere our users are.”

Q: What innovations or trends do you predict shaping the future of mobile marketing for Spotify, and how is the platform preparing to stay at the forefront of these developments? 

“There’s a lot of work happening in the interactivity space in audio. We’ve introduced new experiences like Blend and Collaborative Playlists that make sharing the music you love easier than ever. Our latest feature Jam is a personalised, real-time listening session for your group to tune into together, building on some of our popular interactive features and combining them with our personalisation technology to take real-time listening with friends to the next level. 

“We want to bring this to the ad experience, too. This is why we launched call-to-action cards (CTA cards) in the UK as a new format that makes podcast ads interactive for the first time with an experience that enables listeners to hear, see and click. 

“For advertisers, bringing interactivity to the audio experience provides an unparalleled opportunity to get creative in how they communicate their key messages, and paves the way for better measurement and understanding on if their target audiences took action after hearing the ad. 

“Additionally, as AI continues to be top of mind across mediums, podcasters are racing to keep up with this quickly evolving AI landscape in the digital audio space. At Spotify, we believe that AI has the potential to offer real benefits to the audio industry.

“It’s very early days in an incredibly fast-moving and developing space. We announced that we’re piloting Voice Translation for podcasts, a groundbreaking feature powered by AI that translates podcasts into additional languages—all in the podcaster’s voice.

“While this type of technology definitely brings challenges, our focus is on helping creators connect with audiences, monetise their art, and build careers, and I imagine we’ll see even more innovation of this kind in the future.”

The post Q&A: Spotify’s Brian Berner unveils the symphony of mobile marketing appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Not only has it become a household name, but the app has also mastered the task of keeping its vast audience base engaged.

“Our main objective is to create the constant conversation with players,” Candy Crush Saga’s Vice President of Marketing, Luken Aragon tells Mobile Marketing Magazine.

From a marketing perspective, the brand’s focus is on implementing a “players-first” and “mobile-first” mobile marketing strategy, he claims.

The mobile game, developed and owned by King, was initially launched in 2012 via Facebook, now Meta, before being released for mobile devices shortly after.

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On creating moments of joy

Aragon explains that the game, which has over 200 million active users, is an experience designed to provide moments of joy and relaxation for players.

As a result, the game caters to a diverse audience, offering an experience that allows players to enjoy short sessions or immerse themselves in longer gameplay.

“Candy Crush is a real proposition for players to enjoy moments for themselves, to take a step back and relax”, he says. “We have very different types of players, people who play for a few minutes, whilst commuting for example, and people who enjoy a longer session.

“Our mission is to entertain and simply create a moment of fun,” Aragon states.

On building strong brand partnerships

One standout feature of the gaming giant’s marketing strategy is its successful brand partnerships.

Previously, Candy Crush partnered with pop star Meghan Trainor to release her latest single in the game.

It also debuted the Jonas Brothers “Summer Baby” and “Sail Away” exclusively for 24 hours before the tracks were available to stream anywhere else. Alongside this, bandmates Kevin, Joe and Nick were also transformed into “Candified” characters and immersed in the Candy Kingdom to celebrate the mobile game’s Music Season.

However, one of the brand’s most lucrative and eye-catching collaborations was its pink-filled partnership with the most anticipated movie of the summer, Barbie.

Days before the film hit cinemas, Candy Crush launched in-game Barbie experiences, which featured exclusive accessible-only content to its users.

Aragon highlights the collaboration with Barbie, which not only gained visibility for the game but also introduced refreshing, exciting content for players.

These partnerships, generating billions of views and engagements, showcase Candy Crush’s commitment to bringing unique and unexpected experiences to its players, he notes.

On innovative campaigns and player engagement

“We try to bring the best content for players. It is a players-first approach where we want to create something different,” he says.

From its ‘All Stars’ competitions to player-involved seasons, Candy Crush constantly evolves based on player feedback.

Aragon reveals how the game’s marketing team listens to player suggestions, incorporating them into the gaming experience.

He explains: “We are also trying to innovate and work closely with products, having a very product-centric approach, where we constantly listen to what players say to bring new experiences.”

“One of our biggest objectives as a brand is to constantly surprise players and listen to what they want and expect in an unexpected manner.”

On balancing user experience and revenues

As a free-to-play game, Candy Crush is used to juggle user experience with revenue generation.

Aragon emphasises the brand’s commitment to providing a quality experience for all players, whether they choose to make in-app purchases or not.

“Candy Crush is an experience in which you can 100% enjoy for free”, he stresses.

However, according to the VP of marketing, at its core, the company aims to “maximise the quality of the experience”.

He says: “Some people decide to use our paid services as part of their experience. But ultimately, our main focus is to deliver a player-first approach where the experience is positive for everyone.”

On staying ahead of trends

Candy Crush Saga has built a robust community around its brand, leveraging its strong reputation to unlock new opportunities, Aragon reveals. He explains how the brand is actively seeking key partners who align with its values, creating a vibrant and engaged player community.

“What’s important, as a brand is the experience you provide first. What Candy Crush does well is focus on product proposition and our mobile marketing strategy is critical to do that,” he states.

“We create that constant conversation with the players to make sure they are having fun”.

He claims, the company is also unlocking opportunities to make sure its audiences are enjoying the experience.

“We really try to create the best content for players and what’s impressive is the loyalty, engagement and recognition we get,” he concludes.

The post Interview: Candy Crush Marketing VP on unwrapping the sweet success of mobile marketing appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

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On putting customers first

For Tesco Mobile, customers are the focal point of its marketing strategy. At least, that’s what Swift thinks.

The insights gained from interactions, including focus groups, customer-closeness sessions, and feedback from retail colleagues, shape the overarching customer plan and consequently, the marketing strategy, she reveals.

According to Swift, getting “closer to customers is an essential part of marketing. We are embedded into the community in a unique way that other brands aren’t.”

As a result, the telecoms arm of the supermarket giant has been named the highest-ranking mobile brand in the UK according to the 2024 Customer Satisfaction Index.

On balancing personalisation and privacy

According to Swift, who has been with the company for over four years, Tesco Mobile prioritises personalisation while ensuring customer privacy.

“When customers choose to share their data with us, we use it to provide more of the things that matter to them,” she explains. “Personalisation has helped us to deliver tailored messaging to different audience segments, maximising impact and helping us cut through the noise.”

As a result, the brand aims to ensure and maintain transparency when it comes to customer data.

She says: “Our customers always have control over what they choose to share with us, and we are clear and transparent about how we use their data. We also take great care in managing the information that is shared with us.”

On adapting to emerging trends

Tesco Mobile is constantly reviewing its approach to ensure it remains relevant and different from other brands in the market, Swift claims.

“We work closely with our insights team, as well as our agency partners, to ensure we keep our finger on the pulse – knowing what matters today and what will matter tomorrow – adapting our approach accordingly,” she says.

“We often take a test-and-learn approach to emerging media trends; try small, learn, fail fast and then execute.”

However, the brand has yet to make 5G a specific focus but ensures customers know about the network’s reliability and speed. As a result, regular campaigns across various channels communicate Tesco Mobile’s commitment to quality and expertise.

She notes: “We’re powered by the O2 network, which means 99% 4G coverage on the UK’s most reliable network and with 5G now in parts of most major UK towns and cities, customers will likely be getting blisteringly fast connections and even greater reliability.”

“We regularly launch campaigns to communicate this to our customers, across trade, OOH and radio channels,” she states.

On creative campaigns that ‘resonate’

Most recently, Tesco Mobile appointed ex-Boyzone singer, Ronan Keating, as its first-ever Roaming Ambassador.

Celebrating the ability to roam at no extra cost, the campaign featured Keating surprising customers with pop-up performances and holiday gift cards.

Describing the campaign as “creative, distinctive, and entertaining”, Swift reveals the choice of the Boyzone singer was formed as he encompasses the brand’s “helpful and family-focussed values.”

She says: “Tapping into the January mood and identifying the key moment in time when customers are booking holidays, we secured strong engagement through several work streams; from editorial coverage and engagement on social media, both on owned channels and with our partners.

“It allowed customers to engage with our campaign across several touch-points, creating an exciting moment for ourselves and our audiences and hopefully, making them smile.”

Meanwhile, Keating joins a long line of famous faces who have collaborated with the mobile network operator.

In the last year, Tesco Mobile has collaborated with Dom Joly, Katie Piper, and of course Fearne Cotton – the distinct voice of Tesco Mobile in its advertising campaigns.

Swift states: “Collaborating with well-known figures whose values are aligned with ours has been a great way to connect with our customers on a much closer level and significantly increased the reach of our campaigns.”

On cross-channel cohesion and sustainability initiatives

The former O2 Director admits Tesco Mobile’s cross-channel marketing strategy revolves around an integrated approach, avoiding silos through agile ways of working.

According to Swift, the brand is not just about business; it’s about making a positive impact.

She explains: “From brand advertising and performance marketing, through to PR and social media, we take an integrated approach to cross-channel marketing.

“We work in cross-functional teams that are equipped and empowered to deliver end-to-end. The result is that we’re making collective decisions about how we choose to communicate with our customers across different channels.”

Collaborating with charity partners like the Trussell Trust and Internet Matters, Tesco Mobile also focuses on sustainability and social responsibility. As a result, initiatives like donating data-loaded SIM cards to food banks and the Little Helps Digital Toolkit underscore its commitment to making a difference.

Swift notes: “We’ve started to test and learn marketing and communications which combine environmental responsibility with social impact.” However, she is the first to admit that “much more needs to be done in this area”.

On looking to the future

As Swift reflects on the future, she highlights the fragmentation of the media landscape and the growing role of brands in diverse channels.

Additionally, the exploration of AI is a priority for the brand, aiming to leverage its potential for marketing effectiveness and efficiency.

She concludes: “With the media landscape fragmenting like never before and brands playing a far broader role than the traditional channels they used to. Like most marketers, I’d imagine – we’re learning more and more about AI and how it can support marketing from an effectiveness and efficiency perspective.”

The post Interview: Tesco Mobile on innovative marketing strategies featuring famous faces appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

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Streamlining mobile campaigns for efficiency

For the marketing automation company, taking a platform approach is essential for brands looking to optimise their mobile campaigns. Miller emphasises viewing mobile as a device with multiple channels and encourages marketers to create customer journeys using real-time data.

For Salesforce Marketing Cloud this means marketers can “confidently auto-generate personalised content at scale and across multiple channels to meaningfully engage with their customers,” he tells Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Miller uses Marks & Spencer as an example, which personalises millions of daily interactions with shoppers.

“It’s important that every one of our customers knows that relevant and effective guardrails are already in place to limit hallucinations and bias, reinforce privacy and robust data governance, and deliver results.”

Empowering ecommerce via innovation

Salesforce Marketing Cloud recently unveiled innovations aimed at helping retail marketers harness real-time data and AI for trusted, connected commerce experiences.

Features such as segment and content creation for Marketing Cloud engagement empower retailers to build segments effortlessly and automatically create personalised visual content, he reveals.

“We empower marketers to create customer journeys, using real-time data, connecting with users on their preferred mobile channel, for some customers that maybe WhatsApp or SMS and others may engage mostly in a brand’s app.

“Marketers want to be able to use the same AI-powered journeys across every channel so they can focus on delivering customer success by engaging customers where they are and building loyalty.”

Speaking of AI, Miller reveals the tool plays a pivotal part in the company’s strategy.

This year, Salesforce Marketing Cloud integrated both generative and predictive AI capabilities into its strategy. As a result, Miller claims utilising AI across the entire campaign lifecycle is revolutionising how companies interact with their marketing systems.

He says: “Data Cloud for Marketing supplies marketers with trusted first-party data so they can leverage AI to scale content, personalisation, and analytics across their campaigns.”

Prioritising data security

Miller also highlights the importance of accurate and quality data, citing recent Salesforce research that identified marketers’ primary concern with Generative AI as the need for trusted customer data.

As a result, 63% of people said trusted customer data is required for generative AI to work.

However, Salesforce believes that through initiatives such as its Einstein Trust Layer, ensure data privacy and security standards are maintained while “benefiting from generative AI”.

Staying ahead through collaboration

“Salesforce works closely with our customers and partners to understand how they are engaging with their customers on mobile channels and how we can help them leverage data and AI to improve how they connect with customers across every interaction,” he states.

By understanding how businesses engage with their customers on mobile channels, Salesforce can help them leverage data and AI to enhance interactions.

He notes: “The really exciting opportunity with the advancements in AI, is marketers are going to be able to be more strategic and creative.

“For example with generative AI, brands can build out lots of versions of content really quickly to test across different channels and use AI-powered insights to optimise marketing campaigns.

 “AI is going to unleash Marketers’ creativity and greatly improve the customer experience,” Miller states.

The post Interview: Salesforce Marketing Cloud on empowering ecommerce success through innovation appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

“Snapchat was designed to be different from traditional social media—to help people express themselves with friends visually without the pressure to grow a following or compete for likes,” Snapchat UK Business Solutions Director, Fintan Gillespie tells Mobile Marketing Magazine.

“That’s why Snapchat opens up to the camera, rather than a newsfeed,” he reveals.

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Snapchat, which launched in 2011, currently reaches 90% of 13-24 years olds in over 20 countries allowing advertisers to speak directly to its audience and target their ads based on key viewer demographics including age, gender, location, interests and behaviour.

“We’ve evolved massively over the years, which goes for our marketing tools too” Gillespie states.

“We have a range of tools and features that help marketers effectively reach our audience in terms of engagement and driving customer KPIs.”

Most recently the social media giant launched Creator Collab Campaigns, its suite of products that help make it easier for advertisers to partner with the influential creator community on the platform.

He says: “Snapchatters come to us to connect with their friends and family but they stay for the creators and content they follow, which has been key to advancing our advertising capabilities.”

On AR being a “game changer”

At the forefront of augmented reality (AR) innovation, Snapchat has revolutionised advertising by enabling interactive AR experiences.

Brands including Deliveroo, Rimmel, Asos and JD Sports have all leveraged AR to actively engage users hoping to build a deeper connection with their audience.

The platform’s AR try-on features, powered by AI, provide users with immersive experiences, such as trying on virtual clothing, significantly impacting conversion rates and reducing return rates, Gillespie claims.

“AR gives consumers an immersive experience, and it offers a richer form of consumer engagement for advertisers. Video is a great way of reaching consumers but having your target audience play with a branded Lens is next level.

He adds: “We’re known as leaders in AR and we help a huge number of our customers reach their target audience through creative and engaging experiences that get people actively interacting with ads to drive business results, which has been game-changing for our brand partners.

“We are set to see a huge leap in adoption thanks to the rapidly evolving marriage of AR with AI, transforming the process to make AR an even more cost-effective, timely, and useful tool that will take retail, in its entirety, into a new dimension — to the extent that we soon won’t be able to remember shopping without AR assistance.”

To ensure a safe and secure environment

Safety and privacy are key at Snapchat. Recently, it rolled out new updates to its parental control and supervision tools.

The tool, which will now make it easier for parents to monitor their kids’ exposure levels on the platform.

In 2022, the platform launched Family Center, its set of parental tools that allows parents to see who their teens are talking to on the app, confidentially report any concerns, and set content controls – all of which can help prompt important conversations about safety.

Gillespie notes: “We’ve designed Snapchat with safety in mind, which is core in preventing the spread of harmful content, making a safe and secure environment for advertisers too. We don’t offer an open news feed where unvetted publishers or individuals have an opportunity to broadcast hate, misinformation, or violent content.

“We also use a combination of automated tools and human review to moderate our public content surfaces like Spotlight, Public Stories, and Maps, including machine learning tools and dedicated teams of real people, who review potentially inappropriate content in public posts.”

On the relevance of ephemeral content

Snapchat’s unique feature of disappearing content aligns with real-world conversations, he says.

“Conversations in real life aren’t recorded, and we think digital conversations should mirror our real-world actions. Disappearing content makes online interaction feel more human and more grounded in the present moment, easing the pressure or anxiety about posting things permanently.

“Whilst advertisers can’t advertise in our chat function, what this environment provides is a safe place, where Snapchatters can be their most authentic selves, without the pressure to be perfect, which has been proven to make them more receptive to ads, which is a huge benefit to marketers.”

On the future mobile marketing trends

“2023 will be remembered as the year AI went mainstream. AI has long powered Snapchat – helping deliver a personalised experience, and now AI is helping us to create even more sophisticated and advanced AR experiences,” he says.

This year, the UK Business Solutions Director expects even more AR experiences that can be delivered to people much faster, thanks to AI accelerating AR training and content development.

He also believes AI will see the creator industry evolve further.

This comes as over 200 million people now consider themselves creators, and this year, marketers are expected to spend more than $32 billion on influencer marketing.

He adds: “We expect to see more creators start to experiment with AI tools to help get creative, produce content, and crunch data.

“While there have been stories of AI influencers, we believe success will lie with the creators who maintain a human connection – using AI as a helpful tool, not a stand-in.”

Beyond AI, Gillespie notes the current macroeconomic variables will keep up the pressure on marketers to demonstrate ROI, and expects a shift towards multi-touch attribution solutions that track and determine the value of different customer touch-points.

He concludes that this will be particularly important for ecommerce as “marketers seek to get better insights on which platforms are driving sales and conversions”.

The post Interview: Snapchat on ‘game-changing’ role in AR advertising appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

MMM: How has Amazon Ads evolved over the past year, and what new features or strategies have been implemented to enhance the advertising experience for mobile marketers?

PC: “How brands effectively reach their audiences has continued to evolve. For mobile marketers, continuing to meet audiences at the right time in a privacy-first way has been a key challenge.

“To address this, model-based solutions that create an informed understanding of an audience have been key to achieving ongoing results. We expect investment to accelerate in this area as advertisers work to deliver positive experiences in a world without third-party cookies.

“For Amazon Ads, we’ve given advertisers access to new, more advanced machine learning models and optimised campaign control systems to improve things like bidding and pacing decisions, helping advertisers reach previously “unreachable” audiences through the Amazon DSP.

“The new machine learning models analyse a range of signals, from buying to browsing and streaming, to help advertisers predict and reach relevant audiences with optimal cost-efficiency.

“The other big trend is generative AI. The abbreviated AI was the word of 2023 and that’s just as true for the advertising industry. In our world, we’re starting to see signs of how it will redefine the creative development process in particular and help brands deliver better results at speed. This is particularly true in mobile marketing, where new AI capabilities can be used to support the generation of creative visuals for different types of screens. 

“Our focus has been on creating the tools that advertisers of all sizes can use to harness the power of AI, ensuring our customers experience a seamless transition towards this new frontier in creative development.”

MMM: With the vast amount of data at the platforms disposal, how does Amazon Ads enhance audience targeting capabilities for mobile advertisers, ensuring ads reach the right users at the right time?

PC: “Navigating the modern customer purchase journey has become more complex than ever. With individuals continuously transitioning between multiple devices during their shopping experience, advertisers face the challenge of maintaining a cohesive and engaging presence across various platforms. 

“To address this challenge, mobile advertisers can turn to clean rooms to bring together and analyse data from various sources, including their data and third parties, while still offering the flexibility to generate custom marketing insights.

“We’ll continue to support our customers as they shift to this new cookie-less existence, helping them to adopt and embed new solutions to take their advertising campaigns to the next level.”

MMM: What tools and metrics do Amazon Ads offer for mobile marketers to measure the performance of their campaigns?

PC: “Measuring the performance of campaigns is crucial for mobile advertisers to optimise reach and engage with new customers. Advertisers need the confidence to know that they are successfully reaching the right audiences.

“The range of Amazon Ads reporting and measurement solutions helps all advertisers accurately measure the impact of their advertising and makes it easy to plan, optimise and measure marketing strategies. 

“In 2023, to ensure customers can fully understand the performance of their campaigns we expanded our New-to-Brand metrics suite, which helps advertisers understand, reach, and optimise their campaigns towards new customers. With the addition of New-to-Brand Consideration metrics, advertisers can now see – by campaign – how many customers saw their ad and visited the brand’s product page or added one of its products to their cart for the first time in the last 12 months.

“This insight is really exciting for brands to be able to truly understand how their advertising is growing reach and engagement with new customers.”

MMM: How does the platform help optimise campaigns based on real-time data?

PC: “With consumers’ preferences and behaviours continually shifting, fine-tuning campaigns ensures that resources are efficiently allocated, targeting is precise, and ROI is maximised. That’s why we aim to make it as easy and as impactful as possible for advertisers to activate and optimise campaign performance.”

“Another way we help advertisers optimise their campaigns is through Amazon Marketing Stream, a push-based API solution that delivers hourly campaign metrics and includes Amazon DSP metrics alongside already-available Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display reporting feeds. Advertisers can combine these insights with Amazon Marketing Stream to optimise campaigns in near real-time.”

MMM: How does Amazon Ads facilitate cross-channel integration for advertisers looking to create cohesive campaigns across various platforms and devices?

PC: “Cross-channel integration is vital when it comes to connecting advertisers with their target audience comprehensively and effectively. To enable our customers to create full funnel media plans across audience touchpoints on Amazon and beyond, we created the Amazon Ads cross-channel planner.

“It’s a holistic media planning solution that works as an integrated, comprehensive tool that harmonises insights, audience segmentation, and budget optimisation, offering advertisers options for simulating effective media strategies.

“With the cross-channel planner, advertisers are equipped with audience insights and opportunities, and we’re able to guide them through the intricacies of the shopping journey.

“By harnessing real-time analytics and machine learning audience algorithms, advertisers can optimise their budget allocation and potential reach dynamically, meaning their campaigns can adapt in real time.”

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The post Q&A: Amazon Ads MD Phil Christer on navigating the ‘complex’ modern customer purchase journey appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Yesterday, the technology giant unveiled the new Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24, unleashing new mobile experiences with Galaxy AI, signifying a profound shift in the consumer journey by placing AI at the forefront.

Commenting on the launch Samsung Electronics President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business, TM Roh, said: “The Galaxy S24 series transforms our connection with the world and ignites the next decade of mobile innovation.

“Galaxy AI is built on our innovation heritage and deep understanding of how people use their phones. We’re excited to see how our users around the world empower their everyday lives with Galaxy AI to open up new possibilities.”

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On the AI revolution

In December, Bizon told Mobile Marketing Magazine that she predicts 2024 will be “the year of AI”, claiming that the programme offers “endless possibilities”.

She said: “Whilst it’s [AI] already started to take flight and become a conversation starter, as a marketer myself I’m fascinated by the endless possibilities.”

Now, she revealed that AI will be the “foundation pillar for all of Samsung’s future endeavours”.

“Wherever we are and whatever we’re doing, if it makes sense to the consumer and makes their life simpler, faster and more productive, AI will always play a central role in shaping the way users interact,” she says.

She uses the new S24 as an example, which has been designed to showcase the transformative power of AI in the hands of customers:

Circle to Search: Bizon reveals one of the new groundbreaking features of the new launch allows users to circle any object in their surroundings, be it a jumper on a TV show or a captivating picture, and let AI find information about it.

Live Translation: Another highlight of the S24 series is Voice Translate, a feature designed to break down communication barriers, allowing users to speak in their native tongue with AI seamlessly translating the conversation.

Photo Assist: This feature enables users to effortlessly edit photos by removing unwanted elements with “exceptional camera quality”, she claims. These features, coupled with Samsung’s renowned camera technology, promise a game-changing level of creativity for users.

With a focus on demystifying AI, the marketing campaign for the S24 series aims to deliver a clear message on how consumers can integrate these functionalities into their daily lives.

Unveiling the marketing strategy

Bizon outlines a multi-channel approach, including a first-week campaign targeting 90% of the population, in-game experiences with Fortnite, and bringing back Samsung’s partnership with ITV featuring TV presenter and DJ, Fleur East.

“ITV is a stable ground for how we reach mass audiences, Bizon states. “We’re going to have five weeks of a Saturday Night campaign, where Fleur will be talking about voice translation and circle to search in an authentic, fun way.”

The former Three Channel Management Director also revealed for the first time, that the brand has been granted permission to work with Transport for London (TfL) and will be changing the Circle line into the’ Circle for Search’ line for two weeks.

On top of that, Samsung will also be taking the iconic tube map, that hasn’t been adapted or changed for hundreds of years and transforming it into a circle.

“We know 11 million people will see this over the two weeks and it’s just about having some fun, being playful, but also being relatable”, something Bizon believes is the key to a successful marketing campaign to connect with diverse audiences.

Balancing tradition and innovation

Acknowledging the significance of influencers and brand ambassadors, including Podcaster Fearne Cotton and Footballer Raheem Sterling, Bizeon explains how Samsung strikes a balance between traditional marketing campaigns and newer platforms like TikTok.

The key, she claims, is understanding the audience and delivering messages authentically, whether that is through ambassadors, influencers, or social media.

“You watch that social voice, and whether that be on TikTok or Instagram, it’s about understanding very clearly who you’re trying to talk to and test and learn,” she notes.

“One of the amazing things about the digital age is you can optimise against different audiences and if something’s not working, you can change it.”

Data-driven decision making

Emphasising the importance of data in Samsung’s strategy, Bizon reveals that data decision-making is key.

Bizon explains: “As marketers you can look at things and go, it looks amazing but it’s not landing. Analysing data points across the omnichannel journey from marketing to customer interactions, allows us to understand what is working, what needs adaptation and how to optimise campaigns for maximum impact.”

As a result, she outlines the importance of personalisation in the omnichannel space.

While maintaining a consistent brand message, the approach varies based on customer preferences and regional demands, Bizon reveals.

“We work with our retail and channel partners who give us information on our customers, for example, what they want, need and if they have any concerns.”

She continues: “We’re really trying to hone in and make things relevant to our consumer base and that only comes from data.”

The future of mobile marketing

Looking ahead, Bizon envisions mobile marketing evolving with more connectivity between devices.

As a result, she emphasises the demand for seamless, connected experiences in consumers’ lives, positioning Samsung at the centre of this interconnected world, she concludes.

The post Interview: Samsung Marketing and Omnichannel Director Annika Bizon on ‘demystifying AI’ with S24 launch appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.