Forbes Predicts iPads Will Transform Marketing
Back in December of 2010 a very insightful author, Lisa Arthur, on Forbes.com wrote an article about a technology that started reshaping how tasks get accomplished within numerous industries, Apple’s iPad. A light bulb went off for Arthur in terms of the potential tablet computers like the iPad for marketing. Although in its infancy, this new marketing trend, led Lisa to do some research and interview some of the thought leaders in the technology and marketing space. In the article Lisa interviews Dave Sutton, who is founder of TopRight Strategic Marketing, co-author of Enterprise Marketing Management: The New Science of Marketing, and a thought leader regarding technology and marketing. Together they uncovered insights, which ultimately landed in Arthur’s article, which proved to be accurate in predicting some of the ways businesses are using tablets like the iPad for marketing as we get close to the end of 2013.
Author Lisa Arthur starts the article off with a powerful insight that’s been true of technology and marketing since the early days of marketing and advertising, when she says, “…technology is rapidly transforming marketing for all of us,”. In her article, Dave Sutton gives three reasons why the iPad is such a killer new technology for marketing:
- Technology convergence
- Form Factor Shift
- Maturity of iPad App Development
Technology Convergence
The iPad perfectly represents the synthesis of two major technologies, computers and mobile. The iPad combines the computing power of traditional laptops and desktop computers with the visual design, ease of use, and mobility of mobile technologies. Sutton predicted that savvy marketers and business owners would come to realize the power of this new mobile computing device and begin to use it in various ways to market to customers and prospects. Exactly what we are seeing today from global businesses large and small.
Form Factor Shift
From its launch in 2010 to all of the various releases of the iPad through 2013, tens of millions of consumers have been using the mobile device precipitously. From savvy baby boomers to toddlers under the age of 2, the iPad represents the perfect new technology to incorporate into your business strategy. A tool which is used by so many can easily be incorporated into the interactions between business and consumer, with little worry on the part of the business that form factors like usability and intuitiveness will be issues, to achieving one’s goals. As we near the end of 2013, thousands of businesses have realized the shift the iPad caused back in 2010 and are taking advantage of iPads for marketing.
Maturity of iPad App Development for Businesses
Dave Sutton couldn’t have been more right back in 2010 when he said, “both consumers and businesses are now hungry for apps, and the app development community is robust, mature and credible”. We are seeing more and more large retail chains, as well as other businesses, building their own custom iPad apps. We are also seeing more and more third party apps being developed for businesses. OnSpot Social is one of many iPad apps for business marketing. As we move into 2014 and beyond I think we are going to finally realize Dave Sutton’s prediction of a robust set of custom and third party apps being used in a variety of ways by businesses for marketing.
For those of you who haven’t read Lisa Arthur’s article from 2010, it’s still very relevant today and I highly recommend it, “How the iPad Will Transform Marketing“.
