Shift in a decade
What a weird and wonderful 10 years it’s been. The iPhone was first released back in June 2007 and shaped the world of mobile as we now know it. Over 81% of people in the UK now has access to a smartphone device. The smartphone has shifted the way we interact with each other – and how businesses interact with us.
Whilst social media began on desktop, its transfer to mobile continues to rocket as more and more people own smartphones. Social media (in at least one form) is almost something the majority of us cannot live without. To put its rapid rise in perspective, Snapchat was born in 2011 and now has more than 20,000 snaps sent per SECOND by its users. That is over 1.7 billion per day!
It’s not new news to us but, ultimately, this technology has changed the way we see/view advertisements. For instance, despite not having a TV set in my own home, I still get push notifications, forced ads on YouTube, sponsored ads on Insta, brand stories on snapchat…the list goes on.
Recently John Lewis became the first company within the UK to use Facebook 360 adverts to allow customers to view collections in full view. Whist browsing kitchens/rooms, customers can zoom, click-and-buy items easily. With the increase in popularity of live streaming, started by Periscope and growing with the introduction of Facebook and Instagram Live, I wonder how long it will take big brands to step into this marketing space too?
We are seeing smaller brands already using live video through social media platforms to their benefit, so it can’t be long ’til the big boys follow suit.
And while we are not there yet, virtual reality no doubt will continue to grow. Just think of the immersive experiences brands can deliver through this medium.
It’s impressive how far the smartphone has developed in the last 10 years and how brands have, and are, changing with them. I wonder what will happen in the next 10?