A CSO’s Take: Harnessing Mobile Marketing Trends and Embracing Change

New Delhi: Staying apace with evolving trends in the realm of mobile marketing, like AI-driven personalisation and navigating the umbrella of privacy regulations, is crucial for every brand that wishes to thrive in the digital age. We had the opportunity to speak with Kumar Saurav, the Chief Strategy Officer of a leading digital marketing company, AdCounty Media, and garnered valuable insights on significant trends shaping 2024. His panoramic views spanning AI-driven personalization, privacy regulations and shifting marketing practices help gauge the future of mobile marketing along with strategic guidance for staying ahead of the curve.

1. What mobile marketing trends are gaining traction in 2024?

AI-driven personalization, once considered a buzzword, has become integral to creating bespoke user experiences. This has enabled brands to create tailored user experiences at scale and foster deeper connections with their target audience. A Statista report reveals that users prefer personalised ads that resonate with their interests and preferences. Besides this, there is an exponential surge in app-based advertising driven by factors such as smartphone penetration, rapid advancements in ad targeting technologies, and skyrocketing growth of mobile apps. In-app ad spend is anticipated to reach US$2,680.00m in 2024 with an annual growth rate of 10.34%. With consumer security at the forefront, privacy-focused initiatives like Apple’s App Tracking Transparency are reshaping how marketers collect first-party data. With voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, voice search optimization has become the need of the hour. Businesses are focusing on optimizing mobile content for voice search to maximize brand visibility, improve user experience and boost customer satisfaction.

2. How are privacy changes affecting mobile marketing strategies in 2024?

Changes in privacy like those implemented by Apple with its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) have had a very significant impact on mobile marketing strategies in the year 2024. Data sharing is increasingly placed in the hands of users, making it challenging for marketers to track users across applications and devices. According to data released by Flurry Analytics, a Verizon-owned ad analytics company, around an estimated 88% of iOS users worldwide now opt out of tracking, which results in lowering the stock of third-party data.  As mobile marketers move towards first-party data to evolve, they focus more on a direct relationship with users. This is supported by growing value exchange models, wherein users give data for voluntary benefits in return. Contextual advertising has become highly important as well. Brands are interested in targeting users based on content and not personal data. On a whole, such privacy updates compel marketers to become more open and honest with their strategies regarding data, but these are now done so with a keener focus on earning user trust and engagement.

3. What are your opinions on the AI-driven personalization trend in mobile marketing?

AI-driven personalization is a game-changer in mobile marketing, taking the user experience to a whole new level. AI lets us serve highly relevant content at the right moment, creating a seamless, enjoyable experience for users. The ability to analyze vast datasets and predict user behavior is unparalleled. But there's a fine line between personalization and privacy. We have to ensure personalization does not slide into being invasive. Transparency in data use is key. AI also makes campaigns more efficient, improving ROI by reducing manual segmentation efforts. And this trend empowers brands to connect very closely with the users, but only if undertaken responsibly with data and trust.

4. What impact do privacy changes like Apple's ATT have on the mobile marketing landscape?

ATT, essentially, means a shift toward people power. The ultimate goal is privacy. Users want the power to do this. And ATT hands that to them. Sure, it makes life very difficult for marketers. But this move forward is on first-party data and more organic relationships with users. Brands need to earn trust by delivering value. It costs investment marketers need to make in content, engagement, and loyalty-the cost of third-party tracking failure. We are slowly phasing out mass targeting for meaningful connections. It might be even easier to target people, but the quality of engagement amongst users is going to go up with regard to the trend's basis for establishing more ethical marketing practices.

5. How is your company embracing these shifts in mobile marketing trends, and what practices have you implemented to adapt?

We have put users at the forefront of our strategy. We have restructured our campaigns with an eye to collecting first-party data at least in part, to foster a deeper relationship directly with our users rather than through third parties. We have also invested in AI tools that will give users more customized experiences without compromising transparency. We ensure that users are fully aware of how their data is being used and in return offer value, like, personalized recommendations or access to gated content. In response to privacy shifts, we have turned towards contextual advertising which focuses on users based on their environment rather than personal data. We're also expanding our content strategy—focusing on short-form videos and interactive content that naturally draws users in. The idea is to balance privacy with personalization and user value through intelligent adaptation and maintaining customer’s trust.