Online publishers: convince your CEO to think mobile first in 2011

Google is coming off two exciting weeks of mobile engagement.   First, we had our inaugural Think Mobile event in our NY office hosting executives from hundreds of top advertisers, agencies and publishers.  Top Google executives and industry experts such as Mary Meeker presented data showcasing the rapid growth of mobile and urging businesses to think “mobile first” in 2011 as customer interactions on mobile continue to skyrocket.

Then, last week, 50,000 mobile industry executives descended on Barcelona for Mobile World Congress.  After talking with mobile executives from leading content providers at both events, one message was clear - they get it.  Mobile is big.  Now is the time to take the plunge and engage users on mobile, yet many of these content providers have barely scraped the surface as their mobile teams are constrained by minuscule budgets and a general low ranking on the company’s priority list.

The good news is it is not too late to be early to mobile, but the race is on as a slew of entrepreneurs draft plans to unseat the incumbents.  For those of you working hard to convince your CEO of the urgency to think “mobile first”, I offer the following letter with my advice to your CEO.  Feel free to pass it along to him or her to get the conversation started.

Dear CEO,
Congratulations.  Many of you saw mobile coming before it came – and you hired mobile teams to plan for the future.  I know them – they are smart and are passionate about mobile.  And they are emotionally attached to your mission.  Now let them run free.  Because who is better suited to reinvent your current business for mobile than this group?  Follow these simple rules to see how mobile can transform your business.

1. Build for mobile:  Merely porting your content to a mobile website or app is not enough.  Mobile devices now enable you to use features such as location, voice commands, touchscreens and embedded cameras to create unique, engaging experiences for your users.  Let your mobile team think creatively to discover how best to leverage these features to delight your customers.
   
2. Remove budget constraints: Budgets are created based on last year’s performance and neglect future opportunities.  Invest now in mobile so that you are not blind-sided later by a competitor that provides your customers with a more compelling product.  Give your mobile team license to dream big and have them develop a budget that makes sense for an emerging business.
   
3. Take risks:  Allow this mobile team to act like a start-up.  Let them explore new business models and new ways to package your content for mobile usage.  Do not restrict them with what worked and did not work in print and online.  Focus on delighting your users and then determine how mobile best fits in with the rest of your portfolio.
4. Test and iterate: 3-year plans don’t work in emerging businesses - you need to reevaluate every three months at a minimum.  Give this mobile team a month or two to produce something.  It will not be perfect, but push them to create something you can put in market.  Focus on gathering customer feedback and responding with improvements to your offering.

As you challenge your mobile team to reinvent your business for mobile consumption, let me end on a note that will help you rest easy at night.  We’ve found that mobile usage peaks when desktop wanes making it additive to your existing business.  People want to stay connected wherever they are...at lunch, during the commute, even at the beach while on vacation.  For content providers, that’s good, dare I say great, news.  

Cheers,
Chris

Posted by Chris LaSala, Director Mobile Partnerships

Online publishers: convince your CEO to think mobile first in 2011
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