Mobile Lives & Times

New Intelligent Dialogue Report Takes In-Depth Look at Modern Mobility You are mobile. And connected. Just check your pockets. Chances are you are carrying a small device that connects you to someone, anyone and everyone-loved ones, colleagues, rivals, strangers, down the hall, across the street, around the corner, in another state, in another country, in even the most remote and isolated corners of the world. You probably have a similar device in your car and several in your home. And not only do all these devices allow you to communicate with almost anyone, anywhere, anytime-they are also all communicating with one another. Constantly. At this very moment, you-like nearly everyone and everything else-can be reached. Go Back Think about that, and then consider that almost all of this has happened in less than 20 years, most in less than 10, in a process of evolution that is consistently gaining momentum. What will the next decade bring? This stunning rise and dizzying spread of mobile communication is the subject of the latest fascinating and illuminating Porter Novelli Intelligent Dialogue issue, “Mobile Lives & Times.” The in-depth report details the rise and consequences of today’s hypermobility of information. The one-two punch of digitization and wireless Internet has generated a seemingly infinite amount of words, sounds, images and data and sent it spinning around the globe every second. And from the Internet’s foundation, mobile technology is taking everything to a new, more rapid and more connected level. “The flexibility of mobile is irresistible,” said Porter Novelli CEO Gary Stockman. “Due to the very nature of mobility, we are living in an age of ease and convenience. But we want balance and we need to know how to adapt. We need to acknowledge both the benefits and the drawbacks of a mobile world. It’s necessary for marketers to keep up by preparing for this pace of innovation, as it will drive an even bigger revolution than what we’ve experienced so far.” As “Mobile Lives & Times” makes clear, mobile technology has transformed life as we know it. But where the ease, affordability and accessibility of mobile communication means one thing in the relative luxury of developed countries, it stands to make an even more profound and empowering impact on developing nations. From improved health care to more efficient business practices to better personal communications, mobile’s impact on the world’s richest and most impoverished communities alike will be transformative. And while it is easy to imagine the personal impact, what does this all mean for business? “Mobile Lives & Times” offers tremendous insight and many examples, and also raises questions. For brick and mortar retailers, for instance, location is vital. But mobile marketing via location-based services may help those less-fortunately located bend the rule. Therein lies an inherent challenge for marketers: how to utilize this incredible opportunity without becoming intrusive or annoying to consumers? Simultaneously, mobile providers face a similar challenge: how to effectively monetize and capitalize on mobility? With the right incentives for users and proper data protection safeguards, there is tremendous potential to learn about customers in real time and increase marketing intelligence. “Mobile Lives & Times” not only explores and examines mobile’s ramifications for people, but also takes a look at the rising wave of smart devices. Like the Internet of People, the Internet of Things-devices such as thermostats, lights, generators, vehicles, environmental monitors, cameras and medical equipment-will continue to grow rapidly, presenting as-yet unresolved challenges such as competing proprietary standards and address shortages. As consumers, we still want more, better, faster and more flexible-and mobile proves again and again that it is able to deliver. But with each innovation comes the need for parallel development of wireless data infrastructures and connections. As “Mobile Lives & Times” points out, “convergence” is the word of the day, as mobile connection converges multiple functionality into every gadget, but also as business and communication continue to seamlessly converge, and we are all brought closer together by these astounding connections. As demonstrated by earlier Intelligent Dialogues such as “Change Is Now,” “Prime Angst” and “Millennials,” no one can so clearly distinguish the centers and peripheries of the trends that shape our world like Porter Novelli. “Porter Novelli’s mission is to track consumers’ shifting conversations and find ways to influence them to our clients’ benefit,” said Porter Novelli chief marketing officer and acclaimed trendspotter Marian Salzman. “It’s what we call Intelligent Influence. Our Intelligent Dialogue reports are very important tools. ‘Mobile Lives & Times’ gauges mobile technology’s hold, from how we live our day-to-day lives to a broad, 360-degree look at areas such as globalization, the economy, the health care industry, privacy, safety and more.” “Intelligent Dialogue informs the spirit of everything we do,” said Stockman. “We understand issues in all their complexity and resist the temptation to reduce things to black and white. We understand that today’s savvy consumers will see right through easy answers and simplistic messages.” To read the full report and explore Porter Novelli’s insights into the rapidly changing world of mobile-and mobile’s influence on a rapidly changing world – click HERE.