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Guest post by John Rolston and Patrick Offner

Few innovations surpass the transformative, global impact of mobile…and we’re only just getting started. There are now more mobile devices than people, and they’re multiplying five times faster than we are. Mobile commerce, which is projected to hit $31B in 2016 (up 1000%+ from 2010), received more venture capital last year than the two prior years combined.

And yet, despite 81% of CEOs acknowledging mobile to be strategically important for their organization, only a select few have strategically employed mobile to drive business transformation and dynamic, personalized customer experiences. Often the central - if not lone - platform for customer interaction, mobile requires more than mere acknowledgement - it demands a place in every corporate strategy.

Developing a Mobile Mindset - Dispelling Mobile Misconceptions

Harnessing this potential and maximizing the benefits requires a mobile mindset. It requires more than…

…an application or device. Leading companies maintain a broader focus than simply creating a mobile application, realizing that mobile has shifted customer behavior and expectations. They design and execute a strategy that considers customer needs and digital experiences spanning existing and new business models, agnostic of platform or device. For example, B2B organizations should not solely create mobile applications to digitally enable their product catalog, rather they should create mobile experiences based on consideration of customer-facing employee, buying customer and end customer needs (and interactions between them), new and extended mobile engagement opportunities, customer device usage, etc.

…a channel extension and signifies more than simply a different medium for consumption. Your strategy must do more than make the same content (in the same format) available on a smaller screen. It must focus on mobile’s fundamental distinctions (always-accessible, convenient, high personalization), enabling increased engagement and delivery of a new customer experience. For example, retailers should use mobile as more than an extension of web-based eCommerce, taking into consideration how geo-location can be used to enhance the customer experience, how mobile can be used to enhance and extend the in-store digital experience, etc.

…a technology change. Mobile is truly an enterprise-wide initiative, bringing change to the entire organization (people, process, and technology). Realizing the full benefit of a mobile strategy requires commitment and consistent messaging from leadership, and cross-functional collaboration. For example, leading organizations have embraced this change through establishing an executive position charged with driving the mobile transformation.

Mobility leaders have a mobile mindset – they understand the fundamentals, they embrace the key distinctions, and they invest in the appropriate people, process and technology changes required to strengthen their corporate strategy.

Adopting a Mobile Mindset - Actions Speak Louder than Words

As with many “hot topics” before it, mobile has entered the lexicon of virtually every board room. However, the introduction of mobile requires more than talk - it requires executive commitment and continued clear, concise communication to deliver change. Has your company verbalized its intent…or have they committed to the investment, change and delivery capabilities required for mobile enablement?

Let’s find out with a simple few questions:
1. Is mobile strategy a core tenet within your corporate strategy?
2. Do your executive leaders encourage and promote mobile efforts?
3. Do you have a VP or higher assigned to mobile?
4. Relative to your leading competitors, do you have a significant amount of funding dedicated solely to mobile?
5. Do you have an understanding of how mobile impacts your business processes and empowers your product offering?

If you answered no to any of these, you are not alone! This blog series was designed with you in mind – it will help you build and mature your mobile mindset. Next up, “How Mature is Your Mobile Mindset?”

Image shared by James Theophane

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