Marketing Trends for 2007: Take Aim at New Cellular Customers

By Allan Pulga

If you’re wondering who to reach and how to reach them in 2007, trust the experts to be in the know. Kim T. Gordon, marketing columnist at Entrepreneur.com watched and interpreted marketing stats and studies throughout 2006 to compile a list of the hottest trends you should know to stay one step ahead, increase sales and grow your cellular retail business this year.

College Grads: “If you’re searching for the most effective way to reach this desirable prospect group, move your marketing dollars into online media,” writes Gordon. Their primary source of media and entertainment is, you guessed it: the Internet. And nearly 80 per cent of those surveyed are online purchasers, making them perfect targets for your online campaign, not to mention e-commerce.

These young professionals-to-be are heavily brand and status conscious, not to mention tech-savvy. They’re going to be looking for new gadgets and specifically, smartphones. Naturally, mobile Internet is of great appeal to this youthful group of consumers.

Affluent Working Women: Gordon says this group is growing and, as with recent grads, a good way to reach them is via the Internet. She points to stats that show affluent working women with family incomes of $75,000 or more are becoming more common. About half of these women are heavy Internet users, while their radio, television, newspapers and direct mail use have all declined. As with young people, selling to them online is a viable option.

Asian Population Growth: The southern U.S. boasts the fastest Asian population growth (31 per cent), followed by the Midwest (24 per cent), the Northeast (23 per cent) and the West (19 per cent), notes Gordon. Asian-Americans represent a prospect group with higher than average household incomes and education levels. They also hail from the most advanced cellphone market in the world.

Yellow Pages: If you intend to reach younger consumers, forget the Yellow Pages. A Kelsey group study found only 28 per cent of teens would turn to the Yellow Pages to find a local business, product or service, while 47 per cent said search engines as their first choice. Only 44 per cent of respondents between ages 18 and 34 favoured print Yellow Pages.

Simultaneous Media Usage: Consumers are often taking in one multiple media at any given time, mixing TV and Internet, radio with the newspaper, and so on. “The rise in multitasking among consumers mandates an integrated media approach and an increased emphasis on advertising within the most relevant and engaging content,” says Gordon.

Newspapers: In 2006, a number of the websites for major newspapers became the number-one portals in their geographic markets and are drawing a larger, younger and more affluent readership, says Gordon. Two to 15 per cent of these visitors exclusively read newspapers online.

Online Research: Eighty-seven per cent of consumers regularly research products online before buying them in person. “You need a great website with deep, persuasive content that keeps your prospects and customers shopping on your site and sends them to your store,” adds Gordon.

Local Search: “Want to know where to invest your online marketing dollars in 2007?” asks Gordon. “Aim for higher rankings in the top search engines.” Sixty-two per cent of searchers click on a link within the first page of results.

“Optimize your site by sprinkling keyword phrases your best prospects will be searching for throughout all the pages of your site, in your page descriptions and in metatags. Secure links to your site from other high-ranking websites and invest in a paid search campaign. Local search campaigns are the most affordable and will bring traffic from your immediate area.”