I was writing up our newest and latest white paper here at APEX when, during my research stage, I found the 2019 Canadian Internet Fact book. The fact book is full of data collected around the use and consumption of technology, specifically internet usage across a variety of devices specifically in Canada. During my journey down this rabbit hole of information I learned some pretty interesting things that were funny, shocking and not so surprising. Here goes:
1. If your friends say they don’t have social media, they are probably lying. 15% of Canadians reported being off the grid for a week or more last year and this small percentage probably does not include your friends. This reminds me of the people who so proudly claim to never ever eat at McDonalds. Well, drive through is open 24/7 so anyone can easily sneak out to get some and lie about it. Web use is the same, where today deactivating a social media presence and starting a “burner account” is easier than ever, so don’t fall for that one.
2. Believe me when I tell you this: they got your message and are probably just ignoring you. 1/5 Canadians say they have NOT gone more than eight hours without getting their online fix. This includes the use of mobile. So, sending your friends, lover, or family a whatsapp text at 9am and not getting a response at 9:20 probably means you’re getting ignored.
3. When it comes to privacy forget Facebook, as we are the ones killing our own privacy. With 46% of Canadians admitting to using their phone in the washroom, I start to question: do we really have any more private alone time?
4. Your birthday gift from family and friends was probably purchased on a smartphone. 87% of Canadians are shopping online and 46% made the purchase from their mobile device. I am not surprised. Personalization, and access to information is a driving force with online shopping; making it easier to compare prices, read reviews and get better deals than in-store. One day delivery also doesn’t hurt.
5. If you want clicks on your ad, your mobile ads better look right. 80% of Canadians are concerned about malware and its more than likely affecting the way they are engaging with mobile ads, both in-app and on browser. If the text is not legible, the graphics not clear, the experience not seamless, then you won’t get clicks. In the back of most people, including myself, we are wondering: Is this legit? So make it look legit.
This report has so much more insightful content that I won’t be able to cover it all in this post. But it did get me to think about just how much the internet has evolved. Thanks to technology, we can bring the world wide web anywhere with us conveniently while staying connected with the entire world. The world is literally in the palm of our hands and this research document truly made it evident that Canadians are more connected today than ever.
As modern-day advertisers we are spoiled. Living in a world where customers are handing out their info, data, location, and personal likes and dislikes to us. We’re living in a reality that was once just a dream to many advertisers before us. This modern day ability for consumers to stay connected with friends, family, and brands at all times via mobile technology is a gift that if used correctly, can be harnessed to turn advertising into more than just an impression.
Ads are certainly everywhere and people hardly have the time to pay attention, let alone retain all the ads seen in a day. With the rise of internet use, especially through mobile, we have the chance to make advertising better than ever before. Data, location intelligence and creative capabilities today will be the tools we all use to create ads that people actually want to see and engage with; and more importantly remember.
Learn more about how you can go better engage using modern smart phone technology in-app by reading our latest white paper today.
Carlos Guevara is the Marketing Manager at APEX Mobile Media, previous host of the podcast "In Search of Good Data" and has helped various organizations in the private and non-profit sector to become more customer-centric with the use of enriched data.