The future of consumer-packaged goods (CPG) food and beverage brands lies firmly in the palm of consumer hands—the mobile device and here’s why:
1. The Mobile-First Revolution
It's no secret that mobile devices have taken center stage in our lives. From dawn till dusk, we're glued to our smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches. This mobile-first mindset has transformed the way CPG brands engage with their audience. It's where we live, work, and play—making it the ideal platform for connecting with consumers on their terms. More importantly these devices can help close the gap between guessing what consumers are looking for and what they may need at the right place and at the right. Yeah, I’m talking about location and dynamic creative optimization but more on that later.
2. The Mobile Moment and the Window of Opportunity
Imagine this: You're in the grocery store, browsing the aisles, and wondering if there's a healthier alternative to your favourite snack. A quick notification from your favorite and trusted app pops up and tells you that the snack you’re looking for is on sale. Fueled by intent data, and real-time, historical visit/location data brands can connect with consumers at the right time and at the right moment.
3. The Continued Rise of Mobile Shopping
The convenience of mobile extends beyond research; it's also changing the way we shop. E-commerce on mobile apps and websites is booming, and CPG brands are capitalizing on this trend. Mobile shopping apps offer the ultimate seamless experience, allowing customers to go from research, order, and review for any item including groceries and food products with a few taps. It's not just a trend; it's a fundamental shift in consumer behavior, which according toStatista, has continued to rapidly develop in the past decade. In fact, retail sales from worldwide electronic commerce are forecast to exceed seven trillion U.S. dollars in 2025. Thanks to its sizable digital population, Canada has become a particularly profitable market in recent years.
4. Mobile Apps and Brand Loyalty
Many CPG brands have ventured into the world of mobile apps, and for good reason. These apps are more than just a digital storefront; they're a gateway to personalized experiences, loyalty rewards, and convenient shopping options. CPG brands can foster brand loyalty through mobile apps while gaining valuable insights into customer preferences. On top of that, modern flyer technology allows brands to have a direct touchpoint with consumers through innovative ways that engage and elevate the customer experience.
5. Precision Targeting
One of mobile's greatest strengths lies in its advertising potential. With data-driven insights, CPG brands can create highly targeted ad campaigns. Mobile advertising allows brands to pinpoint specific demographics, locations, time of day, weather, and more to deliver personalized messages that resonate with consumers.
6. Engagement
Mobile is at the epicenter of modern digital communication. CPG brands are harnessing the power of mobile to engage with their audience through visually appealing content, influencer partnerships, and user-generated content. The visual and interactive nature of mobile platforms and its availability to consumers at home, at work, and on-the-go amplifies brand engagement.
7. Immersive Technologies
The potential of mobile devices extends to immersive technologies like present and future augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences. CPG brands can use these technologies to create interactive product presentations, virtual tastings, and captivating storytelling experiences—all accessible through mobile devices.
8. The Main Source of Content Consumption
Mobile devices are the core for content consumption. Blogs, videos, podcasts, gaming, browsing, product research,—mobile delivers it. CPG, food and beverage brands can harness the power of content marketing on mobile to educate and entertain their audience, building brand loyalty along the way.
9. Data Fuelled Decision Making
Mobile analytics tools provide invaluable data on user behavior, preferences, and trends. CPG brands can leverage these insights to fine-tune marketing strategies and product offerings, ensuring that advertisers stay ahead of the curve.
10. Seamless Integration
In-app advertising is all about meeting users where they spend most of their time—inside mobile apps. These ads blend seamlessly with the user experience, offering creative and engaging campaigns that don't disrupt the flow and provide value in exchange for the user's time and attention.
11. Future Proofed
The future of CPG, food and beverage may very well include innovations like smart packaging and IoT-enabled products. Today, Mobile devices are already on the verge of being at the forefront of interacting with and managing these technologies.
At APEX Mobile Media we see first-hand how mobile has become the beating heart of CPG food and beverage brands. This marketing channel aligns perfectly with evolving consumer behaviors, offers unmatched convenience, accessibility, supports the e-commerce explosion, and provides a versatile platform for engagement, advertising, and innovation.
For brands that are looking to thrive in the digital age, CPG brands must wholeheartedly embrace and optimize their mobile strategies—The future that brands and ad-agencies talk about is happening right now in the palm of the consumer’s hand.
Carlos Guevara is the Marketing Director at APEX Mobile Media and previous host of the podcast "In Search of Good Data." He has also helped various organizations in the private and non-profit sector to become more customer-centric with the use of enriched data and modern marketing and advertising technology and strategies.