Upstream Outlines What is Next in Mobile Marketing in 2023

Martech specialist sets-up forward-thinking MNOs and Ecommerce brands for mobile marketing success

Athens, London, Sao Paulo, 17 January 2023, – Upstream, the global mobile marketing technology specialist, is sharing its vision for the industry in 2023 as CMOs prioritise delivering personalized offers, exceptional customer experiences and targeted multichannel campaigns in the year ahead to support revenue growth, amid wider economic cooling.

With advertising spend predicted to grow by 2.6% over the next 12-months[1], many CMOs are placing marketing technology at the top of 2023’s buying list. Global mobile penetration is at an all-time high, meaning many businesses, and mobile network operators (MNOs) are looking towards mobile marketing to engage consumers and boost sales.

“The door has opened for a reshuffling of media investment with advertisers laser-focused on the technologies and strategies that provide the most return-on-investment and long-term sustainability. Market turmoil might be fanning the flames left in the wake of the pandemic for much of the technology industry and wider economy, but it is also feeding an ever-growing consumer demand for richer, digital experiences and services,” said Dimitris Maniatis, CEO, Upstream.

 “For Mobile network operators, who are in a unique position to capture first-party data, 2023 is the moment to make their move in securing a more prominent position in the digital advertising ecosystem. As brands and retailers look to work with capable partners who can boost the efficiency and success of multichannel marketing campaigns targeted towards increasingly cost-conscious consumers, MNOs are perfectly placed to help.”

Mobile Marketing Outlook for 2023

2023 will be a pivotal year for MNOs and Ecommerce brands as they navigate growing their customer bases and revenue streams against a picture of weaker global economic growth and evolving customer expectations. Upstream is sharing its views on what the industry can expect looking ahead to the next 12 months:

• Driving advertising-based revenue strategies becomes a core focus for forward-thinking mobile operators - by capturing first-party data only available to operators to anonymously identify users on the open web, network providers can personalise offerings to not only upsell their own services but work with brands at massive scale to do the same as cookies phase out of use in 2024.

• Brands personalising consumer communications come out on top as the cost-of-living begins to bite - as inflation drives up living costs for consumers, brands need to go the extra mile to demonstrate their relevancy and gain trust. When up to 90% of customers find messages from companies annoying if they are not personally relevant[2], the personalisation of marketing messages and communication is key.

• Marketers make a jump to first-party data - a drive towards privacy means marketers will have to adopt less intrusive forms of data collection to personalize campaigns and ensure targeting accuracy. Over 2023, MNOs will increasingly be seen as key partners for brands, able to use the MSISDN - the unique mobile number of each user - as unique markers of every mobile consumer’s identity, enabling highly reliable targeting.

• RCS’ dominance soars as Android devices remain the consumer favorite - with the world’s most popular smartphone vendor[3], Samsung, confirming it will integrate RCS capabilities into all its new phones by default, incorporating rich communication services to reach and engage with consumers in highly visual and interactive ways will be one of the smartest decisions a brand can make when it comes to devising multichannel marketing campaigns.

• SMS marketing surges, maintaining its come-back - 67% of the global population subscribe to mobile services[4]. Due to its simplicity and reach, text messaging is seeing a remarkable come-back, and can be easily incorporated into a brand’s mobile marketing mix. Considering, SMS has a 98% open rate versus 20% for email, and a 45% response rate versus 6% for email[5], it is very likely here to stay and only going to grow stronger.

• Artificial intelligence supercharges marketing and customer engagement - with 74% of marketers believing they will be intelligently automating more than a quarter of their tasks in the next five years[6], breakthroughs in AI are driving a new wave in content creation capabilities for Ecommerce and MNO marketing teams. By leaning on AI for creative processes such as copywriting and design, marketers in 2023 can be more agile in adapting content whilst also freeing up resources to focus on more strategic work. In addition, the use of AI to personalise product recommendations and channel orchestration will aid marketers in boosting conversions through more tailored customer experiences.

Upstream sets-up brands and MNOs for mobile marketing success

Upstream is on a mission to enable brands to drive growth by creating the best personalized experiences for consumers possible, leading to greater engagement, satisfaction, and sales.

With a dedicated version launched for Ecommerce in 2022, Upstream’s powerful mobile marketing automation platform, Grow, delivers mobile marketing campaigns that drive five times higher conversions with 30% less effort and a three times ROI.

Introduced in Q3 this past year, Grow’s latest feature, Mobile Identity, uses first-party data uniquely available to mobile operators to identify up to 85% of a website’s visitors on the open web. Upstream’s Mobile Identity allows for highly accurate and efficient mobile marketing in a fully private and compliant way. This comes in time to address the digital advertising industry’s search for new identification methods, necessary due to the upcoming demise of third-party cookies.

“Innovation at Upstream shows no sign of stopping going into 2023, with a focus on expanding capabilities for all customers. This includes AI-enabled optimization, self-management, reporting and ad-serving capabilities for MNOs, as well as automation, integrations and broadcast flagship features for Ecommerce and brands amongst other functionalities,” said Chrysa Karamanidi, Chief Innovation Officer at Upstream.

[1] WARC - The Ad Spend Outlook 2022/23: Impacts of the Economic Slowdown

[2] Statista

[3] Statista

[4] GMSA - The Mobile Economy

[5] Gartner - The Future of Sales Follow-Ups: Text Messages

[6] Drift and Marketing AI Institute – 2022 State of Marketing and Sales AI Report

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