Brands across categories need to make better use of the unique properties of mobile. Image credit: L2
While the vast majority of brands adapt desktop Web content for their mobile sites, only a small minority actually make use of unique mobile features such as application-linking or 360-degree product viewing.
According to a new report from L2, mobile use by brands today is widespread but many are not using mobile to the fullest potential. As mobile continues to evolve and mass-market brands take exceptional risks on mobile, luxury brands will have to step up their mobile adventurousness to compete.
Experience gap
Mobile is an integral part of the modern marketing landscape. Any brand who wants to engage with customers on a deep personal level has to have a strong mobile presence.
According to L2, the need for mobile can be felt throughout the retail industry. Ninety-four percent of brands have adapted their desktop Web sites to look and feel better on mobile.
However, only 12 percent of brands are making use of mobile-specific tools to make that content more engaging. Things such as 360-degree product viewing, app linking, anchored navigation and other tools that are specific to mobile are hardly being used by many brands.
Mobile shopping is another field where brands are failing to live up to the potential of mobile.
Mobile sophistication. Image credit: L2
L2 found that the average mobile checkout process requires navigating through three pages and filling out 12 forms. Furthermore, only 14 percent of brands offer a single page mobile checkout.
This complicated process is standing in the way of much larger levels of mobile shopping that could be accessed if consumers were given a simpler method of checking out on their mobile devices.
The gap between how often mobile is used and how often mobile-specific features are made available is also prevalent within apps. Fifty-one percent of brands have an app, according to L2, but only 44 percent incorporate credit card scanners, 31 percent offer Touch ID for Apple devices and 16 percent include mobile wallet integrations.
Mobile leaders
While L2’s diagnosis of brands at large paints a picture of mobile being underused, there are still brands out there that are taking mobile and using it for something unique and creative.
Luxury travel and hospitality brands are embracing the impact virtual reality has on consumers through a bespoke experience that tailors experiences for each brand.
Four Seasons and Rosewood are a few of the luxury hotel companies that are looking to VIP Worldwide for its marketing virtual reality application. The brands are creating unique, immersive experiences that draw in customers (see story).
Similarly, British fashion retailer Matchesfashion.com unveiled a new interactive and curated guide called The Style Daily.
The feature combines elements of chatbots, editorial content and online shopping into a unique stream of recommended products. Uniquely, the content provided by The Style Daily is available only through the retailer’s mobile application, emphasizing the primacy of mobile in the modern digital landscape (see story).
Non-mobile channels have stagnated in recent years. Image credit: L2
Cosmetics brand Estée Lauder, which was named as a leader in L2's report, also launched a conversational chatbot through Facebook Messenger that lets customers virtually try on its products through augmented reality.
The chatbot will offer recommendations and answer questions as customers search for lipstick and other cosmetics. Additionally, technology from ModiFace will let customers project an augmented reality version of Estée Lauder products onto her face using a smartphone’s camera (see story).
These examples show that it is possible for luxury brands to make mobile into something that can help connect customers in ways beyond just translating desktop functionalities to smartphones. Instead, mobile offers unique tools that are not available through any other channel.