Mobile Marketing to Life Scientists (Part 1): A Mobile Reach

While mobile devices—smartphones and tablets—are only beginning to become viable advertising channels in the life sciences, they offer marketers significant opportunities to reach their customers at any time and any place.

Our August 2012 market report, Mobile Marketing to Life Scientists reveals that up to 25% of life scientists are very interested in interacting with their lab suppliers through mobile marketing programs similar to the ones they benefit from in their personal lives.

Mobile devices are conduits by which companies can interact with increased frequency, intimacy, and relevancy with their customers. To understand the timeliness and importance of adopting a mobile marketing strategy, one need look no further than the global sales figures for smartphones and tablets.

Worldwide, the smartphone market is forecasted to grow 38.8% over 2011 levels and reach 686 million by the end of 2012 (International Data Corporation, IDC). At the end of 2011, IDC estimates that there were a total of 68.7 million tablets worldwide and forecasts that there will be 106.1 million in 2012. This high demand for smartphones and tablets is being driven by a wider variety of devices to chose from, increased content and applications, decreased unit sales prices, lower-cost data plans, and carrier subsidies.

Consequently, mobile device purchases are an increasingly attractive option for a growing number of users—including life scientists.

Interest in Using Mobile Devices

When presented with a series of scenarios designed to take advantage of mobile technology and receive a specific benefit from a life science supplier, approximately 25% of those surveyed are “highly interested” in interacting with their suppliers using their mobile devices. It is likely that the “highly interested” scientists are comfortable with the technology and are already taking advantage of mobile marketing promotions in their personal lives. These “highly interested” scientists should be identified among a company’s current customers and progressively rewarded for sharing information about their interests and needs.