NEW YORK ? A GE executive at the 2012 MMA Forum said that the future of marketing is about how brands can facilitate consumer experiences effectively in the digital age.

During the ?Brand: Strategy and Execution and Tactics? opening keynote, the executive discussed what role mobile plays in the company?s day-to-day initiatives. As smartphone penetration continues to grow, marketers need to try and figure out how to incorporate mobile into their initiatives to drive consumer engagement.

?We are in the second ten years of a two-decade transition that is reshaping marketing and communications,? said Andy Markowitz, director of global digital strategy at GE, Fairfield, CT.

?It?s about creating microrelevance,? he said. ?At GE, we think about microrelevancy and you make a value proposition that is based on the information you have.?

Test, test, test
Marketers looking to delve into mobile should test and learn.

It is important to jump into the mobile space, however, companies need to understand who their target audience is and how to better reach them.

Mobile plays a big role for GE.

Over the course of three years, the company has created 90-plus mobile applications.

One of the company?s mobile app, Access GE, is for the company?s capital business and serves as a sales force effectiveness tool.

There is also the Patient Shuffle iPad app ? a game that also helps users manage their hospitals better.

GE thinks of mobile in three ways ? commercial engagement, connecting employees and communicating its story.

?We are inspired by other people that we watch in the marketplace,? Mr. Markowitz said.  ?Mobile is now integrated into everything that we do.

?It is not longer should we develop an app or not,? he said. ?Mobile is a touchpoint because we know our audiences.

?Mobile is part of everything we do.?

Mobile advancements
According to the executive mobile presents GE with a lot of great opportunities.

The company has done advertising around the Olympics, around elections and has created content on Flipboard. 

Mobile search accounts for 10 percent of GE?s overall traffic.  

Additionally, click-through rates are two percent higher on mobile than on desktop, per Mr. Markowitz.

?Mobile is a behavior and not just a tactic,? Mr. Markowitz said. ?Marketers just need to invest and learn.? 

Final Take