NEW YORK ? A R/GA exec at the Mapping Mobile @ NYU Stern conference spoke about the different ways that mobile will move beyond smartphones and tablets for marketers in the coming years via connected devices and wearable technology.

Executives from R/GA, Millward Brown Digital, Temple University and AOL discussed the state of mobile marketing and what to expect in the coming years. Additionally, mobile measurement was a topic discussed, where marketers need to understand the medium?s specific role for brand-building.

?Really, this mobile-enabled data is the center of what I believe is going to be the experience and value exchange in 2020,? said Sue Davidson, senior vice president of analytics and accountability at R/GA, New York.

?One I believe to be the greatest value for brands is what we?re calling at R/GA earned data, and what that is is data people raised their hand to provide to a brand or a business and said, ?this is what I want you to know about me,?? she said. ?A brand or business takes that information, creates a cool experience that has some value, which then the consumer uses and hopefully there is a continued value exchange.?

?The other thing for those that have been in the industry for a while ? this starts looking a lot like CRM. So everything digital and mobile, which is enhanced data and personally identifiable information begins to look like old-school CRM.?

Smart devices
According to Ms. Davidson, mobile devices will expand well beyond a smartphone or tablet in the coming years. These devices also include wearable technology including smart watches, Google Glass and smart appliances.

Additionally, infrastructures such as street lamps and garbage cans will be connected and stream data to make consumers lives woven into digital.

All of these new sources of data are focused around unlocking new sets of contextual information. According to the R/GA exec, this will be key in the next seven years in terms of finding value for both consumers and businesses.

Additionally, mobile apps such as Dark Sky point to real-time analysis and insight as becoming more important for marketers. The app tells app users exactly when it will begin raining based on a consumer?s location.

To take this mobile app to the next level, a stream of real-time data from a local deli could be added to estimate how long the lunch line is. Although hypothetical for the time being, these are the type of mobile experiences that marketers can expect to see in the coming years.

Similarly, cars will become smarter to give drivers more access to information about a vehicle.

?What I find extremely fascinating about this is that when you think about your physical assets ? so things like your house, your car ? there will be a set of data, stored in the cloud likely, that can be attached to that physical asset," Ms. Davidson said. "So you have a digital informational asset that can actually either add value or retract value from your physical asset."

Building a brand
Ali Rana, senior vice president and head scientist of the emerging media lab at Millward Brown Digital, New York, also spoke on the panel about how consumers are using smartphones and tablets and how marketers can tap into mobile experiences.

For example, mobile shoppers are more transactional than other types of shoppers.

These shoppers are looking for store information, prices and reviewing products compared to PC shoppers that are more associated with research and consideration habits.

All of this points to marketers needing to understand that mobile lends itself to softer metrics than hard sells.

According to Mr. Rana, mobile outperforms desktop when it comes to brand aid and brand awareness measurements.

The executive then detailed four reasons for why mobile is effective at brand building and awareness.

The first is the size of a mobile ad compared to the size of a screen. Compared to desktops where an ad only takes up a tiny portion of the screen, mobile ads capture a bigger proportion of the size of the screen and therefore are more noticeable to consumers.

Additionally, mobile copy is more focused. Given the size of the screen, marketers have to be strategic in how copy is filtered down to deliver a quick, action-driven message to consumers.

The third reason is consumer acceptance. Although mobile advertising is still seen as an annoyance to some, consumers are increasingly more comfortable with ads popping up on their smartphones and tablets, per Mr. Rana.

Finally, mobile is increasingly becoming more appealing to marketers because of the targeting capabilities. Facebook, Twitter and mobile ad networks have significantly beefed up their targeting advertising options so that marketers can push hyperlocal and tailored ads to specific groups of consumers.

With the sophistication of mobile advertising, the gap for experimentation is getting smaller for marketers as consumers expectations? increase.

Marketers are also still making basic mistakes when it comes to differentiating a tablet and smartphone ad, according to the Millward Brown executive.

?An opportunity for marketers here ? and this is often missed ? is the majority of mobile advertising are the ads that are put out there tend to be the same for smartphones and tablets,? Mr. Rana said.

?Clearly people are consuming content differently, so it?s important to know ? and we keep stressing this ? do not repurpose your smartphone advertising on tablet,? he said. ?Yes you could, but people are in a different mindset to be able to use both their smartphone and tablet.?

Final Take