Ditch legacy media for mobile, says internet trends mogul Mary Meeker

Every year the American venture capitalist Mary Meeker takes to the stage to give a presentation that piques the interest of marketing industry experts across the world. Her knowledge and insight into the direction of technology and trends is widely acknowledged by those working in digital marketing jobs as second-to-none. Here are the key highlights from the 2016 presentation (http://www.kpcb.com/internet-trends) she gave on 1st June.

1. Internet growth is slowing

Thanks to the heavy penetration of internet users in the developed world, growth worldwide has plateaued and smart handset growth is not far behind. There is space for expansion in the developing world, but internet connections are either inaccessible, or unaffordable, for many.

2. Spend more money on mobile

Meeker’s latest analysis calls for a greater focus on mobile ads over “legacy media.” According to her figures, people spent 25% of their time using phones or tablets, 36% watching television, 12% listening to the radio and as little as 4% reading print publications. Yet spending on mobile advertising makes up just 12% of the market. This data caused a stir among commentators; suggesting under-spending on mobile of $22 billion.

3. Privacy issues are a time-bomb

People are becoming increasingly concerned about how their information is shared and are using ad-blockers more often, with around half saying how internet companies use contextual information is a real issue for them. The solution is self-policing and consolidation of privacy regulations, for example between the United States and the European Union.

4. The search revolution

Typing text into a search bar will disappear and in five years at least half of all searches will be via speech or images. This function is fast, easy and hands-free and already growing in popularity; Google on Android deals with 20% of all searches from voice.

5. The power of messaging apps

Even the simplest of messaging apps could become the powerhouse of the new consumer-driven marketplace says Meeker, if only because they attract huge levels of users. WhatsApp has a billion active users in just five years, with Facebook’s native app and WeChat close behind. Meeker believes these could evolve to be our new home screen, creating opportunities for both commerce and self-expression.

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