Apple vs. Samsung vs… You?

A client asked me the other day whether I thought there was any risk to her business from the Apple vs. Samsung suit. And since this week seems to be all about Apple’s oopsies and Facebook’s foibles, this seems to fit.

Now, I’m not going to recap the whole situation, because there are lots of places to read about it online (see Business Insider or Mashable for details if you’re interested).

But there is a question that I do want to talk about: How concerned should you be about the Apple/Samsung trial?

The answer? Not very.

Here are some facts that illustrate why:

• Roughly 30% of all emails are opened on mobile devices. It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of email as the “forgotten social network.” Consumers live on their mobile phones and still depend heavily on email. That behavior continues regardless of the phone customers use.
• Most of the growth in search query volume comes from mobile. In fact, next year mobile searches will overtake desktop searches. Consumers use their phones to find what they need when they’re out and about. That behavior, too, continues regardless of the phone they use
• Most people live on multiple screens. According to Google, “77% of viewers [are] watching TV with another device in hand.” And, again, the specific device doesn’t matter.

Do you think any of that’s going to change whether your customers use a Samsung phone or an Apple phone? Yeah… me neither.

As I’ve said before, you need to be mobile enough. And apps aren’t necessary in every case. This trial illustrates what’s always been true: Your online marketing (or mobile marketing, in this case), needs to focus on your customers’ needs, not on a specific platform or a specific channel. Apple, Samsung, Google, Microsoft, Bing, Facebook and all the rest are just tools. And tools don’t matter. What matters is how well you listen and adapt to your customers.

So let Apple and Samsung slug it out in court. Let ’em fight a battle to the death. Who cares? Leave it to the technology press. Pay attention to your customers and they’ll pay attention to you, regardless of the device they use.

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Technorati Tags: marketing, marketing best practices, mobile, strategy