Welcome back to another thought provocative subject concerning Emerging Media in the new marketplace. Today’s topic essentially serves as an extension of my interests in wireless technology and who is using it and for what reasons. Between December 10, 2007 and January 13, 2008, 560 non-governmental organization (NGO) workers participated in a survey designed to demonstrate how NGOs are using wireless technology to help reach various social, civil, economic, and political goals. Results indicated that eighty-six percent of NGO employees are using mobile technology in their work. NGO representatives working on projects in Africa or Asia are more likely to be mobile technology users than their colleagues in areas with more ‘wired’ infrastructures. Ninety-nine percent of technology users characterize the impact of mobile technology as positive. Moreover, nearly a quarter describe this technology as “revolutionary” and another 31 percent say it would be difficult to do their jobs without it. Results indicate:
Total (%)
____________________________________________________________________
It has completely revolutionized the way my organization or
project does its work (25%)
It would have been very difficult to do the work without it (31%)
It is/was very helpful for my organization or project (36%)
It is/was only somewhat helpful (8%)
Ultimately, it is/was more of a burden than a help (0%)
It was a waste of time and money (0%)
Applications of NGO Mobile Use Are Diverse
While voice and text messaging are still the most common applications of mobile technology among NGO workers, respondents report using wireless technology in a number of other ways, including photo and video (39 percent); data collection or transfer (28 percent); and multi-media messaging (27 percent). The survey also finds some NGO workers using mobile technology for more sophisticated purposes such as data analysis (8 percent), inventory management (8 percent), and mapping (10 percent). Importantly, the amount of money invested in mobile technology correlates to a higher diversity of application; those NGOs that spend more use this technology for higher-end functions.
Users of mobile technology on projects with a health focus are also more likely to use mobile technology for data purposes.
Perceived Benefits of NGO Mobile Use are Enormous
The survey reveals that the key benefits of mobile technology for all NGOs include time savings (95 percent); the ability to quickly mobilize or organize individuals (91 percent); reaching audiences that were previously difficult or impossible to reach (74 percent); the ability to transmit data more quickly and accurately (67 percent); and the ability to gather data more quickly and accurately (59 percent). Not surprisingly, then, 76 percent of NGO users said they would likely increase their use of mobile technology in the future (http://mobileactive.org/files/MobilizingSocialChange_full.pdf).
Hopefully, this information helps reveal a new innovative media alternative that can be useful when determining marketing communication strategies for both B-to-B Direct Marketing professionals and, IMC practitioners across the globe. The link above provides an in-depth look at how wireless technology has changed the way societies and communities organize themselves and do business. I will end today’s discussion with a question which hopefully generates interaction among readers, “How important is wireless technology been in your career? After reading this discussion, Has it prompted innovative ideas applicable in your line of business?”
~ Dan
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