The number of mobile devices requesting to connect to the Internet around the world is increasing every day. In the face of this growing digital pressure, favoured by the progressive implementation of the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G technology is emerging as a response that will improve connectivity, both in quality and speed. Data updating and communication in real time are essential. Also, digital marketing is forced to evolve as this standard web access becomes widespread in every corner of the world.
What is 5G and which advantages does it bring?
5G is a standard mobile Internet connection and its main advantage over 4G technology is that it has a much lower latency. This means that the time it takes to get an order from the sending device to the receiving device is considerably reduced: 5G is 10 times faster than 4G.
So, how will 5G improve our lives?
Benefits of 5G for home users
As smartphone users, when we connect to a 5G network we will notice:
- An almost instant download of the contents: we will be able to download complete films and series in a few seconds.
- Greater speed when watching videos and streaming.
- Real-time update of application data.
- Better synchronization with other gadgets and wearables (smartwatches and speakers, programmable appliances, etc.)
Technological and industrial advantages of 5G
5G will make several technological advances possible, such as:
- The automation of heavy machinery handling.
- The development of driverless vehicles.
- Carrying out medical interventions remotely.
5G yes, but when?
5G is currently at the top of the hype cycle defined by Gartner, which analyses the evolution of the expectation of emerging technologies among the general public. Mobile manufacturers such as Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi have already launched the first mobile terminals on the market, seeking to conquer some of the 10 millions of early adopters who will be connected to 5G worldwide before the end of 2019.
Ericsson’s latest ‘Mobility Report’, published last June, predicts that 5G will be massively implemented worldwide within just five years. According to Ericsson, by 2024:
- 5G networks will account for 35% of the world’s mobile traffic.
- 5G coverage will reach 45% of the world’s population.
- There will be 1.9 billion mobile devices using this technology.
This data is a clear indicator for the brands:
It is time to renew and adapt the digital marketing strategy to users eager to consume online content here and now, on their mobile and without any waiting.
Lucía González, Audio, Video & Connected TV Managing Director at Labelium Group
Consequences of 5G implementation for digital marketing
More specifically, the jump from 4G to 5G will have several consequences on the digital marketing ecosystem. At Labelium Group we have identified these five:
1. Higher loading speed
Although mobile devices have long since overtaken desktop computers in users’ web content consumption preferences, certain activities such as watching high-quality videos or visiting certain pages from smartphones are still exasperating. Cuts in playback and invaluable seconds waiting for content to load in the browser will be over with 5G. Thanks to the loading speed that this technology allows, it will be possible to:
- Create video ads with a higher resolution, that do not slow down the loading of websites when played.
- Boost video streaming emissions.
- Forget about the standard AMP (accelerated mobile pages).
2. New interactive advertising formats
Due to the very low latency of 5G, there is an opportunity to integrate the user into virtual reality and augmented reality, designing platforms and ads where their movements and actions trigger instant changes seamlessly.
The combination of 5G and augmented reality will be extremely positive for e-commerce, which will be able to offer its potential customers almost real interaction with the product before they buy it.
Lucía González, Audio, Video & Connected TV Managing Director en Labelium Group
3. A superior user experience
The frustration with content that doesn’t load or videos that don’t play properly will evaporate with these networks set up to satisfy the most impatient users. Customer experience will be considerably better, which means that many experienced internet surfers will find it unnecessary to use ad blockers to speed up internet browsing.
The result? A free path for brands to use their advertising to impact audiences they have not been able to reach so far, with a foreseeable increase in the CTR and a reduction in the bounce rates.
4. Extreme personalisation
The IoT will finally become a reality thanks to 5G. The synchronisation between devices, Artificial Intelligence and the automation will settle in digital marketing strategies of extreme personalisation. These will take into account data such as the real-time location of each individual, or which products they have already bought and which they have not, to show you instant tailor-made content on your smartphone.
5. Real-Time Analytics
This IoT boom will lead to the golden age of big data. With edge computing, data collection and processing will no longer be slow, heavy, centralised and tedious. 5G will make it happen in milliseconds directly at each point, facilitating real-time analysis, decision making and response automation.
On the other hand, this massive data collection that will be driven by the IoT will help digital marketers to:
- Get to know their audiences better, finding out extremely specific information about them and segmenting them more precisely for the launch of campaigns.
- Know where to find their target -virtually and physically- throughout every second.
Therefore, the link between 5G and marketing will provide very effective tools for customer satisfaction. The key will lie in studying consumer behaviour to the utmost and defining ultra-personalised solutions for customer journey touchpoints.
