5G, which stands for fifth-generation cellular wireless network, is the next big development in network technology. As a cloud-based network that connects people on mobile devices to the internet 10 times faster than its predecessors, the 5G network enables faster speeds, greater capacity, and lower latency.
Many countries worldwide have taken significant steps to make 5G networks commercially available to their citizens, with countries like China, United States, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore being significantly ahead of other nations in their 5G rollout.
The rollout of this high-speed network will eventually lead to an increase in the number of users utilising 5G data on their phones. This means that more people will have access to higher loading speeds, and better connectivity, and subsequently consume even more online content on their phones and smart devices and spend less time-consuming traditional content like TV, newspapers, and magazines.
The growing ubiquitous usage of 5G devices is an indicator that you’ll have to reimagine, evolve, and change the way you communicate with users and customers. The good news is you can start to create new digital marketing content that was limited with 4G. You can also leverage technologies that thrive in the 5G network to reach out to customers with 5G-enabled phones and smart devices. To help you prepare for the new era of wireless networks, here’s a quick look at some of the tactics you can employ in your marketing campaigns.
Interactivity
Previously, marketers were hesitant to implement interactive advertising features on their digital channels as these were data-intensive, making it difficult for users to access. With the high-speed and low latency capabilities of 5G, you can tap into creating ads, videos, and features that are interactive, personalised, and reactive to users. This is no longer confined to users’ own personal devices – it can also extend to digital signage screens in public spaces.
Live-streaming
5G has the potential to create unique and engaging viewing experiences in live-stream videos. It allows more camera feeds and the use of more immersive camera angles to be included in production such as 360-degree or AR/VR cameras. This provides the opportunity to showcase more immersive content from events and simultaneously allow customers to choose their own camera angles.
Augmented Reality (AR) experiences
In a recent survey conducted by Ericsson Emodo with 300 owners of 5G phones, 61% of survey respondents said AR ads grab their attention more than traditional ad formats do. What this means is, since AR has a high appeal rate among 5G users, you can utilise AR technology to offer a more comprehensive view of your brand’s products and/or services to target customers remotely, making the customer experience and buyer journey more immersive and interactive. Popular marketing applications for AR include product try-ons, demonstrations, mixed reality portals, digital ads with embedded AR experience where people utilise special AR glasses or AR cameras to see an ad pop up.
Social media
If AR advertisements or experiential experiences are too expensive and do not fit into your marketing budget, there are cost-effective alternatives that you can leverage. For instance, social media applications like Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram thrive in the world of 5G. You could look into creating content that utilises AR or new-media filters on these applications.
Data Collection & Personalisation
Data collection is vital to the improvement of marketing campaigns, but this process is notoriously time consuming. It involves tracking down tons of data, loading multiple analytics reports and requires hours or days to report or mine data that marketers could use to create personalised experiences. But a paper written by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers reports that with the implementation of 5G, marketers can expect the enabling of intelligent network and application services with connectivity to remote sensors, massive amounts of IoT data and low latency data transmissions. This speeds up the data collection process, allowing you to build and collect a repository of real-time analytics and leverage that information to employ a data-centric personalisation to current or ongoing campaigns. For instance, you can optimise campaigns in real time by upgrading capabilities like location-based marketing, push notifications, and deliver each consumer the most relevant content instantaneously.
Tip: While 5G opens up the implementation of new technology in marketing campaigns, creating content for 5G enabled environments requires specialised technical knowledge and expertise. Start familiarising yourself with technical vocabulary, such as AR jargon, as this allows you to reach out and work with the relevant specialists or professionals to flesh out your marketing ideas.
Corporate Media Services 