Homework No 2

Summary

In addition to our group presentation from last week a summary should emphasize the most important and useful thoughts about “the 4th screen”.

First of all it has to be clarified what “the 4th screen” stands for. When people talk about “the 4th screen” they usually mean mobile communication devices and services one can use via smart-phones, tablets and portable screens. “Why is it called the 4th screen?” may be another question straying around in peoples’ heads. In fact there are three other “screens” which had been evolved during information and communication development’s history. The first “screen” is meant for cinemas and their silver screens which first brought visual information to customers. Next “screen” is TV. With TV customers can be reached and addressed by commercials and news directly in their home. The third “screen” consists of game consoles.
Concerning to the 4th screen we discussed the meaning of “Location based services”(LBS). LBS are mobile services which prepare selective information or services for the user by the help of position-depending data. Using LBS you can search and find points of interests (POI), find your own position or be contacted by location-dependent commercials and advertising.

Mobile connectivity, LBS and social networks together build a big advantage for marketers. By telling your position via social networks with the use of LBS marketers now not only know when, how and with which kind of products they have to address you, but also where they can appeal to you. They furthermore get information how often you visit a place and what you plan to do at those places (if you published this in social networks). So concluded you can say that your marketing mix becomes enlarged by LBS connected with social networks, because people tell you where you precisely can reach them. Obviously the 4th screen becomes a big opportunity for marketers, because the more they get information about their customers the more they can adjust their marketing strategies and products to their customers which are connected to less costs and more efficient marketing.

Finally the question of tablets’ usage (like the iPad) had to be solved. Nowadays more and more people embraced tablets which become more popular. What are the benefits of tablets and mobile connectivity on the one hand and what are reasons that many still resist to embrace mobile connectivity on the other hand?
Using an iPad gives your life a new mobile attitude. It just does not matter where you are: You are connected. Connected to the internet means having access to your email-account, to news, to advertising and social networks regardless if you sit in the park watching the sundown, in a train or in another boring class at the campus. For some people tablets have a big use for business, school or university. Users can review documents, prepare and show presentations and check the latest news. At least people buy tablets, because other people and friends have one, too or because they see a kind of a status symbol in it.
But tablets like the iPad are still very expensive, too expensive for many potential customers. Furthermore people do not want to be connected  to mobile devices, because mobile devices require a lot of information and some people are not willing to give up parts of their privacy into the world wide web. Others do not want to get too dependent from iPads or smartphones and the majority just don’t need mobile communication devices.