As mobile technology and devices become more advanced, we see more and more consumers using their mobile phones for a lot more than just making phone calls and sending text messages. Lots of people now read their emails on a mobile device, they look up information on a mobile version of Google, they update their Facebook and Twitter accounts through the use of mobile applications, they play mobile games to kill time, they use their mobile phone to pay for services they purchase, they buy ringtones and wallpapers and lots more.

When times get hard and budgets get tight, above the line ad spend in particular should be the first area to cut, as it is expensive and can potentially be difficult to measure and prove the return on investment. Next comes print and mailings - especially when looking at response rates against the cost of production and distribution. Then there's the pressure of the ‘environmental cost’ that the print sector faces.

Digital marketing spend however, is where the wise money is being spent - precisely because it is both measurable and can demonstrate outstanding ROI.