At the risk of sounding like I am giving a book report in elementary school, because marketing has zeroed in on the term “engagement” as the way to describe varying degrees of relationships it seemed like a good time to look up the dictionary definitions of the terms. 

As might be expected the first definitions related to an arrangement based on time to meet or be present at something or someplace, i.e., an appointment or the time spent doing an activity such as a job.  The last one involved the use of the term for describing a military encounter.  However, it was the one in the middle that caught my attention because it is the one that aptly describes why it has become so popular.  According to Merriam-Webster, Engagement is: “emotional involvement or commitment (which seesaws between obsessive engagement and ambiguous detachment).” 

The reason this is so appropriate is the need, some might call it an obsession without the pejorative connotations, of organizations to become more intimate when it comes to interactions that can impact human behavior.  Technology after all is a means to an end and not an end in itself.  And, in the digital always on and all ways connected world in which we live and work, our personal devices have rapidly become our preferred interaction platforms of preference and hence our tools of choice for engaging with both people and machines to fulfill our volitions. 

The question that arises from a business perspective is whether we are getting full value from this move to rely on mobile messaging as the way in which we most often interact/engage in real or near real-time with colleagues, customers and business processes.  

Internationally recognized research firm IDC (News - Alert), sponsored by mobile messaging solutions provider OpenMarket, surveyed 600 respondents across industries, functions, and geographies, and revealed the unstructured approach that organizations are taking with mobile messaging. What they found out is revealing: at a high level it was clear that obtaining value on an investment in next generation mobile messaging is considered problematic.  Indeed, confounding the challenge is the expectations of customers who are looking for a payback on these initiatives in less than a year.

Interestingly, the report on the survey results said the concerns about the value of investing in enhanced mobile messaging engagement are all addressable. In fact, there is a very strong case to be made about the benefits of improving mobile messaging and even the need for having some sense of urgency about doing so.  

The good news is that the results of the survey and the recommendations as to how your organization can benefit from doing mobile messaging right will be the subject of a forthcoming free webinar, Exploring the Impact of Mobile Messaging on Customers, Employees and Operations, Thursday, June 25, 2015 01:00 PM EDT / 10:00 AM PDT. 

You are invited to join me Robert Parker, Group Vice President, IDC Insights and Andy Shirey, Senior Product Manager, OpenMarket (News - Alert) as we explore the report findings and recommendations on the impact of mobile messaging on customers, employees and operational processes.

Topics to be covered include:

• Business value of mobile engagement by business function
• How different industry segments are prioritizing their investment in mobile engagement
• Understanding the challenges of a global mobile engagement strategy
• How organizations are making the business case for investment
• IDC guidance on creating an optimized approach to mobile engagement

Getting back to that dictionary definition of engagement, the goal obviously is to be deeply engaged right up to the point of not being intrusive or wearing out one’s welcome.  Mobile messaging, because of its immediacy and impact—study after study show that people really do respond when boundaries are established and abided by—has demonstrable impact.  It can achieve desired levels of emotional involvement and commitment. And, it can even hit those expectations about a fast return on investment.  The trick is getting it right, and the webinar provides a unique opportunity to find out how.