Reaching generation-next for Christian publishers will mean utilizing the current technology and offering content through digital smartphone platforms now, said Christopher Ribaudo, chief brand and marketing strategist at The Livingstone Corporation.

Ribaudo was invited to speak at the Marketsquare International 2009 show sponsored by the Christian Trade Association International in Atlanta last month on “The Future of Digital in Christian Publishing.” As Ribaudo told his audiences, the future is now. More than 200 Christian buyers and distributors, including 74 buyers from outside the U.S., attended this daylong conference that focused on connecting with the customer.

“Mobile smartphones will be central to Christian consumer’s lives in the future, and thus Christian publishers should gear up to create and deliver their content through this platform now,” Ribaudo said.
In his presentation, Ribaudo covered the global market by highlighting the growth trends of smartphones and subscription services internationally. He noted that the “the size and growth of mobile smartphones will exceed the laptop market for the next five years.”

Ribaudo also touched on consumer and manufacturing trends. He highlighted the apparent coalescing of design and consumer trends around Apple’s iPhone screen by noting the screen similarity of other recently launched smartphone by Nokia, LG, Google, and others. As a side note, Ribaudo predicted that e-reading devices such as Kindle, while currently hot, will be passed by as consumers ultimately opt for the easier, simpler, and more convenient option of reading digital content and accessing the Internet through mobile phones.

Ribaudo concluded his presentation by reminding Christian publishers to remember eight truths as they jump into digital:

• Humility. Use Opt-in only.

• Understand the Value Chain. Understand the roles and responsibilities of consumers, wireless carriers, technology enablers, brand, and your marketing and creative team in the mobile campaign process.

• Build a strong value proposition.

• Set clear objectives.

• Integrate into Cross Media Campaign.

• Be open to changes. Change isn’t necessarily bad.

• Create realistic metrics.

• Evaluate, innovate, and apply insights for the next digital campaign.