Key trends to check your 2015 plans against:
• Hands-free future: Voice activation, smartwatches and even driverless cars show where mobile devices are heading- and where marketing dollars will follow as the ‘internet of things’ gains traction.
• Facebook’s ‘mobile first’ strategy is paying off: Heavy investment in video, Messenger apps and newsfeed ads shows where Zuckerberg thinks ad dollars will go
• WhatsApp, SnapChat and WeChat starting to attract big name advertisers: But marketing value of youth-oriented chat apps remains largely untested

Whether it’s shopping, watching videos, chatting or sharing on social media, mobile is fast becoming the platform of choice for media consumption. This was the year that mobile video became the fastest growing ad format, programmatic took off and publishers wised up to responsive design. From Apple Pay and Android Wear to Nokia’s farewell and the Fire Phone flop, we look back at ten of the biggest headlines that shaped mobile marketing in 2014.

Bezos admits “billions of dollars of failures at Amazon”

The Amazon CEO has admited that failures, such as recent Fire Phone flop, have cost the company billions of dollars, but is adamant that experimentation is key to the company’s survival.

Mobile search trends: How desktop and smartphone searches differ

Over a third (36%) of web pages shown in Google mobile search results are different from those that appear for the same searches carried out on a desktop or laptop according to new research.

Microsoft ditches Nokia brand in mobile shake up

Microsoft is phasing out the Nokia brand for its mobile products, instead calling its smartphones Microsoft Lumia.

Apple Pay goes live across 30+ US retailers

Apple Pay has gone live, letting iPhone users pay for goods and services in store by tapping their phone.
View this video from CNN discussing the new scheme here:

Mobile video now fastest growing format as ad spend triples

Mobile video accounts for 20% of digital ad spend in the UK and 53% of social media spend, while native ads now make up 20% of digital display ads, according to new research.

Facebook to send ads based on users mobile connection speed as mobile revenues soar

Facebook is testing a new tool called ‘bandwidth targeting’ letting advertisers send ads based on the quality of a user’s network connection, moderating type of ad to whether a user is on a 2G, 3G or 4G. The news comes as mobile advertising grew to 62% of all Facebook’s ad revenues in Q2, up from 41% in 2013.

Google smartwatches go on sale with Android Wear

Google’s new smartwatch system, Android Wear, was the main focus of its annual I/O developer conference this year, with an interface that ditches app grips for voice commands and swipeable cards.
Watch this Google developer video showing how Android Wear works below:

Apple’s big play for Internet of things: Health apps and home automation

Apple has introduced new apps for iPhones and iPads that will help users monitor their health and control devices in their homes, as the firm looks to rival the likes of Google’s smart thermostats and Samsung’s SAMI fitness software.
Watch this video from Bloomberg covering the key note speech from CEO Tim Cook below:

What clients want from their agencies: Mobile marketing ‘changing ad relationships’

The rapid pace of mobile marketing innovation is changing the relationship between advertising agencies and their clients, according to new research.
View the full report here:

Mobile trends: Text messages fall in 2013 as chat apps rise

The number of text messages being sent in the UK has fallen for the first time ever as more people turn to Whatsapp and iMessage, according to new research looking into mobile trends.