Marketers are set to invest an average of £340,000 in customer-facing mobile initiatives over the next 12-18 months, new research has shown. 

Antenna surveyed 1,000 IT and business executives and found brands are currently working on a number of mobile initiatives for consumers, including mobile websites (45%), ‘native’ mobile apps (43%), web apps (32%), and branded app stores unique to their company (14%).

However, the research revealed only one in five UK and US businesses have seen their customer-facing mobile projects taken up by ‘the majority’ of the consumers they were aimed at.

Additionally, the survey highlighted the key frustrations businesses face when commissioning projects via third-party creative agencies, including lengthy completion dates (45%) and hard to use final products (21%).

Jim Somers, chief marketing and strategy officer for Antenna Software, said: “As more brands embrace the mobile channel as a strategic driver for their business, a growing number of companies are recognising the need for a unified mobile platform to manage and secure all their initiatives under one roof.

“Of course, designing and building the apps is critically important, but managing the applications and digital content is imperative for end-to-end control of all mobile projects, ensuring brands meet user expectations and deliver real return on investment.”