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LA Goes Wireless, So Should Companies

December 23, 2008


Los Angeles has always been known for being a hot spot for social trends and cultural change, and recently I noticed something that I hadn’t really taken the time to notice before. Driving down Melrose and La Brea, I noticed just how few payphones their were. In fact, I was unable to see one for almost 3 blocks.

Not only was it just in this vicinity that I was unable to find a payphone, but in other surrounding areas as well. This lack of payphones leads me to believe that LA has gone wireless. Today, cellphones have replaced the need to carry around quarters except to pay for the parking meter. Cellphones are no longer for the rich and powerful as they once were back in the early 90’s, but are now common ‘toys’ for teens and necessary tools for students and professionals.

LA’s new direction in regards to communication is something that businesses should be aware of as well. Consumers can now get the weather, find out what’s for dinner, look up directions, and update there Facebook all from there cellphone. Businesses should take advantage of this and find new ways to target consumers. While payphones do exist in remote locations, such as near the bathrooms at shopping malls, LA for the most part has made the transition from landlines to wireless.

With the addition of Wi-Fi, 3G networks and reasonable wireless service plans, a cellphone has become standard for most. When email became preferable to ‘snail mail,’ companies jumped onboard, trying to tag every page with there advertisements. Now that cellphones have become the new ‘communication’ tools, companies should recognize this and latch on to it. Whether it is through text advertisements, which many companies have already been utilizing, or through cellphone apps, ‘wireless advertisements’ will be the new way to advertise and the new way to communicate with this new generation.