It’s always shocking to find that a major retail brand doesn’t have a mobile app. Meanwhile, it’s equally stunning when a small business has built a killer mobile experience for its customers.

But when you understand the role omnichannel plays for retail and other major industries, the shortcomings of the big-box retailer are much more confounding than the smaller company’s assertiveness in building a better mobile presence.

According to Forrester, 53% of companies chose mobile marketing as their top digital marketing priority. This attention to mobile marketing is driven by the need to reach customers where, when, and how they most prefer.

We’re finally far enough away from the holiday season to take a good look back at what worked and to catch a glimpse of where we’ll go from here. And now we’re seeing retailers making big shifts for the new year, further illustrating the importance of going back to basics.

The Super Bowl hype is fully upon us, and with travel packages reaching upwards of $10,000 (and the Patriots out) let’s face it, most of us are going to catch the game on TV. And this year, more than ever, the game isn’t just about sitting around the TV with some snacks and good friends. Second – and third – screens will also join the party. So how do multiple screens play into the attention economy? It’s more than just messaging – it’s about use.

As we head into the fourth quarter, marketers are (or should be) in full-on planning mode for 2016. This is where the rubber meets the road for questions of performance and ROI. And it looks like marketers are continuing to think outside the box when it comes to their projections and investments, which is fine as long as they’re not overlooking the basics.

According to a breakdown of Duke University’s recent CMO Survey, CMOs are expected to increase spending on social, mobile and analytics, despite difficulties in identifying ROI in those areas. Why is this?

With more than 90% of all consumers now using smartphones, it’s safe to say most of us have also accumulated a stash of our favorite go-to apps. As consumers, we tend to download apps that we use frequently – whether for a service or social activity.

Often, a brand connection is in a fleeting moment. I pull on my favorite pair of shorts and I wonder if the retailer still has that same pair, but that question is not enough to get me to sit down at my computer to find out.

But what if I could ask that question, say, in the same spontaneous way I’d ask a buddy if he wants to grab a beer after work? Enter, SMS.

Whether we’re out to lunch or window shopping, mobile is playing a bigger role; it’s more than a distraction from your date or vibration in your pocket. It’s our tether to the world – from text alerts and app-driven push notifications to mobile-enabled websites and social media streams. And more often, it’s an up-sell being added when we agree to have our receipt sent to our email or our phone.

Mobile marketing is like the game Operation. If you’re spot-on, you make a vital connection with your consumer. If you miss, even by a little, the buzzer goes off, your customer lights up and you lose, not only for this transaction, but maybe for the life of the consumer.

Try leaving home without your mobile phone. Odds are, it’s uncomfortable. These little computers haven’t just edged their way into our daily routines, they have become our tether to the outside world. Marketers, well aware of the value of reaching people literally in their pockets have responded with a resounding strategy to move the sales needle: one offs!