The iPhone: The Holy Grail of Mobile Advertising
ADOTAS EXCLUSIVE — The recent release of the 3G iPhone, and similar devices such as the BlackBerry Bold, come at a time when the interest in mobile advertising is at an all time high. At a recent Mobile Ad Degree educational seminar in Los Angeles, Stephanie Bauer Marshall, manager of mobile advertising for Verizon Wireless said, “The iPhone is one of the biggest catalysts for mobile advertising in 2008,” and Marshall is right. The iPhone is the perfect platform for mobile advertising.
While iPhones account for only a small percentage of mobile devices in the market, the engagement level, reach and opportunity for consumer interaction is unparalleled. For example, according to M:Metrics, 85 percent of iPhone users accessed news and information from their device in January 2008 and 49.7 percent accessed a social networking site, which demonstrates the extraordinary interactivity of the user base. The market is reacting to the popularity and success of the iPhone by releasing similar devices into the marketplace, and iSuppli research expects touchscreens will go from 341 million units this year to double that number in 2012. As these iPhone competitors further the evolution of positive mobile user experiences and advance mobile technology, consumer browsing habits will follow suit.
Mobile video is the fastest growing area of mobile advertising, largely spurred by the iPhone’s high quality, streaming-like capabilities, large screen and progressive download technology. As such, iPhone users are increasingly consuming mobile video content; M:Metrics found that 30.9 percent of iPhone owners watch mobile videos. In certain mobile ad campaign, iPhone users can consume up to 75 percent of the delivered mobile video ad impressions, far surpassing other mobile devices. iPhone’s tremendous impact on the consumption of rich mobile content like video is a reflection on the quality of the user experience, which directly increases the appeal of the iPhone as a premium mobile medium for advertisers.
So we can suppose that, to date, the iPhone has really been one of the greatest forward movements for mobile advertising and most certainly for showcasing the potential of the mobile medium. Of course, it will not be the only device contributing to the growth of the mobile industry, as we are already seeing great advancements in device capabilities and usability from many of the world’s other mobile manufacturers.
With these mobile device advancements, there are certainly other questions about mobile media and advertising that are coming to the forefront; however, it is indisputable that mobile is prime real estate for brand marketers. These big brands require premium mobile executions on rich formats, like video and interstitials, to visually showcase their products and to create engaging user experiences. The best use of mobile is seen in multi-format, interactive campaigns that leverage both rich formats and high volume formats like WAP display and text banners to generate brand awareness and favorability, message association and increased likelihood to buy, rather than pursuing on-the-spot purchases in most cases. Consider this: users do not purchase big ticket items like computers and cars through mobile devices, but a plethora of opportunities exist to increase affinity and spur interest in a product or brand via mobile advertising, in turn, driving consumers to stores.
With all the buzz in the mobile industry around improving mobile devices, the growth of mobile advertising will only increase in the coming years. Advertisers have identified mobile video as a key area to place their ad dollars, according to the Wave Eight Advertiser Perceptions Survey, which polled more than 2,000 advertisers. Smart marketers will take note – targeted mobile ads that leverage device capabilities, provide rich mobile content, offer deeper brand connection and engage consumers on a personal level affect buyer behavior long after the consumer has viewed the mobile advertisement.
Reader Comments.
From one Brian to another, great article. It seems the advertising message is either reaching us on giant plasma screens on our walls, or little screens in our pockets.
But it’s reaching us.
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