The emergence and growth of smartphones, the personal relationships people have with their devices and the nature of mobiles to provide a seamless route from advert to sales call, means mobile advertising has become a game changer in the world of digital media.
The statistics
Studies show that over half of the UK population now has access to a smartphone; that figure is on the increase. In terms of time spent on our devices, this totals approximately two hours a day, with 24 minutes spent browsing the internet, checking social networks (16 mins), listening to music (15 mins) and playing games (13 mins).
What these stats tell us is that the smartphone is a hive of activity and a truly personal space. While using their device consumers are likely to be in a relaxed and comfortable state and more open to subconsciously observing and reacting to adverts.
The sector
Over the past year the mobile industry has become much more of a sophisticated sector, thanks to a better understanding of the technologies available, new advancements in mobile advertising and site build, and an appetite from marketers to invest in the platform.
That said, at present there remains a nervousness around mobile, which offers a great opportunity for advertisers to get excellent deals on campaigns. Mobile works like PPC, but without the premium prices, meaning it is a less risky strategy for those starting out as advertisers only pay per ad clicked.
With search and online consuming the majority of time and budget for a digital marketer, canny brands have recognised the potential in mobile as a tool for building brand awareness and complimenting their integrated marketing activity. These brands are not only enjoying great value on advert deals but are engaging more effectively with their target customers.
In the past six to 12 months the actual size and format of mobile advertising has evolved. The tiny banner ads still exist, but are accompanied by big screen takeovers, pre-rolls on video and engaging creative executions that form part of a wider campaign.
Specific mobile design is being undertaken and time invested in creating mobile landing pages which provide immediate calls to action for the ease of the user. Prompts like ‘tap here to call’ help the lead generation process. These innovations make the sector more compelling not only for advertisers looking to invest, but also for browsing users.
Targeting
One of the main factors deterring businesses from mobile is their inability to comprehend how ads are placed. There are a number of outcomes determining who receives an ad, and when.
Geo-targeting is one method we regularly recommended to our clients and it is quickly growing in popularity. Using GPS it is excellent for regional campaigns, because it draws on Google maps and targets users with an ad based on their location.
One campaign we ran on behalf of a national food retailer targeted people with an offer for a free coffee when purchasing a bacon sandwich at the company’s restaurants. By clicking the ad and unveiling the code, consumers could find out where their nearest outlet was and redeem their free drink. Once through the door there was an opportunity to upsell products while capturing important data on the customers, which could be used for bespoke campaigns.
Demographics of customers can also be determined by how they behave on their mobiles. For example someone regularly reading sports news, following the progress of a specific football team and playing a football game on their phone, is likely to have a passion for football. For our gambling clients – one of the most progressive sectors to utilise mobile advertising – we target bet-led deals during the football season and match times to those who we think are interested in football.
The brand paying for the mobile ad campaign only pays for the ads that are clicked on, so it is imperative that all campaigns are effectively managed to minimise risk. In this instance the risk sits with the media broker not the brands – this in itself proves again how targeted these campaigns are, to ensure best return for all parties involved.
Building a brand and engineering a sale
From my perspective mobile advertising provides a common sense approach to advertising. Through the touch of a screen it forges a direct path between an advert creative and a customer service handler at the end of a phone. It makes the user journey easier and connects the customer with what they want; a person they can physically talk to who can give expert guidance on a purchase they may want to make.
It is unlikely anyone will make a big ticket purchase on their mobile, but it is likely when in their downtime, sitting at the train station waiting to go home, they’ll use their phone to research that item. If they are approached with an ad during this time, there is an increased chance they will welcome the opportunity to interact with it.
Having a presence on mobile is another string to a marketer’s bow. As it ascends, now is an excellent time for brands of all sizes to trial the platform and test ROI for themselves.
