Mobile Advertising: On the Rise and Here to Stay

Written By Gabriella DiPietro

By Gabriella DiPietro

In this day and age, people are constantly glued to their phones. Whether they are reading up on the latest news, scrolling through social media, shopping or watching the latest cat video, there’s always a reason for people to pick up their phone and go online. So, it makes sense that mobile advertising is becoming the leading force in the world of marketing.

What is Mobile Advertising?

When you hear “mobile advertising,” don’t be fooled… the ads aren’t the ones on-the-go! You are!

Mobile advertising simply refers to ads specifically designed and geared toward mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets and other portable smart-enabled gadgets. These types of advertisements can be found almost anywhere on one’s mobile device, whether at the top of a website in the form of a banner ad, in the midst of your social media feed (interstitial ad), to the slide of an article you’re reading (native ad) or even as a pop-up in an app you’re using. Mobile ads appear everywhere, which is another reason why they are so effective.

Mobile advertising may be on the up and up, but, like all forms of advertising, there are pros and cons associated to be aware of.

Advantages of Mobile

Time Spent on Mobile Devices. Over the last several years, the amount of time we spend on our mobile devices has risen significantly, to the point where people are spending more time on their phones than they are watching TV. According to the World Advertising Research Center and ConsumerAcquisition, about 51 percent of all mobile users worldwide already access the Internet via only their smartphone, and that number is expected to increase significantly in the coming years.

Thanks to the increased time spent on mobile devices, more than half of all e-commerce transactions can be attributed to smartphone and tablet usage. Nearly 35 percent of mobile and tablet shoppers buy products at least once a week, compared to only 15 percent of desktop users. This is most likely due to the closer proximity that mobile ads have to the point of purchase, and mobile ads tend to contain less clutter, thus placing a lower cognitive load on its viewers.

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Costs Less. The cost of designing a mobile ad campaign costs only a small fraction of a TV or radio ad. Phone-based cost-per-clicks (CPCs) cost 24 percent less than desktop clicks, and phone-based ads have a 40 percent higher click-through rate (CTR). As a result, marketers can afford to increase the frequency of their ads or expand their advertising campaign.

Geo-Targeting. People carry their phones with them everywhere they go, which allows advertisers to utilize this location information to analyze consumer preferences and deliver location-based, geo-targeted ads.

Fraud Resistance. When consumers see pop-up or banner ads on their desktop, many fall prey to the “Click to calls” and other malicious advertisements. On mobile devices, fraudulent ads and messages are much easier to identify and avoid.

Personalization. By monitoring consumer preferences, where they frequent and other aspects of one’s browsing and online presence, marketers are able to personalize their campaigns and cater to the mobile user’s experience.

A good example of mobile advertising is the Snickers and Spotify team up, where Snickers partnered with Spotify to create an ad that targeted users when they listened  to songs out of their usual genre on the music streaming service. Using Spotify’s streaming data, Snickers was able to pinpoint users who were not listening to their normal genre of music and then in that micro-moment deliver their audio ad. The idea was impressive and it caught users by surprise, who were then driven to Snickers branded playlist named “The Hunger List”.

The goal of the Snickers “You're Not You When You're Hungry” campaign was to make their chocolate bar the obvious choice during consumers’ “hungry moments.”

The goal of the Snickers “You're Not You When You're Hungry” campaign was to make their chocolate bar the obvious choice during consumers’ “hungry moments.”

Disadvantages of Mobile

Interruptive. Mobile advertising can create frustration among viewers by interrupting their mobile experience in some way, whether it’s a pop-up ad or a commercial in the middle of a video they are watching.

Display Problems. Although advertisers do their best, there is no guarantee that their ad will display as intended, since phones come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. How and ad looks in different browsers or apps may change for users, too.

One Chance to Impress. The world of mobile is so fast-paced today, so ads need to be error-free. If an ad isn’t perfect, viewers could get a negative impression of a brand, especially since there is less content involved with mobile ads, causing brands to rely on a click or visit to their website in order to convey the full message to the consumer.

For example, a four-panel Dove ad was targeted toward women and consumers on Facebook, showing a young African American woman removing her shirt over three panels. However, the fourth panel shows a young white woman. Epic fail! The company claimed the ad was intended to show the “diversity of real beauty,” but it surely missed the mark. Instead, the company received many ugly reviews and lots of well-deserved heat on social media.

A perfect example of what NOT to do!

A perfect example of what NOT to do!

Sources:

Gabriella DiPietro
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