This week sees the release of the Absolute Radio app on the Apple and Android operating systems. While ‘company releases app’ isn’t shocking news per se, it brings us nicely to a quick review of what’s happening, available and working well in the mobile space.
Mobile commerce is moving into the mainstream. As of June this year, 36% of Brits were using smartphones. With this comes a boom in mobile advertising. In 2011, eBay is expecting to generate $4 billion through its mobile proposition. The UK buys more vehicles and fashion via eBay mobile than any other product category. Other major retailers such as French Connection and New Look have invested heavily in m-commerce and this is notable against the backdrop of a declining high street.
The phenomenon of group deals is also flourishing thanks to mobile. Check-ins are fairly obvious: a café signs up to Facebook deals, for example, and users who check in to a specific branch get a half-price coffee. It gets more interesting when users are purchasing and redeeming vouchers from the likes of Groupon, LivingSocial, etc. through mobile devices. Any group deal app will need to display latest deals within the immediate vicinity of a user’s handset. This means local commerce is changing as is users hunger for local offers.
Users are responding to mobile ads. According to comScore, 28.8% of European mobile owners use their phone regularly for online browsing. Crucially, users are more responsive to mobile display ads than desktop or laptop banners. MediaMind reviewed more than 230 million mobile impressions including both mobile and browser, compared results and found that mobile banners recorded click through rates nearly eight times higher.
This is in part explained by mobile banners occupying a larger proportion of the screen and often being the only ad on the page. But throw into the mix rich media streaming in video content and there’s no doubt that mobile banners can prove highly effective at encouraging click through or user interaction.
Mobile now offers so much more than banners. It is becoming as sophisticated as other more established digital channels and, as ever, technology is the driver. What’s HOT sees mobile as the natural platform for local and increasingly targeted ads.
Comment
