October 18, 2012
By Ujjal Kohli
Mobile devices are extremely versatile. In many ways, they have replaced many other objects in our lives.
Not only are mobile devices functioning as personal computers, phones, handheld televisions and gaming consoles, but they are also books, newspapers and magazines, along with many other items.
Despite this, advertisers have often treated mobile as if it were the same as online, instead of viewing mobile as a new iteration of one of the items it has replaced. This is a missed opportunity for advertisers to capitalize on the inherent advantages of advertising on mobile.
Same page?
Not all advertisers have missed the boat. Many brands that invest heavily in TV have brought those same ads to mobile taking advantage of the uniquely immersive and engaging mobile video experience.
However, brands that traditionally find success with full-page magazine or newspaper ads have yet to take complete advantage of mobile.
Full-page mobile ads improve upon the full-page glossy experience. And unlike online, where ads are rarely full-page, mobile ads can easily take up the whole screen to immerse the user in a brand experience.
Lingering gives consumers control
The full-page ad experience on mobile is so effective because it allows consumers to linger.
Video ads have the advantage of sound and motion, but they also have time constraints that force the brand to rush its story telling.
Full-page mobile ads put the control in the hands of the consumer and create an opportunity for the user to linger with the product at her leisure.
The beautiful detail of many full-page ads engages the consumer and can even lead to daydreaming about story the ad is telling.
Because of the linger factor, full-page mobile ads have astonishingly high engagement rates.
On smartphones, full-page ads have an average 4 percent to 10 percent engagement rate.
With the larger screen of a tablet, this figure is remarkably between 18 percent and 25 percent.
Consumers respond to these units at an unprecedented rate, and the discrepancy is especially large when compared to online.
If you combine these ads with video they perform even better.
Full-page mobile ads combined with video ads have a 15 percent increase in engagement rate.
To see these results, there needs to be a fair value exchange in the eyes of the consumer.
The ad must be placed within highly sought after premium content, so that the consumer is willing to spend time with the ad to view the content within which it is delivered.
Mobile trumps print
Not only do mobile devices recreate this full-page glossy experience well, but they also are where magazine readers are now consuming this content.
According to eMarketer, consumer time spent on mobile surpassed that of print in 2011. It reports that consumers spend well over five times as much time on mobile than they do with magazines.
These numbers are quickly growing for mobile and rapidly dwindling for print media.
Luxury brands such as jewelry or apparel companies that have traditionally had success in magazine advertising should looked to mobile to continue to effectively reach this audience.
Additionally, the interactivity of mobile takes print glossy to a new level.
After lingering with the full-page ad, on mobile, consumers can have the option to engage with the brand even further through interactivity options linking to any number of different places including an advertiser’s Facebook page, Web site or even to a video.
Mobile technology also offers course exact frequency control and precise targeting, ensuring that these ads are delivered to the correct audience at the desired frequency.
CONSUMERS ARE FLOCKING to mobile and, subsequently, advertisers are following.
Instead of thinking of mobile the same as online, marketers should look at how their target audience is using smartphone and tablets.
Those brands that do this and then advertise accordingly will be able to best take advantage of their target audience’s mobile experience.
Ujjal Kohli is CEO of Rhythm NewMedia, Mountain View, CA. Reach him at ujjal@rhythmnewmedia.com.
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