Mobile Marketing Now Mainstream?

20th November 2012

Mobile marketing, or the display of mobile advertisements on your cell phone is more common now than it’s ever been. Among some examples are coupons which pop up on your device as you pass mall stores, or offers and promotions from your local pit-stop store as you walk or drive by.

But is mobile marketing something that’s become accepted by society? That really depends on which article about the subject you read. If you listen to the marketers, many are saying that business is booming thanks to the phenomenon. But those on the consumer side aren’t always so sure.

The Marketing Industry’s View of Mobile Advertising

If marketers are raving about the effectiveness of mobile advertising, it’s not without some kind of real data to back it up. A relatively simple experiment by leading global information and measurement company Nielsen involved the same video ad presented to three marketing arenas: mobile, television and online. The ads consumed via mobile increased the overall interest to purchase products. But that wasn’t all; those who viewed the mobile ads also obtained more brand awareness, a golden key for any company wanting to keep itself in the forefront of consumer minds.

This data also highlighted the potential of mobile advertising for those companies sitting on the fence about whether or not to invest in it. Of course, it is true that mobile advertising is in its relative infancy, and as such, could very well be considered to be a passing fad. However, it doesn’t appear that technology’s path plans to veer far from today’s mobile phones with screens, app capability and internet access.

The Consumer Perspective

Of those marketers who have been in the mobile advertising game for awhile, some are now being called to the carpet for what consumers are saying is invasive behavior. The cause is what is known as ‘push notification’, and it’s not a new concept. Users download an app which includes adware, often unbeknownst to the downloader.

In the case of Android user, these ‘push notifications’ wind up in the notification bar, which, if not addressed, can quickly become filled with the tiny icons indicating that ads are waiting to be seen. This has resulted in many Android users complaining; so much, in fact, that push notification ads have reached the top of the list of beefs users have with their devices.

With app developers not being required to disclose the inclusion of this ‘adware’ in the apps they distribute to customers, it’s true that push notification advertising is running rampant.

Barriers To Full Mobile Media Takeover

If mobile advertising has become so popular, then you may wonder why it isn’t occurring on every mobile device available on the market. The interesting thing about the mobile media phenomenon is that while the mobile market is growing exponentially, this wide variety of advertising opportunities is causing a slowdown in ad development.

This is because the pushing of more, newer and better devices into the market also means a larger number of screen sizes and platforms to contend with. It also means figuring out where the consumer spends the bulk of their time, whether it is on a tablet, laptop or smart phone.

What Consumers Can Do

Should consumers not like being bombarded with ads, there are some solutions, such as taking advantage of the opt-out option offered by some advertisers. Some companies will require the submission of your phone number to opt out. But if consumers would rather not pony up their email or phone number, there are apps available which detect and then eliminate adware form mobile devices.

Citations: Nielsen study – Image by British Airways / Flickr