To many brands and marleting agencies, mobile is still largely seen as an experimental ad spend.
Yet 58 percent of Britons are accessing content via apps and/or the mobile web each month, Comscore statistics reveal. What’s more, tablet devices are predicted to replace lower-end laptops in 2012 with tablet ownership likely to more than double.
With a shift in mobile trends and the way audiences consume data, marketing agencies are having to be increasingly forthcoming with their mobile advertising budgets, irrespective of how dependable the market may or may not be.
IAB recently reported that mobile ad spend surged 157% in 2011, with technology brands almost tripling their investment. In a similar vein, FMCG brands have increased their share of total mobile ad spend from 11.8 per cent in 2010 to over 14 per cent in 2011. This makes it the third-biggest spending sector after entertainment and media (23.2%) and telecoms (14.9%).
So why the big rush?
Consumer data shows that almost a quarter of users have bought a product or service via their device. In addition, increased traffic to social networking sites through mobile devices offers a potentially lucrative pool of new consumers: approximately one in four of the UK mobile audience accessed key social media sites from October to December in 2011, a 35 percent increase year on year.
There are predictions for the year ahead that may do something to quell uncertainties surrounding the mobile market too. Micro geo-location advertising is likely to be ramped up in 2012, with mobile ad networks offering rich media on a global scale. Furthermore, tablet and mobile web surfing during TV commercial breaks – already a popular trend in the Twitterverse- is set to increase, audience attention switching to a more immediate and personal market. You can read the full report here.
So, what do you think? Is the mobile market just a passing fad, or is it here to stay?
Perhaps you’re experiencing different trends or see these results mirrored in your own business- either way, let us know!
Next time we’ll be discussing all the key considerations and questions anyone searching for a mobile agency needs to know. If you don’t want to miss it, be sure to subscribe.
