Advertisements on mobile devices are both welcome and effective, according to a recent study from mobile audience media company JWire.
This is especially true of advertisements that appear in mobile applications. Of the 1,000 or so smartphone users surveyed, 52% claim they have acted on an advertisement in an app and 18% have made a purchase directly from an ad in an app in the last month.
Respondents reported that advertisements on mobile devices are both engaging and welcome, with 53% saying they were willing to share their location to receive more targeted advertising, and 76% said they would prefer to download a free, advertising supported app instead of paying and upfront fee for the same app.
This is great news for social gaming apps like Foursquare, which enables users to unlock special deals from advertisers based on their locations. It also bodes well for Apple, whose mobile app advertising platform iAd will launch in the northern summer with the iPhone 4.0 OS.
“People have a completely different perception of mobile content and advertising when they are on-the-go compared to when they’re at home or in the office,” said David Staas, senior vice president of marketing at JiWire. “With almost 40% of the on-the-go mobile audience saying they are more likely to engage with an ad that is relevant to their current location, this is an opportunity brands and agencies are more rapidly embracing.”
The report also found that 40% of those surveyed spend an hour or more per day using their mobile apps, the most popular of which is Facebook, and have an average of 22 apps on their mobile devices. (Interestingly, a recent study by Retrevo Inc., a consumer electronics and review site found that 48% of those surveyed check Facebook or Twitter during the night, or as soon as they wake up).
On-the-go mobile advertising has the potential to achieve one-to-one, real-time marketing that consumers actively engage with – certainly something to watch with interest.
Author: Matt Scott, DraftFCB
