Exposure to Mobile Advertising Can Positively Shift Brand Metrics
Christina Goodman, director of global marketing and client development, Dynamic Logic, looks at aggregated results from the latest mobile research studies in the UK and US and sees what they can tell us about mobile brand advertising performance…
From over 30 AdIndex for Mobile research studies conducted in the US and the UK across a number of industry sectors – including alcohol, automotive, consumer electronics, FMCG, entertainment, telecommunications, and travel – Dynamic Logic has aggregated results to give an early look at mobile brand advertising performance. These mobile campaigns include display ads on WAP sites as well as downloadable mobile applications.
Across 21 campaigns where we surveyed people exposed to mobile advertising and compared their attitudes to those who were not exposed, the initial performance averages suggest that mobile advertising can be an effective medium for raising awareness and persuasion metrics. An average increase of +23.9 percentage points in Mobile Ad Awareness shows that these campaigns generally cut through the clutter and grab users’ attention. Average increases in Brand Favourability and Purchase Intent of +5.4 and +4.7 percentage points respectively, support the ability of mobile advertising to change consumers’ attitudes towards a brand and to drive intent to purchase.
The reason for these positive shifts may partly be a result of the newness of the medium itself. People may be intrigued by advertising that they see on their mobile phone, which is displayed on a smaller screen and in a less cluttered environment compared to the internet, so they tend to pay more attention to it. As mobile advertising grows, more research and campaign analysis will be needed to help marketers understand what will continue to work best on mobile devices.
These initials results are based on only a small number of campaigns and should be viewed as directional shifts. However, as we measure more mobile campaigns, we will be able to build a normative database that can be used to benchmark and to help marketers understand what’s working on mobile and what’s not. The initial findings speak well for mobile advertising campaigns as a medium.
Brands are also using mobile advertising in creative ways to reach and engage new consumers, and the results show the cut-through power of mobile. In a recent FMCG campaign that we measured in the UK, the mobile banners drove traffic to a mobile website, where you could play games and further engage with the brand. Exposure to the campaign led to a 25%pt increase in mobile ad awareness. While ad recall may not be the end result of most advertising campaigns, noticing the ad is the first step in making people aware of your brand and message.
From what we’ve gleaned so far, how should marketers use mobile as an advertising vehicle? According to eMarketer, this year’s mobile advertising spend is estimated to be over £2.45 million globally, tripling by the year 2011. Yet, only 13% of all mobile advertising is intended for branding compared to 87% for direct response. Are marketers missing out on an opportunity? Shouldn’t brands be investing in mobile advertising now to drive branding message, not just as a direct response vehicle?
Dynamic Logic’s latest AdReaction Study shows that only 37% of people in the UK have used their mobile phone or wireless device to connect to the internet. While reach may still be small compared to other media, mobile web usage will most certainly grow as providers offer more competitive packages for consumers to access the web. Certain brands may be able to reach a more targeted audience of consumers through mobile branding campaigns on WAP sites. Reaching a smaller, but more engaged and relevant audience via mobile may provide a worthwhile return on the investment. In any case, mobile is not going away, and now may be the best time to try and test mobile with minimal risks.