Via @carlmartin
This is frikkin awesome! Since I started my latest role, I’ve really come to appreciate data and find the application of data fascinating.
Get the basics right.
Right, so Twitter has replaced blogging as my outlet for any and all commentary on life, the universe and everything. However this evening I’ve found the motivation (read: The football’s is over and my girlfriend is dominating the TV with Eastenders replays) to break the 140 character shackles and put some pen to paper.
Mobile Advertising - Learn to walk before you run.
With the industry abuzz with iAds mania and M&A activity, it’s very tempting to get caught up in the hype. ‘Hype’ though, was what led to so many ‘year of the mobile’ statements and ill-fated QR code extravaganzas. Hype is great for awareness but ultimately it only serves to draw attention to the glaring shortcomings of the topic in question. My personal gripe with hype is that it ultimately sets expectation levels far too high when in actual fact a well thought out and robust approach would have done the job perfectly.
Whilst I like to think I’m one of the more vocal evangelists for mobile, I’d like attempt to subdue some over-enthusiastic proponents of the channel who’s unbridled ’Mobile is awesome’ may leave people a little underwhelmed.
Here are a few topics surrounding mobile advertising which I feel need to be acknowledged, discussed and communicated to the various stakeholders in the advertising equation if the mobile market is to progress properly:
Targeting: The hype is, of course, that you can target users where ever and whenever. This idea of location and activity targeting is to some the holy grail of advertising, and to some extent it is. However it is open to abuse, and could be seen, as Rory Sutherland has pointed out; it draws comparisons to walking down Brick Lane and having people jump out and try pull you into their restaurant. In this example: Location? (tick), activity? (tick), effective advertising and/or brand experience? (not so much).
Adserving: Many of the issues faced by those involved in mobile advertising revolve around mobile adservers. Those with a digital background take for granted how far adserving has come, whilst mobile is still battling to reach the same standard. A large proliferation of varied adservers and in-house solutions has meant that there is no level playing field on which stakeholders can make universal decisions. ie Agencies cannot assume campaign elements apply to all media owners in terms of execution, targeting, and reporting.
Reporting: This stems from Adserving limitations. As the cornerstone of modern online tracking (cookies) are not ubiquitous between handsets and network operators, it is incredibly difficult to provide the levels of reporting which are currently enjoyed by other digital advertising channels. Therefore it is increasingly hard to justify mobile’s use in conjunction with other media as we battle to judge the halo effect of one medium on the other.
Click-to-call mechanics: These seem to be the go-to mechanic for DR based display campaigns at the moment. Whilst I have seen this work to great effect in the past, with poor or rushed planning this really is doomed from the start. Hear are some quick fire do’s and don’ts:
Don’t use an 0800 number (it’s not free from mobile phones for starters, you cannot track the calls and not all network operators can actually call these numbers without prompting the user to drop the first zero.)
If calling straight from the banner - Do warn the user that a click will initiate the call… something simply often workers- “Click to call one of our advisors.”
Don’t suggest click to call for every DR campaign. Consider the intent and environment that the user is seeing the message, and using a simple self test of “Would I want to transact now” - ‘NOW’ being the operative word, then make an informed decision whether this is the best metric to base performance on.
As the title to this post suggests- I’m eager to see everyone in mobile (including my competitors) just getting the basics right. I honesty believe this is the best way to ensure that a solid foundation for mobile can be developed. Once we’ve achieved this, we can move onto the more exciting opportunities out there ->BEWARE: Shameless self promotion.
Much love!
