Software application development
This blog is intended to provoke discussion and exchange between like minded software application developers, engineers, architects, project managers - and keen hobbyists too.
Tuesday 11 December 2007, 7:15 PM
Mobile search advertisements: nicer or nastier?
Recent events have conspired to expose me to a glut of mobile-related technologies from the growth of mobile-powered web access in Africa to the new revenue streams thrown up by advertising in this space. I’ve already ranted (twice I think) on how much I hate invasive ads online - and I’m not expecting to be a fan of advertising that hitches a ride on any mobile search functions I might perform in the future – but I think it’s an unstoppable inevitability. The question is, will things get better or worse?
Mobile advertising specialists argue that just as search-engine marketing has (allegedly) proven less intrusive and sometimes more effective than email-marketing, that there is potential to use sophisticated mobile search and advertising solutions to deliver a more targeted marketing campaign bringing the most relevant content to audiences. The idea is that if a mobile user is actively searching for information and is presented with relevant ads in that context, it makes it more likely to be better received and achieve higher click-throughs.
To quote from just one of the companies I’m currently talking to in order to research this subject, “An increased take-up of mobile marketing is certainly good news for mobile operators, but if this form of marketing continues to be thought of as limited to SMS and MMS, then the true potential here will not be reached. This is because the problem with marketing via SMS and MMS is that the user has no control over what he or she receives, so mobile marketing becomes another form of spam,” said Dan Olschwang CEO of mobile search and advertising company JumpTap.
This kind of more sophisticated search-based behavioural targeting is supposed to make me feel better isn’t it? I guess it doesn’t as a previous career in advertising has given me in innate distrust of any type of publicity. Perhaps I am being too judgemental, but when I am looking up… “How long can you keep eggs for?” (the last thing I looked up – I know, I need to get a life) I am not likely to start ordering the home-delivered lemon meringue pies that pop up as an option on the right hand side of the page.
I appreciate the technology side of this argument and I guess we are moving forward. I just buy my pies from the pie shop like I always have – that’s all.
PreviousComments on this post
Online advertising could go two ways, either very successfully or very badly.
Like you said Adrian, unrelated searches aren't going to draw the customers at a volume needed to warrant the advertising costs.
I think the type of search is a key factor in how the adverts will be generated. Break it down into different areas, examples :
Questions ( how do I, whats the, who was )
Local services (covered below)
Using tools like GPS or the google non-gps method to obtain the users location could allow tailored adverts by keyword+location. This could prove to be a possible successful model.Although more work to store the company being advertised would be needed.
The method of delivery would also be a factor in the success of mobile adverts. Having a splash screen wouldn't be a great feature as it uses up valuable time that negates the whole point of having mobile internet connections (easy of access/speed).
It poses another problem how do you manage and maximise advertising space?
Calculations based on user screen resolution can allow for tailored adverts for the search. For example; Narrow screens could have 1 or 2 adverts at the top and 4 or 5 at the bottom, wider screens can have the adverts on the left hand side.
I wonder what is an acceptable number of adverts to show per page?
Totally - it's intelligently deployed location-based services that "could" be most welcome if they come in the shape of GPS-aware advertisements.
We've mentioned China already - but it's actually the more fully developed markets of Asia that are showing us the way forward here.
A while back I spoke to a chap from Informa Australia that had studied South Korea, Hong Kong & Singapore etc... and they are racing ahead in this space.
I also understand that industry legislation states that all new mobile phones in Japan must ship with GPS technology.
As to how many ads, at what speed and in what form – you make a great point, but I think it’s one for the Saatchi’s to answer as I certainly don’t know. I’m sure they’d be happy to charge us to tell us how it should work!
