The condundrum of mobile advertising plagues us media folks every day. We all read the studies about how much mobile and tablet usage is up and only growing. But we also know all the realities of the limitation of advertising within this medium. As consumers we experience these everyday: ad intrusion, poor user experience, accidentally clicking on a banner or interstitial on the already small screen that takes us away from our article or app. And then on the advertising side there are similar pit-falls: small screen space to communicate your brand message, low click-through rates, limited functionality, invading your potential customer's very personal mobile device space, etc. And all of this on a virtual mini-computer that fits in your pocket - seems it would be easier to figure out how to advertise well in this space!
We know the problem - mobile advertising is "the way of the future" where all consumers are migrating, but how do you advertise in this space to effectively reach your target and not make them mad at your brand? How do you advertise in a way that your message fits -- not distracts within -- the medium?
We came across a company a few months back that we think is doing well. Kiip is a mobile advertising company that incorporates rewards to serve up discounts or offers from brands to consumers in-app. For example: you set a personal record in your RunKeeper app, and as a reward you're given a gift certificate for Powerade. Or say you get to a new level in Angry Birds, then you get a free sample of Nestle's new candy bar. Or you favorite a new receipe in Epicurious, so you're given a $10 off coupon for a new cookbook. All you have to do is enter your email to "unlock" these achievements.
This really is brilliant because it ties your brand to these natural achievement or meaningful moments that happen several times a day already on mobile devices. Hearing the CEO speak a few months ago, he's passionate about working with brands, finding the right mobile moment and thinking through creative ways to attach that brand to the moment through rewards. There's an emotional high that happens at these moments of achievement, and a brand being associated with that moment creates a strong connection with the consumer in a personal way. Plus the best part is it is not intrusive, but rather fits within the context of the mobile experience. The advertising message is furthered within the medium - so the user is thankful for the offer in most cases, not feeling a grudge towards your brand because of its invasion. We have not used this vendor yet, but are excited to find the right client to utilize this good media idea.
Where have you seen a good media idea in the mobile space? Leave a comment and let us know.
