Increased spend and greater consumer engagement signal the tipping point for mobile advertising
Today’s report by the IAB and PricewaterhouseCoopers on mobile advertising spend shows a 157 per cent year on year increase in UK mobile ad spend from £83m in 2010 to £203m in 2011.
But increased investment is only half the story – consumer engagement with mobile ads is fundamental to the success of the mobile advertising industry.
The latest figures from the largest independent mobile ad network, InMobi, demonstrate just that – consumers are responding to mobile advertising now more than ever.
The company saw a 358 per cent growth in mobile ad impressions on its European network in Q4 2011, rising from 6.7bn in Q4 2010 to 30.7bn in Q4 2011, with smartphone impressions surging in 2011 due to the huge growth of in-app ads.
In the 90 days to February 2012 alone, InMobi saw European monthly mobile ad impressions grow by 63 per cent from 24.1 billion to 39.3 billion.
Limvirak Chea, Director Business Development at InMobi, comments “These advertising spend figures are very encouraging for the industry and we know from our own research that consumers are becoming ever more reliant on their mobile devices. On any given day, mobile web users spend 27 per cent of their media time on mobile, more than they do on TV.
“Not only have we seen a significant increase in the number of ad impressions on our network, but we know that two thirds of mobile users are now as comfortable with mobile advertising as they are with that on TV or online, and it is increasingly recognised as a powerful medium in the purchase decision process. Indeed, almost half (42 per cent) of consumers say that mobile advertising has introduced them to a new product or service.
“Mobile devices are redefining the media landscape across the world. We will continue to see these trends rapidly accelerate in 2012 as consumers rely ever more heavily on their mobile device. Advertisers are now on board with this trend and we expect to see strong innovation in this space as consumers spend more time on mobile devices and less on PCs.”