Research company Millward Brown has completed what it says is the first research project into the effectiveness of mobile advertising in the UK. The study was commissioned by mobile marketing agency Aerodeon. The research was conducted in August via a mobile survey, and measured how much ad awareness and brand consideration was generated for a global grooming brand by a simple banner ad shown on a UK mobile web portal. The research showed that branded ad awareness increased by more than 30% among those who had seen the ad. Future purchase consideration also increased by 23% among users of the brand who saw the mobile advertising, and 11% among non users.
The research measured the opinions of more than 500 male consumers between the ages of 18 and 35 years over a 4-week period while the ad aired, via 3-minute mobile surveys. The study used the AdIndex for Mobile design created by Millward Brown company Dynamic Logic, which exposed half the respondents – a branding banner incorporating a competition, while the other half were not exposed to the advertising. The differences between the two groups served to demonstrate the brand impact of the mobile advertising.
Currently, the success of mobile advertising campaigns is measured simply by exposure and clickthroughs, but Duncan Southgate, Director of Global Innovation at Millward Brown, says that marketers need to measure thoughts as well as thumbs when it comes to mobile advertising. Looking just at clickthroughs or site visits provides no indication of what people feel about brands which advertise in this relatively new medium, says Southgate. As more advertising is conducted on mobile devices, brands should adopt some of the same measurement techniques that they use in other channels to ascertain the brand impact and effectiveness of their campaigns. Techniques such as Dynamic Logics AdIndex can now be applied to mobile phone advertising.
The results of the survey, says Southgate, suggest there may well be significant opportunities for advertisers who are early aboard the mobile bus.
While direct comparisons are not possible due to the different methodologies, Dynamic Logics MarketNorms database shows that the average increase in ad awareness of an online ad is around 7%. MarketNorms has measured the effectiveness of more than 3,100 online ad campaigns over the last seven years, and has clearly shown that new ad technologies (initially banners and more recently online video ads) often have a honeymoon period, where effectiveness is particularly strong in the early days while consumers are less familiar with the ad format. Dynamic Logic and Millward Brown are now conducting further studies to provide normative benchmarks for mobile advertising.
Aerodeon Managing Director Chris Bourke says the company is encouraged by the results of the study.
This is the first project that looks in detail at how people feel about an ad and gives an indication of how mobile ads can build brand engagement, says Bourke. As mobile advertising continues to expand, we are very keen to conduct similar research for other clients, and learn more about which mobile ad types are most successful. Some marketers are understandably cautious that advertising on mobiles may be seen as a potential intrusion. Research such as this should reassure marketers that appropriate ads can deliver very positive results for their brands.