New research from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and John Lewis reveals that mobile advertising increases unprompted awareness from 3 per cent to 24 per cent. The study noted that having a mobile-optimised site as the destination after the ad click had an immediate positive knock on effect, with 64 per cent of respondents saying they were either “impressed” or “very impressed” with the brand as a result of visiting the optimised John Lewis site. But the study also highlighted the effect of not having an efficient mobile optimised site for retailers, as 30 per cent of consumers said they would either not buy the goods, or even worse, but them from a competitor.

The research was carried out in partnership with On Device Research, based on a sample of over 1,250 panellists. The study investigated the difference in effectiveness between rich and non-rich media formats across a live John Lewis clearance sale campaign, measuring the difference in brand metrics for those who were exposed, and not exposed, to John Lewis mobile advertising.

The IAB says there are some key lessons for brands emerging from the study. The first is to use mobile to increase brand awareness – mobile advertising increased unprompted awareness amongst those exposed to the advertising by 822 per cent. Invest in rich media to increase cut-through – those exposed to the expandable banner were 25 per cent more likely to remember the advertising than those who saw the static banners. Target rich media to advanced smartphones to increase impact – Android and iPhone users were 50 per cent more likely to recall an expandable banner than other smartphone users. Plan thoroughly – although rich media is effective, it can become an annoyance if irrelevant, with 11 per cent expressing this concern, compared to only 6 per cent of those who saw the static banner. Finally, have a mobile-optimised destination site to avoid a loss of potential revenue – 30 per cent of consumers admitted they would take their business elsewhere if the mobile site experience was poor.

“This research proves how effective mobile can be for driving a brand message, and especially the added value emerging rich media formats can provide,” says Alex Kozloff, senior mobile manager at the IAB. It is particularly interesting to see the stand out that the expandable banners achieved with often difficult-to-reach audiences like high end smartphone users. The study also highlights the importance of having a fully mobile-optimised experience throughout the user journey, right through to the destination site after the click.”

Rachel Swift, head of marketing – Fashion, at John Lewis, ads: “Working with the IAB to investigate the effectiveness of mobile has been a huge success for John Lewis, and has confirmed our confidence in this channel. Mobile is continuing to grow commercially, so being able to prove its value for marketing cements its position as a key channel for John Lewis communications.”