What 2013 Tells us About 2014 in Mobile Advertising

Epom Anton RuinMobile advertising has, undoubtedly, expanded on the global market within the past year, with more companies currently investing in the launch of truly interactive advertising campaigns, which target their audience on mobile. The reason for this is clear: the latest statistics show that that the increase of mobile traffic in Q1, 2012 – Q2, 2013 is estimated at around 125 per cent, and this tendency isn’t likely to change in the near future.

The overall success of mobile advertising campaigns can be explained by a number of substantial factors, including a mobile OS, device type, applied ad formats, targeting options and, of course, the overall ad concept of the campaign. Each of these factors can become a decisive pro or con of any mobile campaign, and will, undoubtedly, maximize its profitability, if included in a company’s mobile marketing strategy.

What we got in 2013
If we take a closer look at the essential issues impacting the mobile advertising market, there’s good data available, which should be considered by every successful marketer. For example, in the first half of 2013, iOS remained the most efficient mobile OS in the industry, regarding monetization possibilities. Even though Android devices are still growing in popularity, iOS remains at the top of marketers’ ratings. As for the share of ad impressions, however, the mentioned mobile OS’s have around 31 per cent each in this niche.

Tablets got hotter than smartphones for mobile marketers in H1, 2013. The surveys reveal that the amount of mCommerce ad spending on tablets has overtaken some of the most ambitious expectations, and reached 56 per cent in Q2, 2013. This strongly suggests a further increase in mobile ad campaigns targeting tablet owners, in Q4, 2013 and in 2014.

Rich media ads show sustained popularity, while in-app campaigns have become more profitable, than those on mobile web. According to stats we have seen, rich media ads outperformed standard banners in terms of return on investment by between 150 and 400 per cent in 2013. The most engaging ad campaigns were run within mobile applications, and the most interactive rich media units included expandable ads, video interstitials and iAB Rising Stars ads.

What to expect in 2014
The trends we have seen in mobile advertising in 2013 allow us to predict what is likely to be hot in 2014. There is a range of important points to consider. For example, large rich media ads are likely to be more efficient. The figures from 2013 suggest overall audience responsiveness to larger ad formats, including vast interstitial ads,. Larger-sized ads are, thus, expected to become even more widely-used during the 2013 – 2014 holiday season, and in the first half of 2014.

Entertainment, Travel and Automotive ads will remain the most effective, making full use of rich media formats. We can also expect, in 2014, to see in-app campaigns becoming more profitable. We can also expect to see growth in tablet ads, and in the use of sophisticated geotargeting.

All in all, 2014 is gearing up to be an exciting year for mobile advertising.

Anton Ruin is CEO of Epom