Hot news out of the UK: Smartphone users ignore the mobile ads they see on their phones.
This is news?
I think most people endeavor to ignore advertising. Unless you’re in the market for a particular product, and wanting information or discounts on it, advertising is just annoying. Ok, sometimes it’s entertaining, but mostly it’s annoying. People use recording devices to skip television ads, turn to satellite radio to end radio ads, tune out billboards and skim past banner ads on both PCs and mobile phones. It’s human nature.
But it’s also human nature to pay attention when something is interesting. What’s interesting? A car ad when you’re in the middle of car shopping. A discount on a pair of overpriced shoes you’ve been trying to justify purchasing. Deals on diapers when you’re a new mom on a budget. This article backs that up: 27% of respondents agree that they would welcome more advertising if it offered money off deals or special offers. 21% agree that they do not mind ads as long as they are relevant to them.
The key to successful advertising is relevance. Nowhere is this more critical than in mobile, where the screen is small and the ads are smaller. 4INFO is tackling this challenge with a data-driven approach. Most ad networks serve advertising virtually at random. Contextual targeting only goes so far – both the car shopper and the new mom may be interested in celebrity gossip, but only one of them is likely to click on a Huggies ad. Through the analytics built into our AdHaven platform, 4INFO differentiates between these two visitors, to serve the right ad to the right person. The result? Mobile advertising that isn’t ignored.