Ghirardelli Chocolate is bolstering product sales via mobile ads that drive consumers to specialty stores to buy the sweets.

Ghirardelli Chocolate is running the mobile ads within Martha Stewart's EveryDay Food iPhone app. Consumers can click on the ad to find the nearest location that sells the chocolate.

?The opportunities are different with each app, and we are currently looking for new and innovative ways to incorporate advertisers on this platform,? said Sally Preston, executive vice president of integrated sales and marketing at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, New York.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia publishes four magazines under the Martha Stewart brand, Martha Stewart Living, Everyday Food, Whole Living and Martha Stewart Living.

Sweet deal
After launching in February, the Everyday Food app offered free versions of the magazine but switched to paid versions of the magazine in March.

As users engage with the Everyday Food app, they can click on recipes.

Once users click on a recipe, banner ads for Ghiradelli Chocolate pop up.

?The Martha?s Everyday Food App in particular is a highly targeted and engaging app that has a daily conversation with the consumer,? Ms. Preston said.

?This platform has the ability to inject advertisers into that conversation as users are planning meals and grocery shopping,? she said.

?There is even greater value since this is a paid app, and users are opting in to receive the content.?

Sponsored engagement

The Ghirardelli Chocolate mobile ad reads "No time to make dessert? Ghirardelli Squares chocolates are the perfect finish to your meal."

Once consumers click on the ad, they are redirected to a mobile landing page that shows them where to buy the candy.

Then, after consumers click on the page, they are redirected to another page that shows them mass retailers, drugstores and grocery retailers that sell the chocolate.

The Ghirardelli banner ad

Branding via mobile
By including advertising on apps, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia is trying to tap into the company?s consumers with already established brands that are centered around the Martha Stewart brand.

Similarly, other publishing companies have also tried tapping into users with already established brands.

Recently, Conde Nast launched a new iPhone app for Gourmet.com that lets users browse archived content from the now defunct magazine.

Going forward, Martha Stewart Omnimedia is looking for both new ways to engage with consumers and bring in additional advertisers via mobile platforms.

?Typically, because we are an Omnimedia company, our app ad strategy fits into a larger partnership discussion,? Ms. Preston said.