General Motors Co.?s Chevrolet is running targeted mobile banner ads to drive consumers to dealerships.

Chevy is running the mobile ads within Pandora. The ads help consumers pick their ideal car from a lineup of Chevy?s models.

"It?s always a good idea to run mobile banner ads, if you have a mobile presence for the consumers to link to, if you do not have a mobile presence, then it wouldn?t make much sense," said said Marci Troutman, CEO of Siteminis, Atlanta.

"If driving around ?car shopping? and you find a mobile ad for a car company on Pandora, then clicking that ad, to find a landing page that show deals is worth the price of the ad ? if the landing page doesn?t go further than one mobile page, and is only top line for information without an action opportunity, then the company has missed an opportunity," she said.  

"If indeed, they are directing traffic to a mobile site that has a presence allowing potential customers to see the car, check the pricing, and find out where, in respect to their location, they can get the car ? then it?s a win-win

Hand-held cars
The mobile banner ad  promotes Chevy?s Cruze line.

Once consumers click on the ad, they are redirected to a mobile landing page that helps them find nearby dealerships.

Additionally, consumers can browse product information and access exclusive offers.

To find a Chevy dealership, users can either use the device?s GPS-enabled technology  or enter their ZIP code.

Additionally, users can view specific offers on models based on their location.

Consumers also have access to additional Chevy content, including super bowl advertisements, a page directed to Chevy?s mobile apps, and locate a vehicle.

Car craze
This is not the company?s  first foray into mobile.

Last year, Chevy promoted its Cruze Sedan via an exclusive sponsorship of the ESPN College Bowl Mania mobile Web portal (see story). 

Recently, Chevy was the launch sponsor for The Weather Channel?s four-screen ?From the Edge with Peter Lik? show, which was shown on television, online, mobile and through the iPad (see story).

By tapping into mobile banner ads, Chevy is solidifying its mobile presence, whether it is with apps, mobile sites or advertisements.

"I see a larger play in mobile for the automotive industry overall happening more in 2012; we have observed over this past year that the large car companies are really tagging mobile as an afterthought to their overall Print, TV, Radio, and PC campaigns, they will realize I believe as we run through the next holiday season that the mobile is as much a stand-alone vertical as is Print, TV, Radio and PC," Ms. Troutman said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York