CHICAGO ? A Microsoft Advertising executive at the Results 2012: Mobile Marketing Day conference said that although smartphones lend themselves to rich experiences, advancements in feature phones are aiming to equal the mobile advertising playing field.

During the ?Microsoft Advertising: Mobile Tactics Without the Theatrics? session, an executive spoke about how consumers are using multiple screens to receive content and what the implications are for marketers. The presentation also included a few case study examples for attendees to learn from.

?This year?s feature phone is last year?s smartphone,? said Jeff Plaisted, director of United States sales and strategy for mobile advertising at Microsoft Advertising, Chicago.

?While we see the traffic patterns moving towards smartphones, there is still an opportunity for an uncluttered market,? he said.

The panel was part of Mobile Marketing Day in Chicago, organized by the Chicago Association and Mobile Marketer. The event was sponsored by Microsoft Advertising, Vibes Media and Mobile Marketer.

Distracted users
According to research from eMarketer, consumers with two or three screens are spending 54 hours a week on media devices. Mobile makes up 13.1 hours of the total time.

This shows how it can be a challenge for marketers to know where to place their marketing efforts.

Mobile particularly impacts how consumers interact with a brand after seeing an advertisement. For example, a study from Microsoft found that 37 percent of consumers used mobile to look up additional information after seeing an outdoor, newspaper or radio ad. TV plays an even larger part with 40 percent of consumers looking up information after seeing an on-air ad.

With the majority of consumers on desktop devices during the day and on mobile devices at night, smart marketers are using both mediums to engage with consumers.

Research has also shown that although consumers are spending more time with their mobile devices, mobile ad spend is not keeping pace compared to other marketing channels such as print and TV.

To help marketers reach as many consumers as possible, companies should think about how to use a full round of mobile solutions, including in-application ads, mobile Web ads, branded apps and mobile search.

As mobile marketing has gotten more sophisticated, users are more willing to use their location and other information if they can receive tailored, relevant ads. For example, research from Microsoft has shown that more than 10 percent of all mobile searches have a local or commerce intent.

To make ad campaigns more relevant, marketers can use mobile coupons and offers.

Mobile example
The session also included case study examples of brands that have worked with Microsoft.

To drive awareness of its One Day Without Shoes event, Toms used a multiscreen campaign across PCs, TV, gaming consoles and mobile platforms. The campaign was aimed at adults aged 18-34 years old and encouraged consumers to sign up for the event.

Microsoft claims that after viewing the campaign on four screens, 44 percent of consumers recalled the ad and made an in-store purchase. Twenty-seven percent of consumers who viewed the campaign on three screens said they were likely to remember the campaign.

This shows how mobile can be used not only to help brand a campaign, but also drive ROI for marketers.

Additionally, GM also used a multiscreen mobile campaign to promote its GMC Terrain car. The ad campaign included both in-app and mobile Web parts.

The campaign was aimed at consumers aged 25-54 years old with the goal of showing how the car was an alternative to SUVs.

The GM campaign generated a two percent click-through-rate with 77 percent of engaged users saying that they were interested in buying a GMC Terrain vehicle.

To help reach local users, Target ran a campaign with Microsoft that targeted busy moms with circular ads. The ads appeared across Microsoft?s mobile Web and app properties and used a device?s location to serve up relevant offers to consumers.

By using real-time offers and relevance, Target was able to segment its content to specific users.

The Target campaign saw a 19 percent engagement rate with 22 percent of users signing up to receive SMS deals. Additionally, consumers spent an average time of 40 seconds with the mobile circular.

?Consumers now expect to be able to interact with brands across multiple screens,? Mr. Plaisted said.

?The challenge for marketers is how to take the core experience and put it in the hands of consumers,? he said.

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