Red Bull Records is aiming to bolster its social media presence via a new mobile advertising initiative.

Red Bull Records is one of the first brands to advertise in the Band of the Day app in addition to nonprofit Rock the Vote. The app was developed by 955 Dreams.

?We?ve been obsessed with the user experience and figuring out the experience that consumers have on the app,? said Kiran Bellubbi, CEO/founder of 955 Dreams, Mountain View, CA.

?After getting the user experience right, we were looking to add ads into it to monetize,? he said.

Mobile quality
The Band of the Day app features a new musical band every day of the year. Each artist includes reviews, biographies and videos. Additionally, users can listen to tracks and buy music via iTunes.

The ads appear as full-page interstitials between pages of content. The app is set-up in a magazine-style format that lets users flip through pages.

The Red Bull Records ad encourages users to click for free music on the company's Facebook page.

When users tap on the mobile ads they can "Like" the Red Bull Records page and see what others are saying about the brand.

Social media and mobile inherently go together with consumers accessing content while on the go.

Additionally, by tying a mobile campaign to a social media element, it helps Red Bull Records build a one-on-one relationship with consumers that will go beyond their experince inside an app.

In Rock the Vote?s case, the nonprofit is aiming to capture voter registrations with an ad that directs users to the company?s Web site. Although it is smart to drive users for specific causes, the ad takes users to an unoptimized page that forces users to pinch and zoom.

?We believe that there could be an app where ads could elevate the medium,? said Mark Hanson, chief marketing officer at 955 Dreams.

Context is key
Although more brands are looking to mobile to shift ad dollars, many campaigns today do not think about the context and placement, which 955 Dreams believes is what sets it apart from other ad networks.

For example, a recent study from Strategy Analytics predicts that mobile media spend will increase 85 percent in 2012, showing the growth in the industry (see story).

However, as consumers become more comfortable with interacting with mobile ads, consumers will want to interact with ads that match their preferences.

?What we?re aiming to do is have an ad be so engaging to the user that it elevates the overall experience of the app,? Mr. Bellubbi said.

?First is the quality of the creative ? the second part is to keep it contextually relevant,? he said.

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