Integrate mobile campaigns with traditional media: Yahoo exec

By Dan Butcher

October 22, 2008

Glowing reviews of oneSearch with voice

BOSTON -- Although there are some barriers to mobile advertising such as the fragmented landscape, the small screen size is not a challenge that will hinder the channel, according to a Yahoo executive at Mobile Internet World.

At Mobile Internet World 2008, Yahoo discussed the challenges and opportunities for mobile marketing and gave a list of best practices, including integrating mobile with traditional media such as print, TV and online. Other best practices mentioned were remember the audience, keep it simple, embrace the medium, integrate mobile into PC-based marketing and have realistic expectations.

"Why aren't more brands on the go?" said Michael Bayle, senior director of global mobile advertising for Yahoo, Sunnyvale, CA. "It's because many brands still don't have a mobile Web site, so how can they invest in mobile media purchases if they don't even have that basic first step in place?"

To get brands beyond the toe-dipping phase and really dive into mobile, it's important to address their concerns.

Many brands talk about the mobile screen being too small, and that the reach is not there, but Mr. Bayle said that these are myths.

Yahoo's iPhone-optimized news site

He said that AdMob has 5 billion mobile Web page impressions, while Yahoo has 24 million unique consumers every month in the U.S.

"These stats are larger than most PC Internet sites," Mr. Bayle said. "The richness of the smartphone experience offers brands dedicated opportunities to integrate unique features such as location, consumers' address book and social networks, etcetera."

The Yahoo exec said that mobile initiatives that reach a mass audience such as American Idol SMS voting and Deal or No Deal sweepstakes are good examples of mobile as an extension of the brand that raises awareness and opens doors for mobile marketing dollars.

"Right now there is a fantastic opportunity for mobile advertising, and the difference from other media is subtle, because mobile can function as an email inbox," Mr. Bayle said. "As more and more mass consumers are with their mobile phone all the time, sending them invitations when they're outside of their home becomes more natural via mobile."

He said that many people are consuming content on a mobile device, offering many platforms to deploy mobile advertising, from search to more complex opportunities on enriched and advanced applications.

When Internet first began to gain a mass audience, there were companies that invested strongly to ensure that it succeeded.

"The Internet took a while to attract the bellweathers, the giants, and mobile is at the point that the Internet was in '94 or '95," Mr. Bayle said. "Right now big brands like Subway and the NFL are investing in the medium, and they don't have a vested interest, they're just following the consumer."

Giving his list of best practices for mobile marketing, his first point was to remember the audience.

"This sounds obvious, but mobile is pervasive, it transcends across every demographic one can conceive, from the business traveler and adult professional to the youth segment, which is rapidly rising," Mr. Bayle said. "The younger demographic skews toward more risk-taking, as far as looking at video and browsing the mobile Internet, but we're predicting significant increases among the older demographics as well."

His next piece of advice to mobile marketers was to keep it simple.

"It's a relatively new medium that some brands haven't experienced yet, and it's in their interest to change that situation," Mr. Bayle said. "The mobile marketing industry is nascent, and brands are not sure how well it will translate.

"With all the fragmentation in the industry and various mobile-specific agencies and aggregators, it can seem confusing and complex," he said.

Mr. Bayle went on to spell out Yahoo's multi-pronged mobile platform.

He said that there are five environments for marketers to get involved in: Yahoo Mobile's home page for banner ads; oneSearch, run on a cost-per-click business model; oneConnect, Yahoo's mobile applications integrating consumers' address book, social networks and location for targeting; Go 3.0 to accommodate rich-media formats including Flash; and SMS/MMS.

"Major brands are coming to Yahoo, and there is some resistance to banner, but to have a functional role it doesn't have to afford a direct response, but simply function as a branding vehicle," Mr. Bayle said. "Even if they're not consciously clicking on the banner ad, they're subconsciously registering the message."

He said that average click-through rates are better on the smaller mobile screens than on PC screens. He said the average click-through on mobile was between 1 and 2 percent, versus 0.1 percent for PC banner ads.

"When I do see a message, I'll be more compelled to click on it on my mobile phone," Mr. Bayle said. "Mobile click-through rates are continuing to increase, marketers are seeing success, and that's reflected in repeat mobile marketing budgets, consumers convincing them to re-up their mobile initiatives."

His third piece of advice is to embrace the mobile medium.

"There are things we can do in this medium we can do more readily than in any other, including the Internet," Mr. Bayle said. "Examples include video preroll ads, SMS and MMS to communicate with consumers in a unique, personal, one-on-one environment, targeting opt-in subs with an interest in your industry and showcasing products with teaser info, such as images and links to WAP sites and trailers."

His fourth best practice is to integrate mobile into PC-based marketing and traditional media spends.

He recommended integrating mobile with traditional media brands have already invested in, including point-of-sale, print/on-pack, events, TV, radio, newspaper, outdoor/billboard and online.

"When one integrates mobile messaging with traditional campaigns, there's an opportunity to reach an audience that would be otherwise tuned out or away from traditional media," Mr. Bayle said.

His final piece of advice was to have realistic expectations.

"It takes time to build a brand, it takes time to build an experience," Mr. Bayle said. "For some reason many people still don't believe in mobile, but the metrics are getting there and there are other ways of measuring the success of a brand's investment."

Guinness revealed the results of its St. Patrick's Day campaign targeting men ages 25-44 on the Vodafone Live Platform.

The mobile campaign was successful in raising brand awareness. Mobile ad awareness jumped from 7 to 32 percent, brand favorability increase from 41 to 53 percent and purchase intent went from 25 to 34 percent.

"In today's troubling times, the first budget to be cut is usually the one that's newest, and that's mobile," Mr. Bayle said. "No one will be fired for buying TV advertising, brands are comfortable with traditional media, so they have the confidence to continue to spend money in them, even though advertising on traditional media is becoming less and less effective when compared to mobile.

"Innovation is key, and brands that have invested in mobile appreciate that it does work, it can be very successful when done properly," he said. "Once you understand your objectives, you can measure them and compare those results to other ad spends and justify the mobile investment ahead of traditional stalwart media."