ARCHIVES: This is legacy content from before Marketing Dive acquired Mobile Marketer in early 2017. Some information, such as publication dates, may not have migrated over. Check out the new Marketing Dive site for the latest marketing news.

With growth of mobile 3D comes opportunities for advertisers

While a recent spate of news around 3D mobile points to its potential, marketers will not start flocking to it until consumer adoption grows.

Later this month, Sprint will introduce the HTC EVO 3D handset. Following the launch of the Nintendo 3DS and mobile 3D announcements from LG and Samsung, there is growing evidence that the segment could take off soon.

?3D mobile is starting to really gain some traction,? said Victoria Fodale, analyst at ABI Research, New York. ?We?re starting to see it reach the mainstream.?

Sprint did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

Content is king
The recent activity around 3D mobile suggests a growing opportunity for advertisers.

While the installed customer base for 3D mobile is relatively small at the moment, it will grow with the availability of new 3D mobile handsets such as the HTC EVO 3D from Sprint.

Companies such as Samsung, LG and Sony, which already have strong ties to the living room via 3D TVs also have a vested interest in providing 3D capabilities in handsets.

?One of the advantages of creating 3D campaigns around the handset is that glasses are not required,? said Ross Rubin, executive director, industry analysis at The NPD Group, Port Washington, NY. ?Because of the targeted nature of mobile, you could detect what kind of handset a customer has and send them 3D advertising.?

Advertisers can also make a big splash with 3D content. 

?The content that is available in 3D stands out,? Mr. Rubin said.

Marketing opportunities in 3D mobile include sponsored games or apps as well as trailers for games and movies.

Moves into 3D advertising could be an extension of marketers efforts in augmented reality, ABI's Ms. Fodale said.

?If the consumer is interested in 3D content, the advertisers will follow,? she said.

Industry experts feel mobile will play a big role in helping to drive consumer adoption of 3D technology.

This is because of several benefits mobile provides, such no need to wear special viewing glasses when watching 3D content on mobile devices. This is thanks to new autostereoscopic technologies for mobile devices. 

They also have a lower entry price for consumers.

?Relative to the TV, the 3D mobile handset is in a pretty good position today,? NPD's Mr. Rubin said. ?Consumers can buy 3D handsets at a much smaller premium, if any premium, compared to a 3D TV.?

DIY 3D
3D handsets offer other benefits besides the lack of a need to wear special glasses and a relatively small entry price.

The HTC EVO 3D, for example, has dual cameras in order to capture 3D photos and videos.

?When we survey consumers about their interest in 3D, being able to take 3D photos and videos is something that resonates with them,? Mr. Rubin said. ?Given the low penetration of 3D TVs, being able to display 3D photos on a mobile handset is a nice advantage.?

Some consumers will also want to view 3D content on their mobile handsets although, this is likely to be a smaller segment since watching a full movie on a mobile handset doesn?t provide the optimal customer experience.

Mobile gamers are likely to be early adopters of 3D mobile technology.

?Games are probably the largest app category and the iTunes App Store has opened up new distribution and new audiences for casual games,? Mr. Rubin said. ?We?ll have to see how game developers respond to 3D mobile handsets.?

Entertainment enthusiasts and consumers wanting to create their own 3D content will lead the way as well.

Much of how the 3D mobile market develops will depend on the availability of content, both games and movies. Nintendo is working with game developers on this.

For smartphones, the challenge is that there are different technologies being used by different handsets, which means content developers have to choose which handset to create content for.

?We?re seeing the first handsets hit the U.S. market this year,? Mr. Rubin said.

?We?ll have to see how the game developers respond to it and what is the path for movies and other 3D programming to get to the device,? he said.

Final Take
Chantal Tode, Mobile Marketer