IOS continues to trump Android when it comes to click-through rates for mobile ads by operating system. However, Windows Phone beats them both, suggesting there is an opportunity here for marketers who want their advertising to stand out.

Mobile ad network Smaato measured how different operating systems performed in the third quarter of 2011 when it comes to click through rates and found that Windows Phone leads both worldwide and in the United States. The report also details mobile advertising fill rates, which are down worldwide but stable in the US.

?One of the biggest pieces of news is that while everybody talks about Google and Android as the only platforms out there, what we see from the data is that the bigger the platform is, sometimes the engagement level goes down,? said Harald Neidhardt, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Smaato, Redwood Shores, CA.

?For advertisers, if you want to get noticed consider Windows Phone and other platforms because you might get noticed more,? he said.

?It is important to look at other operating systems? capabilities. Look at not only creating a great campaign but consider including targeting by handset or operating system in the creative strategy.?

Less is more
With the average click through rate for all devices set at 100, Windows Phone came in well above average worldwide at 156. This is the third consecutive quarter that Windows Phone was the leader in terms of click through rates.

Windows Phone also leads in click through rates for the U.S. with 150 points.

Windows Phone?s strength combined with its recent partnership with Nokia could present an opportunity for mobile developers. Windows Phone could become a viable third ecosystem that might be easier to monetize, have less threats of piracy as it will be more closed and offer more cohesiveness, according to Smaato.

?Windows most likely has so far gotten less of marketers? advertising budgets so any advertising sticks out more,? Mr. Neidhardt said. ?Less advertising creates more attention.

?Also, there are new phones like the Nokia Lumia and when people get a new phone, they tend to play with it more, including the advertising,? he said.

Other operating systems also performed well in terms of click through rates.

Research in Motion made significant inroads in click through rates in the third quarter, registering 113 points worldwide on Smaato?s scale. RIM overtook Apple, which came in at 89 while Android followed closely with 84.

Smaato?s measurement of click through rates for the U.S. gives RIM a score of 136, iOS 93 and Google?s Android 89.

Fill ?er up
The report also took a look at mobile advertising fill rates, which declined 8 percent from the previous quarter worldwide. This suggests mobile inventory is increasing at a faster pace than mobile advertising budgets.

Worldwide, the average fill rate in the third quarter was 10 percent based on 70 ad networks.

However, in the U.S. average fill rates declined only 1 percent from 19 percent to 18 percent, with thirteen of the top 20 U.S. ad networks performing above average at a rate between 19 percent and 84 percent.

?In general, the fill rates of ad networks in the U.S. are stabilizing,? Mr. Neidhardt said. ?This is a sign that there is more inventory coming in and reach is available.?

Nineteen mobile ad networks out of the top 40 worldwide performed above average with fill rates ranging widely from 1 percent to 49 percent, where the top 4 ad networks work on.

The numbers are based on over 40,000 registered publishers managed ad requests in the third quarter of 2011 and over 70 connected ad networks delivering mobile advertising across 230 countries.

?It is not going to be easy to have a couple of banner ads and slap them on,? Mr. Neidhardt said. ?This is now a serious channel with serious player and you need to look closely at it to form your strategy for 2012.?

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York