By 2015, mobile devices will generate $1.8 billion in mobile ad revenue from local and national businesses in Dallas, according to Borrell Associates.

Currently, the Dallas mobile market is generating $14.8 million in mobile ad revenue from local businesses. Businesses such as The Dallas Morning News are preparing to capture mobile ad sales by rolling out mobile-optimized sites and applications that target the local audience.

?The growing number of mobile devices, particularly smartphones, is the strongest factor driving mobile advertising higher in the Dallas market,? said Sandy Martin, marketing analyst at Borrell, Miami. ?Content producers are creating sites and applications to appeal to a local audience and monetizing that content with advertising.

?The desire for convenience is another driver behind the growth in mobile advertising ? local news organizations like The Dallas Morning News provide useful and timely information that is a perfect fit for people looking for info on the go,? she said. ?Traffic updates, weather alerts, local event listings and more can be found by local content producers like The Dallas Morning News.

?More and more consumers are turning to their hometown news sources on their mobile devices to stay connected.?

Borrell Associates is a research and consulting firm that tracks local advertising and helps media companies develop executive strategies.

Mobile ad increase
According to Borrell, The Dallas Morning News started with 33,000 unique monthly users of its mobile site in the beginning of 2009 and reached 190,000 unique monthly visitors to its mobile platform by the end of the year.

Borrell believes the increase was due to smartphones having a larger screen for viewing a mobile site, Dallas News adding more content and an aggressive marketing campaign, both in the newspaper and online.

Borrell identifies the opportunity for Dallas mobile revenue via browsers to be 3.4 million in 2010 growing to 93.7 million by 2015. 

?The chart comprises the amount of money spent by businesses with a physical presence in the Dallas market to reach people within that market through a mobile Web browser,? Ms. Martin said.

?National brands are definitely part of this, if they have a physical location within the market ? chain stores like Burger King, Home Depot, Target and so on typically fall into this category,? she said.

?We break down the delivery channels for mobile advertising by SMS, email, browsers, downloaded apps and games.?

Rise in circulation
The Dallas Morning News?s campaign included a wrap ad on high circulation dates and also featured two half-page and quarter page ads on its mobile site.

There were also online campaigns that ran simultaneously and included email blast, as well as banner ads.

Here is a screen grab of the banner ad:

?Great marketing managers are never satisfied,? Ms. Martin said. ?While the growth in their mobile site last year is quite remarkable, I?m sure they?re ready to charge ahead with new campaigns this year.

?Mobile advertising can reach people on the go based on the location of the recipient at the moment it is received,? she said.

?That level of targeting can increase the level of interest among recipients of the ads and encourage them to interact with the brand in ways that cannot be achieved through traditional media.?

Final Take
Rimma Kats, editorial assistant, Mobile Marketer, New York