A new study reveals that Research In Motion?s BlackBerry users had the highest mobile advertising click-through rate during the Thanksgiving holiday period.

The study, conducted by mobile ad network Mojiva, found that although the iPhone has always managed to be No. 1 in most mobile advertising scenarios, this was not the case during the Thanksgiving period. During the Thanksgiving week, Android users were the most active population on both mobile Web and applications, with 37 percent network share. RIM users had the highest mobile ad engagement with a CTR of 0.75 percent on the Mojiva network.

?Based on unique user results and that Thanksgiving is one of the most concentrated shopping periods of the year, it appears that Android users are most likely to be surfing the mobile Web more than any other platform,? The Mojiva Mullet report says.

?But from an engagement perspective, the numbers tell a different story,? it says. ?Apple still remains the leading device manufacturer, but how long will it be before Samsung, HTC and Motorola ? all Android powered devices ? take the lead?

?Place your bets now.?

Dominant OS
While the iPhone OS remained dominant in the global market, based on the network's mobile unique users, its market share still dropped 11 percentage points to 36 percent, while Symbian rose to 25 percent ? up 4 percent from the previous month.

Devices that run Symbian still have a strong presence internationally due to Nokia's longstanding stronghold however, iPhone devices still lead, especially in highly-dense mobile communities like the United States, Britain and Canada.

?Users stick to Nokia due to its slick, robust and inexpensive phones,? the Mojiva Mullet report points out. ?Month over month the iPhone OS stays strong as the top platform in dense mobile communities.

?Advertising opportunities are at high levels in these areas as a result,? it says.

Rich media
Rich-media advertising has dramatically increased in the past few months.

Many agencies are embracing HTML5 and enhanced media creatives for both the mobile Web and applications.

Android and RIM were used during the shopping-specific Thanksgiving timeframe and were quite successful. This is a valuable insight for retailers considering or currently utilizing mobile advertising as part of their marketing mix.

Mobile advertising will continue to evolve as new devices, new operating systems and new capabilities enter the market.

Key implications
Due to the level of activity from Android and RIM users throughout the Thanksgiving holiday, retailers should be focusing their efforts on these devices for future well-known shopping events, such as the holidays, Presidents Day, Back to School and etcetera.

AT&T leads the way among carriers, which is in direct relation to its agreement with Apple. 

 ?It?s not surprising that AT&T leads the way since most of its devices are contributed and directly proportional to the Apple devices on the AT&T network,? Mojiva?s Mullet report says.

?Once Apple devices expand to other networks like Verizon, we are expecting much more growth and competition from carriers that fall behind AT&T,? it says.

Q&A
Mobile Marketer's Giselle Tsirulnik conducted a short Q&A with Dave Gwozdz, CEO of Mojiva, New York. Here is what he said:

What is the key finding?
It?s safe to say that mobile advertising is no longer a one horse race when it comes to operating systems. 

It was encouraging to see that Android and RIM were the most prevalent over the Thanksgiving holiday in activity (37 percent network share) and CTR (0.75 percent), respectively.

What surprised you most about the findings?
The industry is so used to seeing Apple as the front runner in most things relating to mobile advertising. 

The surprise in November?s Mullet was that iOS wasn?t No. 1 for the most unique users active on mobile Web and apps, nor were they the most engaged (based on CTR) over the Thanksgiving holiday. 

This isn?t to say that the Apple platform isn?t a strong performer when it comes to mobile advertising; just that there?s more options for advertisers now (specifically in the retail sector based on these findings) when it comes to mobile advertising. 

It?s exciting to see these shifts and how we can help advertisers improve their campaigns performance based on these insights.

Based on the findings, what is your recommendation for brands and marketers? 
Over the next big shopping period (i.e. Back to School) or holiday, consider Android if your campaign objective is brand awareness, and when it comes to CTR as a success metric, look to RIM. 

These two platforms are innovators and should not be discounted when planning campaigns of any size.

What implications does the study have for mobile marketers and brands considering mobile marketing? 
No similar to this study, over the coming months, The Mullet will watch for trends and insights to help guide brands and mobile marketers in the right direction when it comes to developing effective mobile campaigns.