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AT&T adds video, pay-per-call ads to Yellowpages.com iPhone app

AT&T Interactive has launched an updated version of its Yellowpages.com iPhone app YPmobile that features video profiles and pay-per-call advertising.

The latest version of YPmobile for iPhone and iPod touch builds on an integrated mobile search experience focused on discovering, planning and sharing local businesses and events, while increasing the opportunity for consumers to discover relevant advertisers through new features such as video profiles and pay-per-call ads.

?We?ve seen great adoption of the YPmobile application, which is part of our concerted and strategic effort to extend our brand and services into mobile," said Matt Crowley, chief marketing officer at AT&T Interactive, Glendale, CA. "Taking advantage of leveraging mobile is a key priority for us.

?Looking at how mobile is being used to access data, after email and SMS, searching for local information is the No. 3 thing people do,? he said. ?We?re constantly making our applications better and extending value for both consumers and advertisers.

?This update includes more behind-the-scenes enhancements to search and usability, and it gave us the chance to include some of our key advertising units, which are unobtrusive and add value to the mobile search experience.?

AT&T Interactive, a subsidiary of AT&T Inc., specializes in creating local search products and services helping consumers find and connect with businesses across various devices and interactive platforms, including online, mobile and television.

Catering to smartphone users and AT&T subscribers
The first version of YPmobile for the iPhone launched in conjunction with the launch of the App Store in July 2008. AT&T Interactive has been iterating ever since and the most recent update is version 2.2.

In addition to the downloadable client for iPhone, there are versions of the application for Google?s Android and RIM?s BlackBerry as well.

Also, most AT&T phones that are application-compatible are preloaded with the YPmobile J2ME application tailored to the device.

In addition to search and usability enhancements, updated features of the YPmobile application include video profiles of businesses.

Found across tens of thousands of categories and local geography combinations on Yellowpages.com and on the Yellowpages.com YouTube Channel, the videos are now accessible from the application, giving advertisers another way to interact with consumers while on the go.

According to Nielsen, 37 percent of iPhone owners watch video on their phone and are six times as likely to view video compared to the typical wireless subscriber.

AT&T Interactive's pay-per-call advertisers can now be featured with their ads displayed at the top of relevant business search results within the YPmobile application.

While Yellowpages.com subscription advertisers already have the opportunity to be distributed across AT&T Interactive's mobile applications, adding featured placement lets pay-per-call advertisers monetize the mobile local channel and offer businesses another way to connect with mobile consumers.

Mobile access to video lets users explore businesses and events near their current location.

Examples of businesses with video profiles on YPMobile include Confit French Bistro in Camp Hill, PA, Clark?s House of Flowers in Staten Island, NY, Players Sports Bar in Rockland, MA, and Eldorado Hotel Casino in Reno, NV.

The application's Browse tab organizes local businesses by categories such as Restaurants, Banks and Coffee, as well as identify the nearest location of well-known brands.

Featured brands include Barnes & Noble, Dunkin? Donuts, Papa John?s, Staples, the UPS Store, AutoZone, the Home Depot and Holiday Inn.

These businesses and services such as AT&T WiFi Hotspots are accessed with a tap on their respective icon, offering directions and other need-to-know information.

In addition, the application's Events tab continues to offer users a way to find local events. Once a plan has been created, users can share with friends and get integrated maps.

The YPmobile application is available for free from the App Store.

These new features and enhancements follow a 250 percent increase in searches across AT&T Interactive's mobile local network.

The aggressive focus on mobile has also led to a notable increase in overall reach, according to AT&T Interactive.

Yellowpages.com experienced an industry-leading increase in audience with the addition of mobile Web site activity in comparison to other leading search engines, according to a study conducted by comScore.

Application users and advertisers can expect additional updates that address consumers' increasing mobile lifestyle and the opportunity for advertisers to connect with them when searching for something locally and on the go.

A comScore analysis conducted for AT&T Interactive in March 2009 found a 6 percent lift in total business-directories-visitor traffic attributed to Yellowpages.com?s mobile Web site.

?That?s the largest lift of any of the search brands,? Mr. Crowley said. ?Mobile isn?t just giving Yellowpages.com another way to access us, it?s actually increasing our reach by 6 percent, which represents a significant number of consumers to target advertisers.?

So how has AT&T Interactive gotten the word out about the YPmobile application?

The company has done mobile advertising targeting the iPhone and other devices based on the particular application.

Also, AT&T has worked with Vibrant Media for creative advertising highlighting the applications and it included and mobile as part of its national TV advertising it did in the past.

AT&T also ran email campaigns, online advertising campaigns and is currently working with CBS radio and the Katz radio advertising network that aggregates different stations throughout the U.S.

Having a cross-platform presence that includes various mobile devices is a key aspect of AT&T Interactive?s strategy.

?Mobile is an important channel for the Yellowpages.com brand, as our goal is to extend our reach across platforms to reach consumers whether they?re at their PC or on their iPhone or BlackBerry,? Mr. Crowley said.

?Leveraging our advantages tied to AT&T Wireless makes mobile all the more important for us as a business,? he said.