Approaches

BT_Insight

The Use and Effectiveness of Mobile Text Messaging and Mobile WAP

July 08, 2009

Posted by: Kriszti Dragos in Digital

The Use and Effectiveness of Mobile Text Messaging and Mobile WAP

As more advertisers start to test mobile campaigns, the two most popular mobile advertising tactics – text messaging and the mobile web – have emerged as effective ways of reaching mobile users. These tactics are very different from each other and have unique applications within a plan, but both are showing lots of promise based on ad recall rate.

Text messaging remains immensely popular in the US; it is used by 112mm US adults and has experienced a 26% YOY increase. Marketers are drawn to text messaging as a way to communicate with their audience due to its ease-of-use, inexpensive price tag and strong reach. SMS can be used to send up to 160 characters of text or advertisers can take advantage of MMS (Multimedia Message Service) that also supports graphics, photos, audio and video.

Mobile web (WAP) usage is also on the rise due largely to the increase in smart phone penetration and usage. 55mm US cell phone owners access the internet on their phones, 33% of them almost every day, while 32% at least 1x/week. WAP ads now include interstitials that take over the whole screen, expandable rich media units as well as standard banner ads sizes that were developed by the Mobile Marketing Association. Mobile ads are increasingly 3rd party ad served to ensure proper delivery and measurement.

But just how effective are these ads? 38% of US mobile phone users recalled seeing advertising on their devices, while 59% of smartphone users did, according to a new research from Brightkite and GfK Technology. The report is based on a representative sample of 1,000 American adults interviewed by telephone. For Smartphone users, the number one format noticed was mobile web advertising, while for regular phone users it was text messaging (SMS). Furthermore, a research study on smartphone usage patterns from Universal McCann found that more than one-third of smartphone users respond to mobile advertisements.

So far this year we’ve run several mobile ad campaigns and we are seeing very positive results for our clients. If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines, it’s definitely time to get in the game.