New research from comScore shows that the number of advertisers using mobile display ad campaigns has more than doubled in the past two years. The figures, which come from research conducted in the USA, also show that mobile content and publishing accounted for half of all products advertised on mobile devices.
In April 2011, 689 advertisers used mobile display advertising campaigns, up 128% from 2009. 50% of these ads were for mobile content and publishing, 26% were for consumer ‘discretionary’ goods, 7% were information technology and 6% were financial services.
Hans Fredericks, comScore vice president, said “Although mobile advertising is still in its relative infancy, it is quickly gaining importance as new advertisers come into the fold. The acceleration of mobile media consumption, driven by adoption of smartphones, 3G/4G networks and unlimited data plans, provides a ripe environment for advertisers looking to reach consumers through a variety of platforms including mobile browsers, apps and SMS. As consumer usage and technology continue to advance, look for advertising to play an increasingly important role in the development of the mobile ecosystem.”
The study also showed the difference between smartphone and featurephone web usage. More than 80% of smartphone users accessed their mobile browser or applications during March, while this figure was below 20% for feature phone users. Around 31% of US mobile users are currently thought to have a smartphone, up from 20% a year ago.