Why are marketers suddenly pushing more and more for Mobile Advertising? Is it worth all the hype, or will it turn out to be just another passing craze?
Mobile as a marketing channel started out with phone calls, but almost at the speed of light, it has grown into something noteworthy. It delivers a playing field rich with possibilities and options for the corporate giant as well small business owner. From a plain and simple text to a colourful animated ad with a little song and dance – there is something for everyone and every pocket.
Because of its immediacy and responsiveness, some mobile and marketing experts are calling it the “seventh mass media channel”. Not bad considering that most phones nowadays are so small it can fit in the palm of your hand. (Compare that to TV screens that are only getting bigger and bigger!)
As the capabilities and features of phones are improving, so will the possibilities of Mobile Advertising. Yes, that implies that it is very safe to say that this form of advertising won’t simply disappear overnight. A good example is the slow global migration form desktop internet to mobile internet. Especially in South Africa, more people have access to the web via their phone than a computer because of the costs and inaccessibility of computer technology. Stated plainly: cell phone are affordable, while computers are expensive.
When you create an ad that can be shared with friends, it has the potential to go viral and reach more people. Mobile Advertising allows for content that can be stored and forwarded from one phone to another. If not the physical ad itself (e.g. a MMS message), users are still able to share the link to an ad that is placed online.
Mobile is changing the way advertisements are made and viewed and it is causing a paradigm shift among marketers. While smaller companies might wait for their bigger siblings to take the leap first, they shouldn’t wait too long and miss out on amazing opportunities they can only experience with Mobile Advertising.
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