Recently Kimberly-Clark tested a mobile ad campaign whose results cast doubts on the growing supposition that mobile advertising is best used - or even only to be used - as a local tool. It also gave a boost to CPG companies that have yet to spot an advantage to mobile advertising, especially as the channel becomes ever more inundated with local daily deal offerings.

Via Mindshare, its interactive agency, KC used Google to launch each of its brand's trademark keywords in ads on the iPhone and iPad. The keyword match type was set on broadly parametered product type as well as brand names, and the results were then compared to the same keywords on desktops and laptops, according to the case study on the test [PDF].

The Results

The team found that best performing ads included the words iPhone or iPad in the copy when used with specific calls to action. Also, the average cost-per-click (CPC) on the brand tested on mobile devices was 44% less than the average CPC on desktop across all Kimberly-Clark brands. An average of 7% of all clicks originated from mobile, with numbers as high as 30% for tested brand. Finally, when measured together, the convergence of CPC and click-through rate (CTR) was 70% better than the same stats on desktop for the one brand chosen for the test.

Mobile Means Local

According to recently released figures from BIA/Kelsey, U.S. mobile advertising is projected to grow from $790 million in 2010 to $4 billion in 2015. The local portion of the total mobile ad market is specifically targeted by BIA/Kelsey as a growth driver: it will increase from $404 million to $2.8 billion. In other words, local’s share will grow from 51 percent to 70 percent by 2015.

While there is a clear rationale for a local merchant to use mobile advertising - especially with search, and especially with store directions or click to call functionality - KC's test shows that it is not the exclusive use.