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For now, e-readers are strictly a retail play - for $259 and up, a consumer can purchase a device - along with the content to read on it - from Sony, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
That, however, has not stopped marketers from planning for the day when these devices - which In-Stat says are poised to grow into a $2 billion market by the end of next year - will eventually provide mobile advertising opportunities.
Sponsorship, Content and Apps
Some see sponsorship and apps as another part of the marketing mix on these devices. Apps and content extension are other possibilities, with companies and third-parties developing complementary content. For instance, if someone’s buying a book about vintage German cars, Mercedes or BMW could step up to offer a free app.
"One would have to assume that the device manufacturers will look for opportunities … to differentiate their devices with interesting content, and potentially there are opportunities for them to sell sponsorships on these devices," said Bill Predmore, founder and president of Seattle-based interactive agency POP. (via Ad Age)
Rich, Smart and Web-Centric
Research firms already are studying who is using these devices - data that will be useful when ad opportunities do arise. According to Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI), the approximately 2.1 million US adults who own electronic book readers are more likely to be male, well-educated and have higher-than-average income, writes MarketingCharts.
The MRI also revealed that E-book owners are also very web-centric: They are 116% more likely than the average adult to be a heavy internet user. Moreover, they are 199% more likely to have accessed the internet using a Wi-Fi or wireless connection outside the home, and 154% more likely to have accessed the internet using a cellphone or other mobile device.
Also on ABC's Radar
Another organization looking at e-reader demographics is the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC). There has been an increase in publisher inquiries about auditing and reporting requirements for e-readers and smartphones, as well as about counting mobile editions as paid circulation, the organization reported recently. The mobile market is a frequent topic of discussion for ABC’s numerous industry committees, including its Digital Advisory Committee.
