As marketers experiment with elaborate new mobile ad formats that, once the novelty has worn off, may or may not alienate users because they hog screen size, it would bode them well to remember that there are other less intrusive formats that are equally as engaging.
Beyond Mobile Coupons
Marketers need to reconsider the medium and take into account how personal these devices are to people, says Jeff Weidauer, VP of Marketing for Vestcom. One way to do that is make the content serve as the ad so that it's no longer an ad but is now valued information. "QR Codes will help in this endeavor by allowing shoppers to use their smart phones to scan a code at the shelf edge and be directed to an online site that provides not an ad but relevant content that supports the product or service in question."
Imagine a shopper using her iPhone at home to scan products in her pantry and refrigerator that are in need of replenishment, he says. "She adds them to a basic list of regular "fill-in" items that the mobile device stores inside a dedicated application provided by a retailer. This also ties to her loyalty account, and from there the application adds in relevant offers based on her shopping history and complementary items on her list."
It gets better, he says: the list reorders itself based on the layout of the store she decides to visit, or she could send the list, and associated offers, to someone else's phone to shop. Once in the store, she buys those things on her list, and she scans a QR code - using the built-in scanner in the retailer application on her mobile device - to find a good recipe for dinner, and a wine to accompany it.
Finally, when checking out, all those offers are automatically credited based on her purchases through her loyalty account.
Barcode Advertising
Another example is provided by National Cinemedia and Jagtag, a company that offers 2D barcode advertising, which recently inked a deal to help them target movie goers through their mobile devices (via MediaBuyerPlanner).
The new NCM Interactive Network mobile advertising option allows users to snap a photo of an item with a "jagtag" and send it via text or e-mail to a specific address, receiving in return an advertiser's videos, product information, music, mobile coupons and other engaging multimedia. Products with jagtags could include box office handouts, posters, counter cards, drink cups, or popcorn bags.
Caller ID with a Twist
Ryan Brueckner, director, Operations and Partnership Management with PicDial points to his business model as an example. PicDial is a mobile app that can run ads on the incoming call screen. "Change is a good thing when it comes to mobile advertising," he says. "Consumers have been exposed to banner and search ads, and the new generation of full screen ads is sure to catch the attention of users. The question remains, will these actionable advertisements provide value to the customers they are meant to target? The answer to this question will determine the success or failure of this new shift in mobile advertising."
