Connecting the dots between mobile ad creatives and consumers

The same regions of the brain light up when someone touches their smartphone, as when they touch their family or pet, concludes a research that used MRI scans for its findings. There is indeed something fundamentally different and personal when it comes to mobile phones and how we interact with them. A large part of this difference relates to the anticipation and engagement that we experience as we consume content on our smartphones. But, when that content is a mobile ad, reactions may differ. According to Millward Brown AdReaction 2012 report mobile ads came in third from the bottom in terms of likeability. Is there a way then, for marketers to overcome such negative perceptions and leverage mobile as a channel for marketers. The solution to this problem is as simple as building better, more engaging and mobile specific creatives to engage consumers. Mobile consumers have come to expect slickly designed content be it apps or mobile web. But most of the creatives in mobile advertising are simply a reproduction of the online ads or worse still a reuse of the same digital assets. This leads to poor consumer experience and is likely the reason why mobile ads lag other media ads, especially television ads, in terms of likeability. Mobile is a unique medium that goes beyond the creative canvas of television and provides the ability to experience a brand, product or service. As per a study conducted by InMobi, 71% of smartphone and tablet owners use their device while watching TV. The ability to deliver the same rich and immersive experience that TV content offers to mobile consumers is easily possible with Rich Media ads. Brands can leverage the power and flexibility of the format and technology to effectively deliver their marketing message and execute consistent multi-screen campaigns across different media TV, online, and mobile. Rich media ads are as easy to create, as they are engaging. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) released MRAID (Mobile Rich Media Ad Interface Definitions) in late 2012, that has become the industry standard for rich media ads. MRAID standards have also sprouted HTML5-based ad authoring tools, including InMobi Studio platform. These are sophisticated platforms that enable designers and marketers to create, distribute and track their rich media ads across publishers and ad networks. Mobile ad spend is expected to grow to $7B over the next few years. Given the relentless march of the mobile phenomenon, the right time for marketers to get on the interactive mobile media is now. That where their consumers are headed, if not already there.