Mobile advertising… I don’t get it

Forget the never-ending ‘year of mobile’ – it is all about the week of mobile. IAB and PwC released the findings from their annual mobile advertising spend study yesterday, showing that advertising on mobile devices increased by 157% in 2011 to a new high of £203.2 million.

Positive news for the industry, which continues to see smartphone ownership and usage rocketing (smartphone ownership now stands at 53% of the UK population; while 58% – 28.6 million – of Britons access online content via apps or mobile internet each month). A report by On Device Research also shows that 25% of mobile web users in the UK exclusively access the internet through web-enabled mobile devices, not computers.

And according to the IAB, 98% of agencies are spending money on mobile advertising (Mobile Snapshot, IAB, Nov 2011). This rise has mainly been attributed to increased usage, new technology and m-commerce.

Other research shows that users are likely to have a deeper brand experience with rich mobile ad formats – and during the evening (between 7pm and 9pm), when mobile media usage peaks (while 67% of people are at home and are feeling relaxed).

O2 Media’s Gary Cole says the industry is “working at its best and at its fastest”. The panel at yesterday’s IAB/PwC seminar certainly agree that mobile advertising is taking off – with talk of personalisation, 4G, the rise of tablet formats, increased take-up and so on.

It all sounds very positive, doesn’t it? All the numbers point towards increased spending and engaged consumers. Perfect. Only I am seeing these figures and wondering why, if so much money and time is being invested in mobile, I haven’t seen any mobile ads.

Maybe I just have not noticed? Although surely that is even worse – if I am being fed mobile ads and have not noticed them.

Maybe I am not the target audience? I spend lots and lots of time on my iPhone every day – checking emails, looking at Facebook and Twitter, reading and watching content, engrossed in apps – so that probably does not add up.

I do get texts – does that count? Probably around three a day in fact… three completely irrelevant, non-targeted messages from my operator. Surely this can’t be the mobile ‘advertising’ that they are raving about?!

These comments sound negative, I realise that – but as a consumer I genuinely want good, targeted, personalised ads / coupons etc on my mobile that I will value… and I am excited about the mobile wallet. I am just wondering why it is taking so long?

Hopefully we will get some answers at our mobile event this Friday – where I am sure we’ll hear about many brilliant opportunities for mobile advertising AND I am sure Torin Douglas (chairman) will be pushing for real examples of who is actually doing what, and how it is working. Then I’ll just be sitting there feeling a bit left out.

And yes, this article is inviting comment. Prove me wrong now!