Mobile marketing a turn-off

Although advertisers can use mobile marketing to target by location, demographic and create actionable responses, more than three-quarters of Americans are annoyed just thinking about it, new research shows. Only 3 per cent of consumers say they trust text ads on mobile phones, according to a report from Forrester Research on the state of the mobile-marketing industry titled "Is the US ready for mobile marketing?" But while the answer to that question overall is yes, according to Forrester, 79 per cent of online consumers find the idea of ads on their mobile phones annoying. And that means marketers must tread lightly when it comes to mobile advertising, offering something of value in exchange for the message. Mobile marketing spending has increased from $45 million in 2005 to an anticipated $150 million in 2006, and is expected to grow to nearly $1.3 billion by 2009, according to research firm Ovum.

The report outlines three ways marketers can use the medium: text messaging, such as offering coupons and short codes; advertising with banner ads on a mobile browser; or creating ad-supported applications and content. Ultimately, Forrester advises that marketers consider the medium and the message. Keep the message abbreviated and be sure to measure the response, even using mobile responses to gauge the effectiveness of a broadcast media. Target campaigns to the people most likely to respond – Gen X and Y are the targets most likely reached through mobile marketing. And adopt a mind-set of value – Forrester advises finding a consumer who's unfamiliar with the campaign and asking him or her to find the value in it.

Source : www.forrester.com