Mobile Phone Advertising Still Lacking

Mobile phone advertising is still failing to make an impact. A new article by the New York Times describes that here.

My opinion on the matter is that mobile phone advertising will take another 4-6 years before we see any significant success. As the article describes, targeting of relevant ads for consumers is very hard. Just because someone is a Sprint carrier doesn't mean they are interested in a free bottle of shampoo or 25% off a major department store.

With television, advertisers can target niche programs on cable and broadcast networks. This gives the advertiser a chance to make an emotional connection with a specific message. Mobile phone ads are to the masses and miss the spot many times due to lack of relevancy. We know nothing about the person holding the phone other than their home location because of their area code. Even that is to be missed because the term "mobile" means they can leave their area.

I don't disagree though with these advertisers and carriers trying the idea. The first to continue to try it and perfect it will be very happy once consumers catch on. But until then, money will continue to be lost and consumers will continue to be disenchanted by the sight of a video or ad popping up on their phone.