Jonathan Marek

Compete Blog: Smartphone Owners - A Ready and Willing Audience

March 16, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
Years ago, when smartphones were introduced to the market, they were promoted as devices to help the busy, on-the-go, business professional. Today, they are integrated into the daily lives of all types of consumers. When do you think mobile advertising will reach mainstream status?      [more...]

It is striking to me how low all of those "would you like X?" survey answers are. It shows that no one has hit upon the right model yet. If I think about Google Search ads, and what makes them special, it is that they are unobtrusive and feel like additional information. Google's black box and their bidding process ensure that served ads are generally relevant. They come off as content, not spam.

In mobile, I haven't seen anyone that hits on that model yet. I don't think it's a scannable coupon for 25 cents off Tide (like I'm going to remember that, pull it up on my device, and hand it to the checkout person at the supermarket, all for $0.25?) But I can imagine applications: I scan a bar code in store and see peer reviews of the item, with some "featured" based on relevance and ad money. Or, I'm walking down the street searching for a restaurant and Chili's pops up on my map with a logo (and maybe an offer?).

Check out Best Buy's new mobile pitch video, if you haven't seen it, to see folks who are really thinking through these issues.