The battle for attention in mobile advertising

Smartphones and tablets have usurped digital supremacy. It was two years ago that the frequency of use of mobile devices worldwide exceeded that of desktop computers for the first time. Since then, the gap has been growing steadily. According to international surveys, the first thing one in two people does when they wake up today is reach for their smartphone. More than 3.5 billion people are therefore also potential recipients of all kinds of digital messages. It is therefore only a logical consequence that mobile will also overtake the stationary Internet in terms of global advertising spending in 2017 and will probably quickly overtake it.

Gigantic opportunities and quite a few challenges

"Mobile advertising, as it is known in the trade, therefore offers huge opportunities, but also a number of challenges that need to be mastered. Experts from the industry are convinced of this. For example, Boris Sabel, CEO of Plista, a Berlin-based provider of solutions for native advertising and content distribution. "The small screens of mobile devices compared to desktop mean that ads on smartphones quickly become more intrusive and disruptive than those on desktop computers," he points out. That's why it's important for advertisers to find new, innovative formats that can be better integrated into small screens, he says.

"The different operating systems of mobile devices are also making mobile advertising a challenge," says Sabel. Around 80 percent of mobile usage takes place within apps. Advertising must always be adapted to the respective operating system through "in-app surfing," he says. "If you enter the Internet via a browser, as is the case with desktop, the operating system doesn't matter."

Tracking architectures and conversion tracking

"Mobile and tablet campaigns are a big challenge in terms of conception, production, targeting and, above all, measuring hard results," says Ivano Celia, owner and managing director of Media Bros GmbH in Uster near Zurich. Especially in Switzerland, he says, this business is very difficult because it is still in its infancy. "The publishers here slept through the topic a bit at first. Now practically every Swiss publisher is inventing its own forms of advertising with its own designations and formats. Unfortunately, however, the corresponding specifications are often incomplete or incorrectly described," says Celia.

This makes it quite difficult for planners and creative agencies handling the whole thing, and especially for advertisers paying for it. "At the same time, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Google dominate the market and come up with top offers that the Swiss market doesn't seem to take any notice of." Mobile and tablet advertising in this country is still very difficult and not industrially scalable, at least on a large scale.

Define and visualize tracking architectures

However, Ivano Celia does not only want to name grievances, but also point out possible solutions. "For a solid measurement of such campaigns, we recommend defining and visualizing tracking architectures at an early stage, for a better understanding of all project participants as well as a basis for the technical implementation."

Similar to movies, it makes sense to write a storyboard. Conversion tracking for mobile and tablet campaigns should also be thoroughly tested early enough before the campaign launch. Celia: "That way, you can make sure that the process and the measurements work smoothly during the campaign."

Lack of acceptance and low attention

"In mobile advertising, we still have to deal with the challenges of online advertising to a greater extent. These include a lack of acceptance and a short attention span," says Dario Piccinno, owner and partner of Eyeonx, bringing another issue into play.

It is therefore all the more important to plan the entire campaign, i.e. the entire user journey, down to the last detail. "This starts with the fact that the advertising message must be communicated without any major detours. If we have aroused the user's interest - and not annoyed him - he is prepared to look further into the product or brand - and to click on the advertising banner."

Piccinno is convinced that well thought-out targeting helps enormously to avoid wastage and to address users in specific subject areas.

Campaign-specific landing page makes sense

"But even the most innovative, beautiful and interesting advertising medium is of no use if the user can't find what was promised to him on the banner with one click," says the Eyeonx expert. This means that possible obstacles have to be removed in the run-up to the campaign. The website has to be checked carefully: Is it responsive? Can the user find his way around? Can they find the information they need with just a few clicks and purchase the advertised product? Piccinno: "To bring the user even more easily and directly to the relevant information, it often makes sense to create a landing page specifically designed for the campaign."

Less complexity brings more attention

Claudio Holenstein, Country Manager Switzerland at Adverserve, also sees the very limited advertising space on small mobile screens as a major challenge for mobile marketing. It is therefore important and purposeful to present the messages in a simplified way, he says. "Attention is much higher as a result, since the consumption of the advertising message takes place consciously."

Mobile is now used around the clock, says Holenstein. The usage intervals are therefore shorter, but more frequent than on desktop. "For this reason, the message has to be relevant and easy to get across. Under no circumstances should mobile advertising be seen simply as an extension of classic online measures, he says. "The potential is far too enormous for that."

Expectations should be clearly defined

To make this potential measurable and actually exploit it, Theodor Esenwein, Chief Innovation Officer at Adwebster, recommends clearly defining expectations in advance and evaluating the right key performance indicator (KPI), as with every campaign. "Especially with mobile campaigns, the landing page has its own dangers," he says.

If it is not optimized for mobile devices or the conversion process is too long, a lot of potential can be wasted. "Due to the smaller surface area, it is often more difficult to guarantee recognition between the ad and the target page. However, this recognition is particularly important for mobile devices, as the user must be given the feedback that he is on the correct and desired page."

Clear distinction between tablet and smartphone

Huge potential, numerous pitfalls: the correct handling of mobile advertising is therefore a decisive factor in the success of campaigns. Which forms of advertising on smartphones and tablets work best today?

The question is not easy to answer, says Ivano Celia. You have to look at the forms of advertising separately, because publishers and online platforms take different paths in this regard. "Spontaneously, when it comes to mobile and tablet advertising, hardly anyone would think of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Google. However, these are actually the four most relevant players with the largest plannable reach on smartphones and tablets in Switzerland."

However, a distinction must also be made between tablets and smartphones. With the tablet, the world is more open because it doesn't necessarily need an app and well-designed responsive websites from publishers with a classic approach also come into consideration. "Facebook, on the other hand, is used 80 to 90 percent via smartphone today, most of it with the Facebook app."

Integrative forms of advertising are in demand

For Dario Piccinno, too, the success of the advertising form is ostensibly based on user behavior. "It's important to remember that mobile devices are often used on the sofa to pass the time, but mostly on the go and for quick information retrieval."

It is therefore important to rely on integrative forms of advertising that fit seamlessly into the content and do not unnecessarily disrupt or even annoy the flow of reading. Piccinno cites the mobile rectangle as a good example. "But video ads are also becoming increasingly popular - here, however, it is essential to ensure mobile-friendly content, i.e. short, concise videos with a clear advertising message."

Native advertising as an effective solution

From Boris Sabel's perspective, native advertising offers an effective solution to the challenges of mobile advertising. "With their design, Native Ads fit seamlessly into the editorial context of mobile websites and apps."

This ensures that the reading flow is not disturbed and a positive user experience is guaranteed - which benefits user acceptance. "Thanks to the informative combination of teaser text and image, users can also decide individually in a very short time whether the content on offer is of interest to them," says Sabel.

Atmospheric level of the user is crucial

For Claudio Holenstein of Adverserve, the success or failure of a mobile advertising campaign is ultimately always decided at the atmospheric level of the user. "It's like in the desktop world. Messages are successful if they are well and interestingly designed, can be integrated perfectly into the reading flow, and are not superimposed somewhere and thus disruptive. "n