Dentsu Inks 'Sensor' Deal With Qualcomm, Will Boost Mobile Ad Targeting

Smartphone-Woman-Shutterstock-AAd agency Dentsu, Recruit Holdings, and their joint venture Blogwatcher have inked a deal with San Diego-based Qualcomm Labs to license Gimbal. The new technology supports Android and iOS devices and allows advertisers to serve content on mobile devices.

The technology, which works in applications on smartphones, gives Qualcomm a new business model to support mobile ad targeting.

Japan-based Blogwatcher will begin integrating the technology in January by powering its wityou mobile application with Gimbal technology from Qualcomm Labs, the entrepreneurial arm of Qualcomm supporting mobile services. Consumers opt in, allowing the app to automatically select and deliver information relevant to the users in their current surroundings. Dentsu said it will use the technology as part of the integrated marketing solutions to clients.

Ian Heidt, director of product management for Qualcomm Labs, said the technology pulls in information from a variety of sensors on the phone, how consumers use the phone, including the camera, and location to create a unique fingerprint. "In early trials in Japan, we've seen improvement on targeting," he said. "It shows how mobile and content change the behavior of consumers."

Trials conducted by Blogwatcher in Japan found that consumers were three times more likely to click through and respond to WITYU notifications and offers as compared with non-contextualized and non-personalized offers. Click-through rates rose by more than 60% when specials and offers were delivered to consumers.

Cheryl Goodman, senior director of business development and marketing for Qualcomm Labs, expects Dentsu to allow its U.S. subsidiaries to tap into Gimbal.

Initially, Qualcomm Labs was launched as a technology incubator under parent company Qualcomm Technology. Making good on that promise, the telecommunications company recently announced support for its first round of start-ups: software developer Arynga, malware detector FatSkunk and mobile app developer Breadcrumbs.

" Using a Smartphone from Shutterstock"

Next story loading loading..