Commentary

Mobile Measurement Roundup

One of the resounding messages of MediaPost's digital out-of-home forum in April was the importance of mobile marketing technology for digital out-of-home measurement. In one widely discussed model, advertisers can measure the effectiveness of their advertising using an SMS text system, inviting viewers to send a short code for coupons, special offers, sweepstakes, downloadable content, or promotional information. A number of big DO networks have started offering advertisers this sort of mobile measurement via collaborations with mobile marketing companies.

Most recently, the DO network Danoo has rolled out mobile measurement collaborations for its digital displays in 200 cafes and coffeehouses in New York City and Los Angeles, according to Mediaweek. Earlier, in a test phase launch advertisers -- ABC, The History Channel and game-maker Electronic Arts -- each prompted about 10,000 downloads in just two weeks. Download rates with regular static advertising average about 1%, but Danoo (with sight, sound and motion) claims to deliver a 3% download rate.

In April Adcentricity unveiled a system that will enable advertisers and agencies to plan and buy digital out-of-home video and signage network buys capable of tying into interactive mobile applications. The new service, with infrastructure and operations created by Impact Mobile, is an expansion of Adcentricity's core planning and buying system, which currently aggregates more than 80 out-of-home networks, reaching about 150,000 digital screens nationwide. The company seeks to serve as an adjunct to media buying and planning by aggregating networks and helping plan media deployment. Meanwhile Impact Mobile's platform aggregates multiple mobile carriers for mobile advertisers, taking care of issues like the varying technical specifications of different handsets and other obstacles to compatibility.

Separately, the multi-player word game "Jumbli" added a mobile measurement component with a novel public game-playing application: "Jumbli" invites players to download software and play the game in public venues via their iPhones. The game appears on eye-catching sign installations like the Spectacolor Jumbotron in New York's Times Square, and DO networks operated by Danoo, BarCast, Ecast and Zoom Media & Marketing; in each venue the digital displays shows live results for the public word game, encouraging participation and competition.

In late May CBS Outdoor announced a partnership with Rip Road to introduce a new service, txt2go, that it says is well-suited for strategies including mobile coupons, sweepstakes, direct response and point-of-purchase promotions. Beyond measuring consumer response to outdoor advertising, txt2go also allows advertisers to build databases of information about the consumers who respond to the ads.

Last but not least, Akoo's DO network, serving food courts in malls around the country, is introducing a mobile interactive strategy allowing customers at fast-food and quick-service restaurants to use their mobile phones like a remote control to select video programming while they eat. Akoo's library of content for its mall food court network includes music videos from Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and EMI, along with exclusive live performances and artist interviews.

1 comment about "Mobile Measurement Roundup".
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  1. Stephen Randall from LocaModa, July 14, 2009 at 1:56 p.m.

    It's great to see that Mobile is now center stage in the DOOH equation.

    But the reality is that "Mobile" isn't one thing, it's many, and the technology is often confused by agencies and brands swept up in the buzz. So we should be cautiously optimistic that when we talk about mobile being the measurement channel for DOOH.

    As an example, SMS is a great platform for measurement, and should, but doesn't always offer the granularity of location, simplicity of the call to action or other data that an interactive campaign might demand (eg which users are unique, who saw the advert etc). So check that you SMS platform provider does support these features. Then there's cost. SMS is a commoditized offering and in many cases can be obtained for free - and certainly for less than 5c a message. Again, that is often not the case.

    As mentioned, (and this is by no means an exhaustive critique) there's all sorts of mobile technologies and they're not all equal (or good for DOOH). A DOOH Bluetooth deployment does not mean that all Blutooth enabled phones will be able to interact with your signage. (eg iPhones have Bluetooth, but not for data, just for audio.) If a Bluetooth enabled phone doesn't have Bluetooth switched on, then it will be invisible to the signage network - and even with it on, it will still need to be paired with the Bluetooth receiver. Many mobile users regard such an experience and spamming, so designers should be mindful to create PULL not PUSH experiences.

    The good news is this is the year for mobile (although Forrester suggests it isn't and neither is 2010). The bad news is few companies really understand the user experience well enough to fully leverage mobile technology.

    Stephen Randall, CEO LocaModa
    Twitter: @stephenrandall

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Erik Sass is editor of Publishers Daily. You can reach Erik at eriksass@gmail.com.