• by Steve Smith  @popeyesm, April 3, 2012

With inventory checks one of the core functions of many retailer apps and site, it makes some sense to include product availability in the ad units that push people to the store brands in the first place. That is the principle behind a new kind of mobile ad being pitched at ad:tech this week by hyper-local marketing company Retailigence.

Called “AdPOP,” the unit promises to embed dynamically local store inventory while at the same time targeting the ad to smartphones nearby. The system leverages the DataXu DX3 digital marketing management platform. The hope is that the ads will target mobile users who are close to the point of purchase both physically and psychologically. Since many smartphone users consult their mobile device in and around the stores during their shopping outings, advertisers are looking for ways to grab those users while they are in buy mode.

Retailigence says that the AdPOP model can be used to add localized elements to national brand campaigns, especially with items that are in high demand or being launched. Retailigence CEO Jeremy Geiger states that big brands may have been reticent to dive into mobile advertising because they haven’t seen the platform engage users the way that traditional media have in the past. “Now, with the advent of location-based engagement at and around the point of purchase, we expect to see brand advertisers moving into mobile in a big way.”