• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, January 6, 2016

Not that we didn't all understand this to be the way of things come 2016 but it's always nice to have a bit of research to clarify one's assumptions. Trusted Media Brands has released findings from a recent survey, conducted in December 2015 among 283 U.S media decision makers, on mobile advertising formats. The study was conducted by Advertiser Perceptions and surveyed clients and agency executives. 

According to the study, while 63 percent of respondents used display banners in mobile last year, only 45 percent expect to do so in 2016. Almost half of respondents (45 percent) plan to use video in 2016, with 46 percent of total respondents planning to use pre- or mid-roll video and 45 percent planning to use native in mobile as well.   

And, of course, unsurprisingly, the majority of marketers at agencies and brands (63 percent) agree that mobile phones should have ads. Why even ask that question?  

Regarding mobile and native, the top three benefits of mobile native ad formats cited by agencies and marketers are that they are less intrusive (44 percent), increase brand awareness (32 percent) and foster better engagement and interaction (31 percent). Among agencies, 31 percent cited the more authentic brand voice native ads lend, while 33 percent of brand marketers noted the better user experience as a benefit.  

Regarding mobile and video, increased brand awareness was noted by 47 percent of marketers as the most important benefit, while engagement (34 percent) and how well suited video is to mobile consumption behaviors (31 percent) followed. Among 26 percent of agencies, video is seen as providing a more authentic brand voice, while 25 percent of marketers believe it impacts lead generation.  

Pre- and mid-roll video is the top ad format planned for use in 2016 (46 percent), while native and display banners tied second at 45 percent each, representing a slight dip from the use of native ads by 50 percent of marketers last year.