Clear Channel Outdoor plans large scale cell phone campaign for 2008

As reported by AdAge, Clear Channel Outdoor has set in motion plans to greatly increase the effectiveness of its cell phone based advertisements in 2008.

Clear Channel will make this possible by delivering ads to cell phone users in specifically targeted networks (such as bus stations). According to the article, "Once a phone is in a network, it will be made "discoverable" by vibrating or ringing, giving the user the option to respond. If there is no response after several times, the phone will stop sending alerts."

There's something about it stopping after several times that doesn't quite sound too appealing to me. Honestly, it sounds like a telemarketing company telling consumers that after several phone calls without a positive response they won't be bothered anymore. I think once or twice should definitely be the max. It seems like there is a very thin line between a helpful ad and outright nuisance that Clear Channel could cross here if they aren't careful.

Granted, we live in a world where we live and die by our cell phones, iPods, Blackberrys and whatever else we carry around with us to stay plugged in to the world, so it's not surprising that advertisers are trying to find a way into these devices. Yet those same advertisers need to remember that almost every user of these technologies expects a certain amount of privacy. Too much invasiveness on the part of ads can result in a serious backlash. I might even see a scenario where the wireless companies start to offer two versions of phone/service: regular and "ad-free", with different fee structures for each.

The key to making these ads a welcome diversion instead of an irritating distraction is creativity. How can advertisers successfully integrate themselves with cell phones while not annoying customers? The first step may be offering promotions in the various networks. If an ad is going to pop up, maybe it can include a trivia question that if answered correctly give the consumer a code that can be redeemed for a free song download. But it's really anyone's guess. I hope there's a way to opt-out altogether.

Tags: out-of-home advertising, mobile advertising

Mobile Advertising = More Intrusive = Viewers Want Free Stuff

An article in MarketingVOX talking about a new study by Universal McCann concludes that even though mobile advertising presents new opportunities, viewers are irritated by new ads on mobile Internet and TV services.

Unless, of course, they are given free stuff.

According to the article, "recent reports also suggest the world's 2 billion mobile users are turned off by tactics simply imported onto their phones from the desktop and TV. The solution to this problem may lie in offering a different value proposition to users in exchange for perceived "intrusions."

The global study found users were more receptive when they got free content from advertisers, such as branded content and opt-in Bluetooth downloads. For example, Coca-Cola gave away free songs on iTunes."

So what does this mean for an advertising world that has to increasingly up it's level of intrusiveness in order to reach constantly diverted audiences? It's simple: make the ads (regardless of what form they take or medium they're displayed on) worth viewers' time and make sure they are getting something out of them.

While the idea of free iTunes songs is great, a give-away is not the only method for making an ad worth a viewer's time. For example, it sounds simple enough, but if an ad provides a viewer some kind of genuine knowledge about a product they are already interested in buying, then they'll view it as more helpful than intrusive. While it's hard to know when a viewer is interested in a product or not, it's somewhat easier with in-store advertising, since customers are typically in the store because they want or need to buy things sold there. It's thus important for in-store ads not to rely simply on flashy, spam-like content, but instead focus on features, benefits and a useful message that can encourage shoppers to pay attention, at least momentarily. Otherwise, they'll just look the other way.

We live in an increasingly media literate society -- this is no longer the world portrayed in AMC's Mad Men. People know when advertisers are trying to sell them something, and with their new found literacy they want some respect. They recognize junk ads when they see them and are now well conditioned to simply ignore them. And while it's impossible (or at least not cost-effective) to a have a giveaway incentive for every ad, it really should be possible to up the quality of in-store media to the point where the message itself is the thing that delivers value to the shopper.

Tags: mobile advertising, in-store advertising, digital signage

AdMob Launches Advertising Aimed at iPhone Users

The folks over at AdMob have recently announced that they will launch an advertising unit geared specifically towards reaching iPhone users.

According to the press release, “AdMob's ad servers will now recognize iPhone users and serve iPhone-specific advertisements. The new unit leverages the core technologies available for the iPhone, including mapping technology for location-based advertisers.”

AdRants posted a quick blurb about the subject, along with a YouTube video showing an example of the kind of advertising iPhone users will need to grow accustomed to.

With media behemoths such as Apple and AdMob (they rep Coca Cola, Starbucks, Reuters, etc.) behind this advertising, it’s a safe bet that mobile ads designed to exploit the multimedia features in the next generation of smart phones will become more common. Along with digital signage and other out-of-home media, this kind of one-to-one advertising is a great way for companies to reach desired audiences based on very specific interests, and really tap into their desired demos. Critically, it has the ability to reach consumers when it matters most: in a climate where they hold cash in their hands and are waiting to make a buy.

Yet unlike digital signage, which represents a technology that people can choose to interact with based on their interest level, the iPhone ads seem like they have the potential to be a little more intrusive. Therein lies a potential problem.

When walking around a mall, we expect to come face to face with advertisements and enticements of all shapes and sizes. This is not necessarily the case with our phone calls, which represent a more personal investment of our time. Is it too far fetched to think that in the near future all iPhone calls will end with some deep-toned ad narrator saying “Thank you for your phone call. It was brought to you by McDonald’s. I’m loving it,” with a coinciding ad for a value meal popping up on the screen?

That kind of extreme approach to the iPhone ad could easily result in a backlash when consumers grow tired of being sold things based on private conversations, whether they are on the phone or writing an e-mail. This is not to say that AdMob’s new product is a negative addition to the ad world. Far from it. When used properly, and in conjunction with other out-of-home media techniques, this technology can certainly reinforce brand dominance in a powerful way. It just needs to be willing to meet its audience when they are ready for it, and not pop up at unexpected and unnecessary times.

Fortunately, AdMob offers a good degree of flexibility when it comes to reaching audiences. Clients have the opition of choosing from text only ads or ads with banners, and can use "Target Tree Technology" to help pinpoint how small or large an audience the client wants to appeal to. These measures should help ensure that advertisers will get the right level of exposure, and that their ads won't be more intrusive than they'd like.

Tags: out-of-home advertising, mobile advertising, iphone

Mobile Impact Ads puts scrolling billboards on trucks

I'm really starting to wonder how much motion is going to be allowable on the roads, and whether or not we'll soon be awash in a sea of moving, mobile advertising. While I don't have anything against electronic billboards, for example, I do know from driving down the Las Vegas strip that putting a lot of them in close quarters makes for some very distracting driving (damned Cirque du Soleil ads!). But when you start talking about putting moving ads onto cars, trucks and buses that are themselves moving, that's another story entirely.

Sure, by this point we've all seen cars and buses wrapped in vinyl graphics advertising some department store, movie or other upcoming event. And of course trucks have had logos painted onto their sides for close to a century now. But up to this point, the graphics have been static, with the only motion coming from the vehicles themselves. But Mobile Impact Ads is starting to change that, and having seen one of their trucks on the road, I'm starting to wonder if an ad could be a little too eye-catching.

Have you ever driven down the road behind somebody with an in-car TV? While they might be a God-send for parents taking their kids on a long road trip, I have to admit that I find the little screens distracting, and my eye is frequently caught by the little flecks of movement coming from the screens. Now imagine that instead of a tiny screen, you have a 6x8' billboard. They're not constantly animated, but the images changed about once every 15 seconds by my count, and that was enough to make sure that I turned my head a little every time it happened.

I've seen a few half-hearted attempts to mount a digital screen on the side of a truck to show advertisements to passing motorists, but thankfully nobody has really taken that idea to its full potential yet. But surely somebody will try (until local law enforcement tells them to cut it out :)

Will some new advertising innovation eventually prove to be unsafe for drivers, or will we just continue to adapt and get more proficient at tuning out distractions behind the wheel?

Tags: mobile advertising, digital signage, electronic billboards