Microsoft Makes Mobile Ad Targeting Easier

Microsoft has launched full HTML device targeting for advertisers, so that they can easily target mobile display ads to all handsets that can render full HTML sites (including sites developed for the PC Web). Such devices include iPhone, Android, and full HTML browser Windows phones and Blackberry devices.

"Targeting full HTML mobile devices is appealing to advertisers for many reasons," says Raj Kapoor of the Microsoft Mobile Advertising team. "Some advertisers wish to reach this audience segment simply due to their increased consumption of mobile media products. Other advertisers wish to use full HTML targeting to target Rich Media ad campaigns to devices that support these advanced mobile ad units, or simply to drive consumers to a more engaging full HTML page designed for mobile screens."

"Still other advertisers wish to enter the mobile advertising space but have not yet optimized their website to render on feature phones or other less featured mobile browsers," he adds. "While these advertisers recognize that the ideal consumer experience is to create a dedicated mobile web site for all mobile users, including those with devices capable of displaying sites originally created for the PC web, full HTML device targeting allows them to easily extend their online campaigns into mobile and reach this engaged mobile audience by driving these sophisticated users to their online destinations."

In the past, as Kapoor explains, advertisers had to keep an up-to-date list of every mobile device with a full HTML mobile browser, and individually target each one. The new feature should drastically reduce the headache associated with that.

The list of such devices continues to grow rapidly, particularly as smartphone usage becomes more and more broad. It is important to advertisers that they reach as many devices as possible if they're campaign is not targeted at users of just one of them.
 

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Microsoft Makes Mobile Ad Targeting Easier

Microsoft has launched full HTML device targeting for advertisers, so that they can easily target mobile display ads to all handsets that can render full HTML sites (including sites developed for the PC Web). Such devices include iPhone, Android, and full HTML browser Windows phones and Blackberry devices.

"Targeting full HTML mobile devices is appealing to advertisers for many reasons," says Raj Kapoor of the Microsoft Mobile Advertising team. "Some advertisers wish to reach this audience segment simply due to their increased consumption of mobile media products. Other advertisers wish to use full HTML targeting to target Rich Media ad campaigns to devices that support these advanced mobile ad units, or simply to drive consumers to a more engaging full HTML page designed for mobile screens."

"Still other advertisers wish to enter the mobile advertising space but have not yet optimized their website to render on feature phones or other less featured mobile browsers," he adds. "While these advertisers recognize that the ideal consumer experience is to create a dedicated mobile web site for all mobile users, including those with devices capable of displaying sites originally created for the PC web, full HTML device targeting allows them to easily extend their online campaigns into mobile and reach this engaged mobile audience by driving these sophisticated users to their online destinations."

In the past, as Kapoor explains, advertisers had to keep an up-to-date list of every mobile device with a full HTML mobile browser, and individually target each one. The new feature should drastically reduce the headache associated with that.

The list of such devices continues to grow rapidly, particularly as smartphone usage becomes more and more broad. It is important to advertisers that they reach as many devices as possible if they're campaign is not targeted at users of just one of them.
 

Have You Read This?

> Google Narrows Down Mobile Ad Targeting

> Opera Scoops Up Mobile Advertising Firm AdMarvel

> Google Buys Mobile Ad Firm For $750 Million In Stock

Online Ad Revenues On the Rise

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers released their latest Internet advertising numbers for the third quarter. According to the organizations, Internet advertising revenues reached nearly $5.5 billion for the quarter. That is an increase of 1.7% from the second quarter.

The numbers are still significantly down from the same period last year, but any increase is a good sign of things to come. There has been a 5.4% decline from last year.

"The Internet has transformed the consumer experience of media, providing marketers with unprecedented opportunities to engage with their customers," said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the IAB. "The advertising sector overall has been hard hit by the economy, but digital media has been a bright spot within the larger economic downturn as it is capturing an ever-increasing piece of marketers’ advertising spend."

"While all segments of the media industry have experienced declines, online advertising remains resilient and is once again showing signs of growth," said David Silverman, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

The information from the IAB/PWC is considered the most accurate measurement of interactive ad revenue, the IAB says, because its compiled directly from info supplied by companies selling advertising on the web. The IAB releases a full report twice a year to reflect half-year periods. It will be interesting to see how the second half of the year plays out in its entirety.

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