Recently I discovered a new game on my cell phone that I have fallen in love with. You know how sometimes you become so engrossed with something that you can't wait to sneak away for just a minute to get your fix? For some people it's a book, texting, whatever. Right now for me it's the cell phone game Draw Something. 

Draw Something is basically Pictionary for your phone. It's a turn based game in which players are connected via internet and draw pictures for the other player to guess. For instance, say your word was "peacock". You would then use your finger (or stylus is you're lucky enough to have a device that supports one) and draw a peacock. When the other player guesses you drawing (or doesn't), they then get to choose a word and draw it for you to guess, and so on. 

Like many Android and iOS apps, Draw Something offers a paid and free version of the software. Being the cheapskate that I am, I opted for the free version. As can be expected, the free version includes ads between turns. For the first couple of days I played, these ads were your run of the mill popup ads for a variety of products and services. Then all of a sudden I got hit with it. After correctly guessing my opponent's picture, an ad popped up. Nothing new here, except this time it was a VIDEO! "Oh no!", I thought. It couldn't be. But it was. And now, in much the same way you sometimes have to wait for a video advertisement to play before a YouTube video will load, I have to watch a Toyota commercial before I can draw a picture of a freaking peacock! 

I guess it was only a matter of time before cell phones were plastered with the same commercials you see on cable television. The major holdup was surely nothing to do with marketers not recognizing the opportunity. It had everything to do with cell phones not being quite powerful enough to support streaming video. This has been going on for years on the internet. What’s the last time you watched a video on CNN.com or Weather.com and not had to sit through a 15 or 30 second ad first? The Android version of Angry Birds brings in over $1 mil of ad revenue per month in the form of banner ads. Imagine how much these developers could ask for if they were to offer video advertising!

They know where you are....

As touched on in earlier posts, marketers are quite creative when it comes to ways of bringing an ad to your mobile device. One thing that is very appealing to them is the use of technologies that have been previously unavailable to them. One example is the built in GPS present in the majority of smart phones. 

The ad supported app Foursquare is the poster child for location-tracking marketing. The app allows users to "check in" to various locations and share it with other connected networks such as Facebook. This gives marketers a golden opportunity to direct advertising to a mobile device user while the user is in the vicinity of the advertiser. For instance, if someone were to "check in" at a Starbucks, they may receive offers via their mobile device's screen to receive discounts on products at that Starbucks or a nearby store. It's interactive, consumers practically solicit the ads, and it takes away the challenge marketers have of convincing the target to visit their store. They're already there! 

To be clear, geotargeting is not a new concept. Online marketers have been using this technique to filter their messages based on the location of internet users' IP addresses for years. Integrating this same concept with mobile devices just takes it a step further. Marketers can now deliver their message based on your location to within a few feet! 

Recently, Apple and Google have taken heat for recording the locations of mobile devices even when tracking functions were disabled. This has caused somewhat of an uproar as people get a little of the "big brother" scare. While this poses a bit of a roadblock for mobile marketers hoping to cash in on geotargeting, as long as mobile device users are willing to adopt location tracking apps such as Foursquare, this new form of marketing will continue to evolve.


This makes me wonder, how far is too far? Would you continue to use an app that was aware of your location one hundred percent of the time? Perhaps future applications will use geo-predicting technology and make guesses about where you will be at certain times based on past tracking. So if you go to the movies every Friday night, your phone will learn    this and market new releases to you starting on Thursday. This sort of thing might be coming. In fact, if I had to use my own predictive app (my brain), I'd say it is only a matter of time.

While this video is satirical, it certainly sheds light on the feeling that cell phones are turning more and more into handheld advertising machines. Take a look at Google's new "Whispered Ad Service".

Your Phone is the New Billboard

I just read about a new advertising technique that marketers are working on which involves your phone. Up until now, marketers have been happy getting you, the cell phone user, to see their ad on your screen. As it turns out, that just isn't good enough. Now they are working on apps that will utilize the screen and speaker of your phone to spread their message to people that aren't you. They've tried this a little bit by incorporating ringtones into commercials (I swear if I hear that GEICO ring a ding ding ringtone again someone's getting hurt).


The newest way marketers will be using your phone will include some sort of enticement to hold your phone in a fashion where the screen faces outward. That way, your screen can be used as a billboard on which to plaster logos and slogans for everyone in you immediate vicinity to see. Why would you agree to this? Well, for the love of money, of course. People have proven that they're willing to make a fool of themselves for money in much more embarrassing fashion than holding a cell phone. Would it really surprise anyone to see someone agree to this?

Cell Phones aren't Just Great for You!

Hello all!

This blog will cover the topic of cell phone content advertising and its impact on the mobile phone and tablet user. What is cell phone content advertising? If you own a smartphone or tablet computer, you've surely been exposed to it whether or not you realize it. It is the inclusion of advertising incorporated into mobile applications. Much like cable television, almost nowhere on a mobile device can you find a void of advertising. In fact, many of your cell phone's features that you haven't even considered to be a canvas for ads will soon be.

Mobile software developers have two choices on how to gain revenue for their applications and programs. One is to charge a subscription or one-time fee to download the app or use the service. Second, and this is becoming increasingly popular, is to create ad-supported software. This means that while the program is free to download, the user agrees to advertising exposure that is incorporated into the software. This usually comes in the form of banner ads or popups during the use of the app but can be any other form of advertising that marketers find a way to incorporate into the software. 

Mobile advertising is a fairly new marketing genre, and marketers are quickly devising new ways to turn the advancements in technology into great new ways to spread a message. Some developers have teamed with advertisers and offer discounted subscriptions fees or hardware cost to those that are willing to use their device as a billboard. One of the most obvious examples of this is the newer model Amazon Kindle. The Kindle has two prices for each of its models. For instance, the base model Kindle is priced at $109. However, buyers can purchase the same device for $79 if they agree to "special offers", which basically means that when the Kindle is turned off it will permanently display an ad on the screen until turned back on. Not surprisingly, the ad-supported Kindle far outsells the ad-free option.

As illustrated by sales of the Kindle, people just can't resist a good deal whether or not it involves being force fed advertising. In fact, the average consumer probably prefers to be exposed to advertising in exchange for lower prices. Maybe it's because we're just so used to it after years of TV commercials and internet popup ads. Regardless, it will be interesting to see where this new marketing platform goes from here. What do you think? Please feel free to comment!

Drew