Mobile Marketing Playbook Published by 360i Smashwords Edition Copyright 2010 360i Thank you for doc

Mobile Marketing Playbook
Published by 360i
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2010 360i
Thank you for downloading this ebook. As always, we welcome comments, critique, debate, and
discussion – you can find us on Twitter (@360i or @bwiener), Facebook (facebook.360i.com) or
on our blog (blog.360i.com).


Table of Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgements
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Overview
Planning in Mobile Marketing
Search
SMS Marketing
Advertising
Social Marketing
Applications
Commerce & Shopping
Parting Thoughts

Glossary

Contributor Articles
The Future of Mobile Content & Commerce
By Noah Elkin, Senior Analyst, eMarketer
The Nail for Social Media’s Hammer
Interview with Mickey Alam Khan, Editor in Chief, Mobile Marketer
How Mobile Marketing Can Fuel Buzz and Engagement for Entertainment Brands
Interview with Valerie Brown, Director of Consumer Marketing, Bravo
Mobile Innovation: What the U.S. Can Learn from Japan
by Naoki Muramatsu, VP, Digital Business Development, Dentsu Holdings USA

FOREWORD
By Bryan Wiener
CEO, 360i
Is this the Year of Mobile? For over a decade this proclamation has turned out to be premature,
giving marketers ample reason to be skeptical. The difference looking forward to 2011 is that
this is the first time that consumer behavior and mobile platforms have reached sufficient scale
for mobile to move beyond an emerging media tactic for mainstream marketers.
Mobile is finally experiencing its tipping point as one of the critical components of the digital
marketing landscape, much like search marketing experienced in the early 2000s and social
marketing during the past few years. Nielsen reports that within a year, smartphone adoption
will exceed the adoption of simpler, feature phones. We’re coming to a point where the majority
of phones – and consumers – will have Internet connectivity wherever they go.


Mobile is perhaps one of the most exciting and revolutionary forms of media to flourish over the
last decade, as it builds exponentially on the groundbreaking changes brought on by search and
social. While the PC Internet is completely divorced from the physical world, mobile breaks

down these walls and brings the power of the Internet into the real world in real time.
Imagine you’re in the grocery store, and you can easily look up a product’s ingredients, compare
the price of products in the aisles with those in neighboring stores, check other customers’
reviews, and see how popular a product is with other shoppers in your area. This is a vision of
our not-too-distant future. If someone has access to information anytime and anywhere, how
does that change the way consumers think about your brand and the way you have to interact
with them as a marketer? This brings both opportunities and challenges to existing business
practices – much like the Internet did.
Rather than seeing this as a daunting prospect, consider that mobile allows consumers to bring
their digital lives with them wherever they go. This also means that we no longer have to silo our
marketing efforts; the opportunity for cross-channel integration and truly rich multiplatform brand
experiences has never been greater.
The accelerated intersection of mobile, local, social and commerce across the online and offline
worlds means things are going to change incredibly quickly. That’s why we’ve put together this
Playbook – to provide a foundation and framework for approaching the changes ahead. In 2009,
we issued our Social Marketing Playbook for similar reasons and it received a tremendous
response with more than 50,000 downloads to date. We hope that this Mobile Marketing
Playbook will be as valuable for marketers looking to make sense of the current mobile
landscape and arm themselves for the innovations ahead. Specifically, the aim of the Mobile
Marketing Playbook is to help marketers:
•

Work within a framework for establishing a set of clear objectives for their mobile
marketing strategy

•

Move beyond the checklist approach with a filter for evaluating the myriad of
opportunities within mobile

•

Think of ways to use mobile to merge online and offline strategies, as a hub that bridges
the gap

•

Encourage a dialogue about what matters in mobile now, and what’s ahead for this new
and exciting medium

As always, we welcome comments, critique, debate, and discussion – you can find us on Twitter
(@360i or @bwiener), Facebook (facebook.360i.com) or on our blog (blog.360i.com).
Happy reading,
Bryan Wiener, CEO, 360i


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Several individuals graciously lent their time and talents to the production of the Mobile
Marketing Playbook. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for their contributions.
To our featured columnists: Valerie Brown, Eugene Chung, Noah Elkin, Mickey Alam Khan and
Naoki Muramatsu – thank you all for sharing your keen insights with us and our readers.
Thanks also to the 360i team who wrote, edited, designed and managed this Playbook: David
Berkowitz, Amanda Bird, Carleejean Cook, Natan Edelsburg, Laura Frizzell, Jim Gulsen, Lara
Hejtmanek, Sarah Hofstetter, Chris Humber, Kolin Kleveno, David Levin, Tanya Nam, Katie
Perry, Jesse Shaver, Sarah Sikowitz, Benny Simon, Paul Stadnyk and Chang Yu.
And advanced thanks to the readers of this Playbook who are moved to comment, share,
critique, tweet, scan, blog or generally discuss the contents herein. We encourage you to reach
out and share your thoughts directly with us anytime at , via feedback on our
blog at blog.360i.com or on Twitter @360i.

CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW
Ten Reasons Mobile Marketing Matters Right Now
There’s so much buzz about mobile marketing that it’s easy to dismiss it, or to check off a few
mobile tactics and say you’re doing enough with mobile.
Here are the top ten reasons why mobile matters right now. They illustrate why marketers
need a comprehensive mobile roadmap as part of their integrated communications plan to take
full advantage of the exciting opportunities ahead.
1. Your customers most likely own and use mobile devices.
Market research firm comScore reports that as of May 2010, 234 million Americans age
13 and older are mobile subscribers. That’s more than 90% of the U.S. population.
2. Mobile data usage keeps rising,
with Americans especially fond of texting. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of mobile subscribers
text, according to comScore, while the Pew Internet & American Life Project reports
teens 12 to 17 communicate each other daily with texting more than through any other
channel – including talking face-to-face or on the phone.
3. Mobile Internet usage is taking off,
making it easier and imperative for marketers to connect mobile with their digital
marketing programs. eMarketer reports that there are more than 85 million U.S. mobile
Internet users, and about half of mobile phone users will use the mobile Internet within a
few years.
4. Smartphone penetration is increasing


to the point where brand marketers can deliver rich experiences through pocket-sized
devices. Nielsen reports that within a year, smartphone adoption will roughly match
adoption of feature phones (the more basic, functional phones with limited web and app
capabilities).
U.S. Smartphone Penetration & Projections

5. Smartphone competition is expanding the audience that can access rich content.

Mobile ad network AdMob noted U.S. ad impressions on Google’s Android operating
system reached 46% of the total in March, compared to 39% for the iPhone operating
system, marking the first time Android surpassed the iPhone. Also consider Myxer,
which has served 34 million consumers 1.3 billion downloads of free mobile content.
Skewing toward a younger audience, it has seen a disproportionate share of downloads
and traffic coming from BlackBerry devices. BlackBerry has proved especially popular
with this demographic in large part thanks to the interest in BlackBerry Messenger
(BBM), its instant messenger service.
6. Mobile is designed to be the most integrated marketing medium the world has ever
known.
Along with the integration of the various channels within mobile, to be most effective
mobile should integrate with as many other kinds of media as are included in a
campaign or program, including online, TV, radio, print and out of home. Mobile devices
are always on and accessed everywhere, and the portability alone makes mobile unlike
any other form of media. Mobile marketing has near limitless potential to contribute to
and build on other marketing programs.
7. Mobile is great for branding
thanks to several factors: deep engagement, minimal ad clutter and new and constantly
evolving advertising experiences. Dynamic Logic found that its mobile MarketNorms
across various brand metrics consistently surpassed online norms.
8. Mobile marketing matters in any vertical,


with any goal. A consumer packaged goods marketer can use mobile display and video
ads for branding, SMS for couponing and applications for consideration. Retailers can
similarly use mobile in different ways, whether they’re trying to drive consumers to the
store or launch a new product line. InsightExpress further quantified some of these
effects, showing strong performance across brand metrics for marketers in six vertical
industries.
9. Mobile marketing is more than just a single marketing channel.

Consider online marketing, where search, video and social media are all very different
disciplines. The same is true of mobile, and these various forms tend to intersect.
Coupons can be delivered via text messages that link to mobile barcodes. Mobile display
ads often promote applications. Mobile social marketing programs can include video and
mobile search, and tend to run in conjunction with a range of other promotions.
Mobile vs. Online

10. The twenty-first century is the century of mobile.
The “year of mobile” phrase is played out, but it has been true for some time now. The
International Telecommunication Union wrote in its 1999 Annual Report, “If 1999 was the
year of the Internet, it was also the year of mobile cellular.” Since then, there have been
several milestones as the number of text messages sent annually rises well into the
trillions and mobile ad spending nears the billion-dollar mark. The past few years of
innovation have brought the iPhone with its continual improvements, pervasive Android
devices and mobile social services that have consumed much of the bandwidth of the
mobile Web. The milestones will keep coming at a breathtaking pace.
Campaign Effectiveness – Brand Metrics by Vertical


THE FUTURE OF MOBILE CONTENT & COMMERCE
By Noah Elkin
Senior Analyst
eMarketer
Remember when ringtones were all the rage? No one thought twice about dropping $3 to get 15
seconds of a song because it was a quick and easy way to personalize your phone. Indeed,
through 2007, revenues piled up for music publishers and wireless carriers alike thanks to the
rush to personalization, peaking at more than $700 million, according to SNL Kagan.
Much of this purchasing activity took place “on deck”– the categorized links that came bundled
with web-enabled phones. Carrier decks offered benefits to users and marketers alike. First,
they enabled marketers to place content and applications with easy reach, meaning users did

not have to engage in long (and, at the time, expensive) browsing sessions to find music,
games, news or weather. Second, purchases conveniently went right on users’ phone bills,
putting access to that content ecosystem within a few clicks. But carrier decks were walled
gardens by another name, and ultimately that translated into constraints for the end user.
The launch of the iPhone in June 2007 made those constraints more apparent. Although it was
by no means the first web-enabled phone, the iPhone broke new ground as a contentconsumption device. The built-in Safari browser brought a desktop-like experience to mobile,
unlocking a world of media experiences that previously had been imperfectly realized at best.
Integration with first the iTunes Store and subsequently the AppStore gave consumers new
options for accessing music, games and video on their mobile devices, and new modes for
marketers to engage their audience with branded applications.
Apple’s model of tight integration between hardware, software and services has helped to ignite
the mobile value chain, spurring adoption of devices with dramatically improved feature sets. At
the end of Q1 2010, Nielsen found that just under 25% of the U.S. mobile subscriber population


had a smartphone. That number is forecast to rise to 49% by Q3 2011, as device manufacturers
and wireless carriers increase their marketing push to graduate users to higher-value devices
and data plans. The success of Apple’s iPad, and the anticipated launch of other tablet-style
form factors, will further consolidate media consumption on mobile devices.
Increased smartphone ownership is driving growth in mobile Internet usage. According to
eMarketer projections, 142.1 million mobile users, representing 54% of the U.S. mobile user
population, will access the web from their mobile devices in 2014, up from 85.5 million in 2010.

Content consumption will likewise increase at a rapid pace. By 2014, eMarketer predicts that
U.S. mobile gamers, music listeners and video viewers will number 94.9 million, 52.2 million and
56.7 million, respectively. Moreover, what these mobile content consumers buy and how they
buy it is also evolving, driven in part by advances in mobile devices and networks and in part
because of broader secular developments in digital content. For example, mobile users are
talking less than ever before and using more data-centric functions such as texting and social
networks to communicate. The decline in voice calling has hurt ringtone sales.

At the same time, the combination of increasingly ubiquitous broadband access and the steady
migration of content to the “cloud” means that mobile consumers are moving more in the
direction of “accessing” content rather than owning it, emulating a trend begun on the desktop
with software and services. Paid and ad-supported streaming services such as Pandora,
YouTube and Hulu offer access to vast content libraries that would be far costlier to replicate
through purchases. This shift heralds the rise of subscription and pay-peruse payment plans
and boosts the potential of ad-supported and hybrid monetization models.

Bottom line: Consumers will continue to pay for content on mobile devices. But whom they
pay, what they pay for and how they pay for it are starting to evolve as quickly as the devices on
which they consume it.


CHAPTER 2: PLANNING IN MOBILE MARKETING
Creating an Integrated Mobile Marketing Program
When planning a mobile marketing program, questions will arise as to which channels, tactics
and vendors are most appropriate to incorporate. Marketers can embark on a mobile plan by
answering four questions that lead to a much broader number of decisions involved in figuring
out how to make the most out of mobile. These questions together comprise the Mobile
Marketing Strategic Lens.

1. What are your goals for mobile marketing?
Are your goals centered more around branding or direct response marketing? Do you
need massive reach for the mobile program to be effective? What does the end result
look like if the mobile program is successful? What kind of commitment will you make
upfront in terms of the staffing and budget allocated? Do you have the time to fully
optimize the program? Are you seeking massive scale for impressions, clicks,
engagement or app downloads within a brief campaign flight? Answering these
questions at the onset will help ensure mobile fulfills its potential as part of your
marketing plan.

2. How is your audience using mobile?
Beyond talking, what are consumers doing with their mobile devices? Which handsets
and operating systems are they most likely to use? Are they likely to text, take pictures,
search, play games, use social media, read news, look for local businesses, surf the
web, download apps, scan barcodes or participate in other activities? With whatother
media, including traditional media, does your target audience engage? It’s critical to
understand your audience and how they are utilizing mobile when creating your plan.
3. How can you use your arsenal in mobile?


What assets do you have that might make sense to incorporate? Do you have stores or
other channel partners? Do you have apps or a mobile-friendly website? What other
digital branded experiences do you have, perhaps across social networks? Mobile
bridges digital and physical worlds, so consider tangible, real-world assets: products,
out-of-home or print ads, retail stores and live events.
4. Does it follow mobile marketing best practices?
Does the program adhere to how consumers are using mobile media? Does it use the
functionality of mobile devices? Does the experience translate well both to the smaller
screen size and then the broader real-world landscape where consumers use their
mobile devices? What kind of value does it provide to the consumer – information on a
new product or service, entertainment, or a discount on merchandise, among many
other options?
Marketers who have read 360i’s Social Marketing Playbook may notice some similarities
between the lens above and the Social Marketing Strategic Lens, which is also discussed in the
section on Mobile Social Marketing. The tenets of both are similar, but each lens is designed to
address the specific demands of its respective marketing discipline.
Using research and insights to uncover opportunities in mobile
Forrester Research called 2010 the “year that every firm needs a mobile strategy.”
Understanding the current mobile landscape, relevant consumer trends, and what competitors
are doing will help you avoid wasted dollars and increase the impact your program, has on the

target audience.
Consumer insights
As consumers increasingly rely on their mobile devices, understanding audiences’ motivations
in mobile and aligning strategies to these new and changing behaviors will result in the most
effective programs. Specifically, this means defining the mobile persona of your target.With
limited screen real estate to leverage, having a deep understanding of your customers’ mobile
usage and motivations will allow you to offer true value exchange that will delight - rather than
distract - your audiences.
The types of intelligence that will help paint a picture of your consumer’s mobile persona
include:
•

The size and composition of your mobile audience:
o
o

•

How many consumers can you reach within your target demographic?
What are trends for how your target audience indexes with mobile usage?

Operating system and handset usage:
o

Does your target use iPhone, BlackBerry or Android devices?


o

How are adoption rates trending for each?

Understanding Mobile Usage
Mobile Activity for Moms Online

Moms over-index heavily for sending and receiving picture mail and gaming, but the most popular non-voice use of
mobile for this segment is texting. Source: Nielsen/NetRatings @Plan

•

Usage insights - understanding how your consumers use their devices:
o

Which mixture of SMS, e-mail, mobile web, applications and other mobile
channels do they use?

o

When are consumers engaging with mobile? What days and dayparts show the
most activity?

o

How much time do consumers spend using their mobile devices?

o

What are their go-to mobile sites and applications?

o

How prevalent is search usage?

o

How likely are they to use geolocation services?

o

How likely are they to play games?

o

Do your consumers complete transactions via mobile devices? How do they
shop?

o

Do they extend their multimedia consumption (music, video, etc.) to mobile?


The most common device for females 25-34 is the Blackberry, followed by Apple’s iPhone. Source: comScore
MobileLens

Resources for gathering syndicated research include comScore, Nielsen//NetRatings, the
Mobile Marketing Association and Forrester Research.
Competitive intelligence
Given the nascent nature of mobile marketing tools and techniques, it can be very beneficial to
study what other marketers are doing. There’s no need to limit yourself to direct competitors
either. It may be just as valuable to learn from others in the category as well as from other
industries to see how various marketers are reaching their audiences via mobile channels.

Syndicated tools such as comScore offer detailed perspectives on what other marketers are
doing in mobile. These tools often include information on brands and industries that are the
most active in mobile, with overviews of the creative they’re running and what publishers they
partner with.
Staying ahead of the curve
Research, especially in an emerging arena such as mobile, is not a one-time endeavor. The
market is evolving, new marketing models are being developed, and devices are quickly
acquiring new features and functionality. When planning a mobile program, look at the most
recent data, but also try to discern trends at least six months ahead to see what’s coming.
Events such as a new iPhone release, offers from different mobile providers, new entrants in the
tablet market and fast Android growth can be taken into account when developing a forwardlooking mobile program. Testing new opportunities now can lead to a sizable advantage in the
longer term.
Conclusion
The near ubiquity of mobile has made it necessary for any brand that regularly interacts with


consumers to consider a mobile marketing strategy. But mobile marketing doesn’t have to be a
mystery. Taking the time to investigate the landscape, examine consumer interactions with their
devices and monitor competitive moves will reduce the unknowns and provide a solid base on
which to launch, test and optimize an effective mobile program.

CHAPTER 3: MOBILE SEARCH
KEY FACT Google mobile search volume is up 500% in past 2 years
GOALS IT ACHIEVES Sales, purchase consideration, drive to store, content download
BEST INTEGRATION Points Applications, mobile shopping
As mobile devices have become more sophisticated and easier to use, mobile search has
become the starting point for consumers on the go. It’s often a good entry point for marketers
just getting started with mobile campaigns, and it only becomes more important for marketers
with a fully developed mobile presence. Build on an online search program by understanding
the best ways to use mobile paid search and search engine optimization.

Mobile paid search
According to the Kelsey Group’s Mobile Market View Report, nearly 60% of all activities on
mobile devices are search-related, making search one of the best ways to reach consumers in
mobile.
Before tackling a mobile search plan, it’s critical to understand how mobile paid search differs
from its traditional web-based counterpart:
•

There is less competition within mobile search, but there are also fewer ads per page
across both feature phones and smartphones.

•

Calls to action and user experience can vary based on objective. For instance, click-tocall and click-to-map don’t need to point to a mobile site.

•

Shorter search queries means there are greater demands for relevancy and
understanding intent.

•

The constantly accessible devices lead to gr eater immediacy with consumers’ needs.

•

Shorter creative means marketers must get their point across faster.

Mobile search is evolving in several different ways:
•

Mobile search is especially useful for local queries. Whether they include local
modifiers (such as a city name or zip code), consumers looking for “JCPenney” on their
mobile phone will expect to find one in their area. The Kelsey Group reported that about
one in three mobile searches has local intent.

•

No matter how much better mobile phone keyboards get, mobile users will keep their
queries shorter when they can. Optimization in natural and paid search around higher


volume keywords will be especially competitive.
•

Voice search is making an impact, and all the major search engines incorporate it. A
range of other companies have developed offerings here, including Jingle Networks’
FREE-411 directory assistance, Naturally Speaking’s Dragon Search application and
Apple’s Siri. Expect renewed innovation in this area during the next two to three years.

•

SMS search is still relevant for feature phones, where users text a query such as for
business listings or stock quotes and then receive results. Given that there’s a brief
delay between the query and response, these queries will diminish as smartphones
dominate the market.

•

On Google Android-powered devices, a search button is built into the phone’s

hardware, making it possible to conduct searches instantly no matter what the consumer
does within the mobile experience. Mobile search listings can in turn appear during a
wide range of activities beyond searching from a mobile engine, such as when searching
for driving directions or using various applications.

Activities Conducted on Mobile Devices (as a % of mobile users)

•

The results pages themselves will continue to evolve to showcase more mobile-specific
content. For instance, in June, Google added application links to its mobile search
results, with links to download apps directly from Apple’s App Store or Google’s Android
Market.


A search for local hair salons shows how marketers can use coupons to enhance their mobile location listing.

For select marketers, here’s when to include mobile search as part of your marketing mix:
•

Retail/QSR marketers
For marketers trying to drive in-store traffic and sales, mobile search is a great starting
point. According to Google’s Retail Advertising Blog, 54% of users who researched
online but bought offline used their mobile device to conduct their search.

•

Travel marketers
Travel companies can leverage mobile search to capitalize on the popularity of travel to
provide information such as flight searches and transactions such as booking of airline

tickets.

•

Entertainment marketers
Entertainment companies can promote movie listings, theater locations, TV tune-in
reminders, album releases, concerts and other live events.

•

Consumer packaged goods marketers
Within mobile search, marketers can enhance their search listings to include special
information and offers such as coupons to incentivize users. (Learn more about coupons
in Commerce & Shopping.)

Mobile paid search best practices


1. Group mobile campaigns separately.
They tend to perform differently from online search campaigns, and you’ll often want to
adjust the rules accordingly.
2.

Broaden your scope.
Mobile search volume tends to be significantly lower than online search for most
keywords, so to achieve the best reach you’ll want to target queries more broadly,
include more high-volume queries and possibly include additional keywords.

3. Go local.
If geotargeting matters at all for you with online search, it’s going to be vital for mobile.

4. Incorporate mobile functionality into the creative.
Click-to-call was somewhat useful online, but it’s poised to play a pronounced role in
mobile search. Anytime a consumer would benefit by talking to a person, from a booking
agent to someone at a local store, click-to-call can potentially improve conversion rates.
5. Target immediate needs.
Mobile Marketer reported that 70% of mobile search users complete their task after one
hour, compared to 30% on the PC. Make sure copy and landing pages are useful for
consumers looking to meet their needs right at that moment. Microsoft’s Doug McMillen
told Mobile Marketer,
“As a marketer you need to be there when a user needs you most. There’s a
huge payoff in terms of emotional connection with a brand if you’re right there at
the top of the listings and help the user accomplish their task easily when they’re
highly motivated to connect with you.”
Mobile search engine optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) has evolved significantly over the last two years, extending
beyond commonplace activities such as title and META tag optimization to include diverse
methods that keep pace with the changing search landscape. Mobile search builds on the basic
techniques, though it involves many new considerations to capitalize on mobile devices’ design
and functionality.
Optimizing a mobile website, regardless of the markup language, still centers around the core
tactics one applies to traditional HTML websites. Core optimization techniques such as title tag
creation, proper use of META tags, sufficient keyword density in copy, the proper use of HTML
page headings, and link development remain vital for greater natural search visibility. With core
onsite factors in mind, brands should focus on efforts that impact smartphones and the next
generation of mobile users.
When managing multiple versions of a website through one content management system, many


of the onsite SEO best practices incorporated into a traditional website can be ported to the
mobile version. However, due to the prevalence of dynamic content types such as maps or

mobile applications, there are several SEO considerations that are specifically applicable to
mobile search.
Mobile SEO considerations
•

With smartphones and other mobile devices maintaining full browser capabilities (with
JavaScript), brands should look to optimize mobile sites for the future. XHTML Basic 1.1,
XHTML MP 1.2 and HTML5 are good choices for new mobile site development.

•

Utilize browser/user agent detection methods to redirect mobile users to the appropriate
mobile version of your website.

•

How fast a website loads can impact how well your site ranks. Web browsing speeds
can in turn impact click-through and abandonment rates on mobile devices. Providing
users with a simplified mobile version (WAP, XHTML, etc.), which limits the use of large
images and other elements that slow page load, can gr eatly improve user interaction
and time spent on site.

•

Searching for local information such as business locations and directions is one of the
most popular mobile activities. Local directory submissions are critical for brands to
maintain accurate listings within map applications such as Google Maps.

•

As mobile naturally aligns with a searcher’s location, more emphasis will be prioritized
on geotargeted landing page development and customization.

•

Traditional SEO on-site best practices are still applicable. The proverbial spine of your
web page is the title tag. Instead of long 120-character titles, consider focusing on the
primary three keywords and limit your mobile site titles to 50 to 70 characters in length.

•

Build dedicated landing pages for mobile applications that auto-detect browsers and
devices and can automatically load the appropriate application storefront. This will make
it easier for a user to download and install the app. It can even prove to be beneficial for
non-mobile users.

•

Evaluate where social media content is influencing the mobile audience and develop a
participation and value exchange strategy to gain more real-time exposure or links.

•

If your website utilizes a significant amount of rich Internet applications or suffers from
congestion of information, consider building a mobile version that simplifies navigation
and provides access to the most recent content.

Looking to the future with HTML5
As more brands adopt HTML5, new markup definitions and features will allow for simplified site
management and may lead to the extinction of mobile markup languages such as WAP. While

they’re several years away from becoming mainstream, HTML5 and CSS3 (cascading style
sheets) can allow webmasters to create and manage one website that performs efficiently on
mobile and traditional desktop devices.
Less Framework, an HTML5-powered CSS framework for building smart website layouts for
varying screen widths, is one way to build a flexible multi-column website that intelligently
collapses into a single column for small screen devices such as smartphones. As we collectively
move closer to an HTML5-rich world, mobile and desktop experiences will become less
fragmented and the application of SEO will become much more efficient as the lines dissolve.
More on HTML5 is found later in this Playbook in the chapter on Mobile Applications.
Traditional Site

MTV’s traditional site includes navigation and content that prove difficult to use in a mobile browser (if the mobile
browser defaults to the original website).

Mobile Version


The mobile version of MTV.com, which loads automatically in most mobile browsers, streamlines navigation and
optimizes content across all channels.

Conclusion
Marketers with experience in paid search and SEO can maintain their competitive advantage by
constantly applying the latest mobile search best practices. Waiting until mobile search mirrors
the scale of online search could make it harder to catch up later.

CHAPTER 4: SMS MARKETING
KEY FACT Texting is more than twice as popular as mobile browsing or app usage
GOALS IT ACHIEVES Deal alerts, event reminders, persistent CRM to develop

relationships
BEST INTEGRATION POINTS In-store, out-of-home, TV, radio
Even with all of the bells and whistles on headline-grabbing smartphones, SMS (or text
messaging) still reigns as the most popular mobile activity. It’s the most universal functionality,
given that SMS is available on almost every mobile phone, from lower-end feature phones to
the priciest smartphones. comScore reports 65% of mobile subscribers send text messages,
compared to about 30% using the browser and downloading apps.
Mobile Content Usage

For marketers, SMS marketing has the lowest barrier to entry. Once the messaging platform is
in place, there is no creative development needed beyond copywriting.
Anyone who’s encountered a teenager in the past few years won’t be surprised that texting is
especially popular with younger consumers. The Pew Internet & American Life Project reports
that American teens 12-17 contact peers daily via texting (54%) more than any other
communication channel, including calling on mobile phones (38%), talking face-to-face (33%)
and interacting via email (11%).
It’s hardly just for teens though. An April 2010 study by Merkle found that 63% of U.S. adults 3039 text, as do 49% of adults 40-49. Additionally, 26% of U.S. adults have opted in to receive
commercial messages on their mobile phones with an average of three companies sending
them mobile messages monthly.


How SMS fits in with marketing plans
There are several ways that brands can utilize SMS as part of their marketing mix. Below are
some approaches to consider.
Building an SMS list for further communication
Branded shortcodes: A marketer registers a five- or six-digit number, or shortcode, which
often relates to its brand as it’s spelled out on the keypad, such as 262966 for AMAZON.
Consumers can send a text message to that number to opt in to updates or engage with the
marketer. Marketers benefit from owning their brand name, but it’s relatively costly and a
lengthier setup process compared to other forms of SMS marketing.

Shared shortcodes: Marketers can also run campaigns on shared codes. For instance,
Facebook enables marketers to have consumers become a fan of their page by texting “like”
and the page name to 32665 (FBOOK). It’s one shortcode that can be used with millions of
pages, as each page has its own unique name. Facebook has tried out offering physical decals
for marketers to place in their store windows (see image below), and marketers can use the
same messaging in other channels, such as email. With either form of shortcode use, the
biggest advantage is the integration potential. SMS callouts can appear in: out-of-home
marketing, point of sale locations, TV, radio, print, online display, email and social marketing. In
that sense, shortcodes are the most adaptable forms of mobile media, and of any form of
media.

Facebook offers a common shortcode (32665, or FBOOK) that any marketer can use to promote their Facebook
page.

SMS contest entries: Brands can offer users the option to text in exchange for a contest entry.
Universal Home Entertainment ran an SMS remarketing campaign for the launch of their DVD
“Bring It On: Fight to the Finish.” Website visitors were encouraged to text “BringItOn” to enter to
win a prize pack. In doing so, Universal was also able to collect opt-ins for an SMS reminder
when the DVD went on sale. This is a great example of how brands can drive SMS opt-ins
through another form of advertising (TV, Print, OOH or digital).


Myxer promoted Universal Home Entertainment’s “Bring It On: Fight to the Finish” with SMS-based prizes.

Utilizing an existing SMS platform as a way to reach your target consumer
SMS Advertising: Marketers can append their messages to content that consumers subscribe
to via SMS (e.g. news alerts, sports scores, horoscopes, etc). The ads can be used for a range
of purposes, from building up the marketer’s own SMS opt-in list to driving traffic or
engagement.
Marketers can also buy ad space from mobile search providers such as ChaCha, a service that

allows users to text questions in to “242242” (ChaCha) and receive answers back via SMS. The
questions are categorized (e.g. travel, entertainment, local geographies) and brands can
append their message to the answer the user receives to their question. This type of program
can work for any brand looking to align with specific content (e.g. health insurance marketers
targeting health questions, or a theatrical new release targeting entertainment questions).
Marketers can use SMS to align their brand with an activity that appeals to their target audience.
In late 2009, State Farm sponsored a SMS-driven game at a University of Kansas football
game. Fans were encouraged to text in to show their school allegiance. State Farm was able to
follow up with participants later via mobile. When considering SMS, marketers should limit the
focus of their programs to content that aligns with their target consumer’s mobile behavior.

Ads appended to SMS alerts allow consumers to opt in to marketing promotions and content. Image source: 4INFO


State Farm encouraged fans to text in to show their college football allegiance. Image source: Mobile Marketer

Marketing options for text message content
Even with the limited character space, marketers have many options for the content they
distribute and promote via SMS:
•

Text content, such as product information, informative tips, polls or trivia questions

•

Links going to a mobile website

•

Links to maps, such as for store locators

•

Click-to-call links, leading consumers to retail stores or call centers

•

Multimedia, such as images, videos or ringtones

•

Coupons, from codes that can be entered by the consumer or cashier, or a link to a
barcode that can be scanned

SMS can work well for time-sensitive promotions, such as in this American Idol tune-in reminder. Image source:
iPhonematters.com

SMS marketing best practices


1. Stay relevant
When targeting content with any SMS publisher, ensure that your message belongs
there.
2. Ask permission
Always obtain consent in the form of an opt-in before messaging to users. SMS
messages can cost money, so it’s important that the recipients know what they’ve signed
up for and understand the implications.
3. Offer something of value
The last thing users want is spam on their phones. Offer something they care about in
exchange for permission to reach out to them (e.g., a coupon code or a link to exclusive

content).
4. Use it for time sensitive events
Interested users will appreciate the reminder.
Conclusion
SMS provides a turnkey way for marketers to tie together a variety of programs. On its own,
SMS may not create a large impact, but when used in conjunction with other types of media,
creative and content, it can create a path through which users can become more deeply
engaged with your brand.

CHAPTER 5: MOBILE ADVERTISING
KEY FACT U.S. mobile display ad spending will top $1.2 billion by 2015 (ABI Research)
GOALS IT ACHIEVES Branding, engagement, content download, mobile web traffic
BEST INTEGRATION POINTS Online display, apps, video
The mobile medium has the potential to bring to life the power of digital advertising and unleash
a renaissance of creativity and innovation. Within mobile there are opportunities for display, rich
media, video and in-game, plus constant advancements as new players and devices emerge.
Like the rest of the online media world, the process of deciding which tactics make the most
sense should tie back to campaign objectives and an understanding of the target audience, as
discussed in Planning in Mobile Marketing.
This chapter will provide an overview of mobile advertising opportunities, explore how each
media tactic compares to its desktop counterpart, offer frameworks for evaluating when to
include each in your plan and review overall best practices. Finally there will be an overview of
what can be measured to gauge success based on the goals of your campaign.
Targeting options


Mobile marketing offers various ways to help advertisers find their audience. As with online, you
can reach users based on location, demographic information, content and publisher (app or
WAP), but you can also target particular devices and carriers. Here are some targeting methods
that you can employ across many forms of mobile advertising:

Geolocation
•

Marketers can locate users in several ways, such as through GPS or wireless tower
signals, check-ins at local businesses through social applications, and by using ZIP
codes or localities entered in search or weather queries.

Carrier
•

Marketers can specify which mobile providers they would like to target.

Handset/Operating System
•

Marketers can select if they want to target users of the iPhone or select BlackBerry
devices, or users of the Android operating system.

Demographic
•

By tapping into non-personally identifiable information provided by the carriers,
marketers can select if they want to target men or women in a certain age range.

Contextual
•

Marketers can display ads next to relevant content within the app or site.

Behavioral

•

Behavioral targeting is still in its infancy due t o limitations on tracking users from app-toapp and app-to-WAP. However, companies like Millennial Media offer solutions that can
track users’ movements from WAP-to-WAP. Millennial MYDAS™ Audience utilizes user
profiles, opt-in survey data and publisher-provided meta-data to create audience
segments. Furthermore, it is widely speculated that eventually marketers will be able to
tap into iTunes-rendered user behaviors and run an iAd campaign to target users.
Despite these advances, mobile browsing behaviors differ from online, and curr ently
there is no way to track or target users fr om online to mobile or vice versa.

Publisher-created targeting
•

Publishers often offer their own custom targeting vehicles, and for mobile it’s no
different. For example, Pandora launched its own iPad app that enables marketers to
target ads by gender, age, location, type of music and time of day . Similar to full-screen
rich media units such as iAd and Greystripe’s Immersion Ads, when a user clicks on an
ad within the iPad app, the ad will open a new page without interrupting the streaming
music. Some of the initial sponsors include Starbucks, Lexus and Budweiser.


Mobile display
Mobile display encompasses any type of banner advertising that takes place on mobile websites
or within applications. According to ABI Research, spending on mobile display is expected to
grow from $313 million today to $1.2 billion by 2015, fueled by the growth of U.S. adult Internet
usage.
Buying mobile display
Mobile display can be priced on CPM (cost per thousand impressions), CPC (cost-per-click), or,
in some cases, cost per engagement (CPE) or cost-per-download (CPD). Like buying traditional
online media, brands should consider which type of pricing will help them accomplish their

goals.
•

CPM – buying guaranteed impressions: CPM media is good for branding campaigns
where it’s important to achieve a specific impression level and/or run on specific sites.

•

CPC – buying clicks: CPC media works for marketers who want to guarantee traffic to
their mobile landing page, but who may not be as concerned with where their
advertisements run.

•

CPE or CPD – buying ad engagement or downloads of a mobile app: Similar to CPC
advertising, CPE or CPD ensures that a mobile program will deliver the exact action that
a marketer is seeking. This type of pricing is good for brands that have invested in
interactive creative and want their target audience to interact with their brand within the
unit. It also works for marketers who have mobile apps and are interested in driving
downloads.

The majority of mobile inventory is currently sold through mobile ad networks. Similar to the
early days of online display advertising, networks provide a way for publishers to sell inventory
on their mobile sites without dedicating a sales force to it. As mobile inventory and advertiser
interest in the medium increases, however, more publishers may opt to sell it on their own.
Mobile ad networks provide reach and scale to marketers looking to buy within the channel.
Because the channel is still new, there aren’t standard creative specs or sizes. Mobile ad
networks help marketers navigate the landscape and serve as a one-stop shop. As with any ad
network, the trade-off for marketers is less control over where the ads run, but marketers can
mitigate this by excluding sites or specific content that isn’t appropriate for their brand.

There are a handful of publishers such as The New York Times, CNN, Weatherbug and
Photobucket that are able to sell mobile inventory on their own. This works for marketers looking
to round out an existing offline or online buy with that publisher, or for marketers who have
custom offerings. It is difficult to scale with publisher-direct buys because inventory levels are
still relatively low.