Mobile Ads Need to Deliver Brand Metrics Beyond CTR

Mobile Internet has become an integral part of today’s lifestyle. Whether it’s news, connecting with friends on social media or watching videos, consumers want to access everything in real time. In fact, for millions in India, the mobile is their first and only screen available and with an insatiable appetite for cricket and “all things movies”, mobile video snacking is fast catching up.

Mobile video drives 66 percent of all global data traffic; data traffic from Asia Pacific alone is expected to grow at a 76 percent compound annual growth rate. With other key factors working in favor—affordable handsets, cheaper data plans, and better networks—the demand for video will grow exponentially.

Marketers understand the importance of engaging consumers through mobile and recognize that reaching the right target audience through mobile advertising can be very effective. Data analytics can provide all sorts of granular data to help advertisers tailor campaigns for the right demographics, at the right time, and with the right products. Mobile phones better engage viewers as compared with desktops. The availability of un-buffered, local content also fuels mobile video watching to draw a captive audience.

Despite the excitement around mobile, however, brands have yet to realize the full potential of mobile advertising. For example, the lack of metrics to determine the effectiveness of campaigns holistically is especially challenging. CTR (click-through-rates) have long been the default measurement but do not reveal information such as brand attention, brand recall, engagement and purchase intent. In fact, up to 50 percent of the impressions created on a static mobile banner ad are from accidental clicks or “fat finger” taps, according to GoldSpot Media.

At the end of a campaign, questions often linger in the minds of brand managers: “What did this mobile ad campaign do for my brand?, How do I know if the money is well spent?, Did the campaign help meet my overall marketing goals?”.

A recent study executed by research firm Millward Brown demonstrated that useful brand metrics beyond just CTR can be achieved on the mobile platform. The study included an analysis of a mobile video ad campaign by one of India’s leading toothbrush brands. Mobile users were invited to participate in the study. They responded to questions about the toothbrush brand before and after exposure to the brand’s mobile video ad campaign. Half of the participants were exposed to a banner advertisement of the product, while the other half also known as the control group was not.

The results of this study revealed that brand favorability was 7.9 percent higher among the exposed group as compared to the control group. Also, purchase intent amongst the participants went up by 11.1 percent. This type of information can help marketers analyze campaign success and improve future campaigns. Brand managers can also ensure their mobile advertisements are delivering the biggest bang for the buck.

Undoubtedly, this study shows that holistic brand metrics impact the effectiveness of mobile campaigns and the measurement of success. As mobile technology and content channels evolve, brand metrics must accommodate for these changes. For example, greater localization and personalization of content is becoming an increasingly critical driver of strong consumer engagement. According to an Interactive Advertising Bureau Study, relevance of location and brand preference made mobile ads most appealing to consumers.

In addition, the mobile audience no longer simply consumes media and content; it actively participates in the real-time creation and sharing of it. With these trends in mind, let’s give brand managers tools they need to develop successful mobile advertising campaigns – starting with brand metrics beyond click-through-rates.

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