| With smart phone usage rising steadily both in the U.S. | | | | a carrier-branded store later this year and Sony |
| and worldwide there's been a lot of buzz about mobile | | | | Ericsson adding mobile apps to its PlayNow content |
| video lately. Whether they're viewing graphics, playing | | | | offering. |
| games, watching movies or short snippets of shows, | | | | 4 - Marketers demand more accountability: High on |
| cell phone users are gravitating to a medium that most | | | | San Francisco-based online advertising firm 1020 |
| marketers have yet to tap. | | | | Placecast's list of "interactive advertising trends to |
| According to Nielsen's Three Screen Report for the | | | | watch right now" is the use of new, improved metrics |
| first quarter of 2009, the 13.4 million Americans (up 52 | | | | to measure ad performance. The company points to |
| percent from 2008) who watch videos on their phones | | | | "view-through," a method for gauging the impact of an |
| view an average of 3-1/2 hours of mobile video every | | | | ad that a consumer sees but does not click on, as a |
| month. The research firm says the growth stems from | | | | particularly useful tool for users of mobile video. |
| increased mobile content and the rise of the mobile | | | | View-through records a consumer's exposure to a |
| web as a viewing option. | | | | specific display ad, and then measures when that |
| "Smart phones and data plans are more affordable | | | | consumer returns to the advertiser's site during a later |
| than ever," says Catrina Sheridan, vice president of | | | | session. Placecast says the tool is popular among |
| products and marketing at dotMobi, a U.K.-based | | | | marketers who want a more accurate measurement |
| mobile Internet services firm, "and consumers are | | | | of their mobile video efforts. |
| developing a familiarity and comfort with mobile | | | | 5 - The medium plays well with others: Mobile video |
| content via their handsets. These factors make mobile | | | | goes hand-in-hand with YouTube by allowing |
| video very attractive for marketers." | | | | consumers to view user-generated content "on the |
| Here are six key trends that are unfolding right now in | | | | go." It also adapts well in the growing online social |
| the mobile video world that you don't want to miss: | | | | networking arena, where users share video content in |
| 1 - iPhone users are leading the charge: Equipped with | | | | a viral fashion. "Combine all of these elements," says |
| a YouTube app right on its welcome screen, the | | | | Sheridan, "and the end result is a huge, democratic |
| iPhone put mobile video on the map when it made its | | | | marketing system that's applicable for companies of all |
| debut in 2008. With its original model now priced at | | | | sizes." |
| $99, expect the iPhone to boost the number of mobile | | | | 6 - Handset makers are answering the call: Whereas |
| video users even further. "By the holiday season we | | | | smartphones with data capabilities were once the |
| expect to see a lot more consumers being able to | | | | domain of executives and the well-off, they are now |
| view videos on their cell phones," says Eyal | | | | commonplace among all consumers. "Anyone using a |
| Yechezkell, CEO at New York-based Predicto Mobile, | | | | newer phone these days can 'consume' any type of |
| which touts itself as the largest "paid" mobile | | | | media, including ringtones, graphics and videos," says |
| community. | | | | Yechezkell. "As more and more of these sophisticated |
| 2 - Mobile video isn't "one size fits all": Not all phone | | | | devices are purchased and used, marketers should be |
| models support the same video format, nor does all | | | | looking at how to promote their products via mobile |
| video appear "correctly" on the hundreds of different | | | | video and/or the mobile Web." |
| smart phones available on the market today. "Be sure | | | | With consumers checking their mobile phones the |
| the footage you shoot is supported by the audience | | | | minute they wake up in the morning, before they go to |
| you're going after," advises Sheridan. "You don't want | | | | bed and every few minutes during the day, Yechezkell |
| to create content for an iPhone audience in a format | | | | says mobile video is a medium that no marketer can |
| that the phone can't play." (Test your content before | | | | afford to miss out on. To maximize their investments in |
| publishing it by going to | | | | this arena, he says "test, test, test...and then test again" |
| 3 - Apps are gaining traction: Highly unique, with | | | | before putting any content out there for consumers to |
| focused functionality, apps for iPhone, Palm and | | | | view. |
| Blackberry users are revolutionizing the mobile | | | | "Use different types of ads to see how your audience |
| experience. Just three days after its app store | | | | reacts, and then adjust accordingly," Yechezkell says. |
| celebrated its one-year anniversary in July, Apple's | | | | "Make your call to action very clear (using a 'click here' |
| 65,000-strong app store hit the 1.5 billion download | | | | button, for example), test out different banner sizes |
| mark. Verizon Wireless and Sony Ericsson both threw | | | | and inventories to find the right niche for your product |
| their hats into the ring this year, with Verizon launching | | | | in the mobile world. |