HEADLINES
Chevrolet Partners with Zumobi and Motor Trend to Power Integrated Mobile Campaign
Campaign results in 37% Engagement Rate; 3x industry benchmarks SEATTLE, WA – February 28, 2013 – Zumobi, a leading mobile media company, today announced results for the mobile initiativ...
Campaign results in 37% Engagement Rate; 3x industry benchmarks
SEATTLE, WA – February 28, 2013 – Zumobi, a leading mobile media company, today announced results for the mobile initiative of the Chevrolet Technology Series campaign, an innovative content advertising experience that ran across Motor Trend’s print magazine, website, iOS and Android apps. The Zumobi Brand Integration (ZBi) campaign yielded an unprecedented 37% engagement rate, which means that more than one out of every three people interacted with the native mobile ad experience. With a level of engagement that exceeds conventional desktop display and mobile web campaigns, this ad creative not only showcases Zumobi’s unique capabilities in translating traditional advertising to the mobile platform but also highlights the power of big content on the small screen.
“We presented Zumobi with a challenge to preserve the creative elements of our print and online campaign to create a cohesive brand identity across mediums and yet build a unique experience that addresses the specific usability and content aspects for mobile,” said Carolin Probst-Iyer, Manager Digital Consumer Engagement at General Motor’s Chevrolet Division. “They far exceeded our expectations on mobile. The results of a 37% engagement rate are a testament to the success of this campaign, and the ZBi platform.”
Statistical highlights of the Chevrolet Technology Series ZBi mobile campaign include:
• 37% overall mobile engagement rate, meaning that more than one-third of people interacted with the Chevrolet ZBi campaign
• Click-Through Rates (CTR) as high as 11.2% for the ZBi expandable Paso Doble ad units
• 6.8% of users saved the integrated content experience to their home screen via the ZBi Footprint feature, creating a leave-behind app on their mobile device
• People spent as high as 6.4 minutes interacting with the Chevrolet ZBi ads
The Chevrolet Technology Series campaign yielded engagement stats three times the industry benchmark of 12.8% for mobile rich-media ads as reported by Mobile Marketer and more than thirteen times the average CTR of standard mobile banners.
"Innovation and creativity have always been at the heart of great advertising and the Chevrolet Technology Series is a perfect example of this, said Ken Willner, CEO of Zumobi. We are thrilled to have partnered with Chevrolet, Chevrolet’s advertising agency Commonwealth, and Motor Trend on this breakthrough campaign and that our Zumobi Brand Integration Platform brought it to an enthusiastic mobile audience.”
Chevrolet selected Zumobi in partnership with Source Interlink Media, Motor Trend’s parent company, and Commonwealth to translate the six-part print advertorial series to mobile. The campaign, which revealed new chapters of branded editorial content in a staggered fashion from July through October 2012, was highly targeted to an audience of car enthusiasts across Motor Trend’s properties. From the topic of design to the technology behind the Chevrolet Volt powertrain, the series presented readers exclusive insight into how the Chevrolet team pioneered engineering advancements across their portfolio of vehicles.
The immersive app-within-an-app experience begins with users being presented with a Chevrolet branded loading screen and rich media ZBi expandable Paso Doble banner and then directs attention to the exclusive editorial content with a dashboard-like landing site within the app. Featuring custom content modules for each of the six experiences, in-app navigation allowed people to check out all past content that had already been unlocked. The ZBi Footprint feature was key to the campaign, enabling people to save the ad tile to their home screen and revisit Chevrolet’s content at any time. Visit http://vimeo.com/60031147 to view the campaign in action.
About Zumobi
Zumobi is a leading mobile media company that partners with top media brands to publish applications and provide integrated advertising experiences on next-generation smartphones and connected devices. Zumobi's portfolio of applications comprise The Zumobi Network, a premium mobile app network that offers brand advertisers a high-quality, transparent and brand safe environment to showcase their brands and engage with their audiences. Through Zumobi's Brand Integration (ZBi) rich media ad platform, the company enables leading advertisers to truly connect with consumers in a way that is highly immersive, yet organic to the app experience. To learn more, visit www.zumobi.com or follow Zumobi on Twitter @Zumobi.
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.5 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
About Motor Trend
Motor Trend, a publication of Source Interlink Media, LLC, was founded in 1949 and has a circulation of 1.1 million and a total readership of 7 million. Internationally recognized as one of the leading brands in automotive publishing, MOTOR TREND comprises Motor Trend Magazine; the award-winning website motortrend.com; the Motor Trend YouTube Channel; Motor Trend Radio; Truck Trend; Motor Trend Classic; Motor Trend International Auto Shows; Motor Trend en Espanol; and the renowned Motor Trend Car, Truck, and SUV of the Year Awards program. The MotorTrend.com website attracts more than 5.5 million unique visitors per month and its YouTube channel averages more than 1 million views a week. Motor Trend's social media presence spans 1.1 million followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google Plus. Follow along @MotorTrend.
Media Contact
Richard L. Tso Barokas PR for Zumobi Zumobi@barokas.com (206) 264-8220
Zumobi Drives Real-time NASCAR News to Race Fans with the Latest Sporting News NASCAR App
App is the Go-To Guide for current NASCAR Standings, Schedules and Driver Profiles SEATTLE, WA – May 20, 2013 – Zumobi, a leading mobile media company, today announced the latest release...
App is the Go-To Guide for current NASCAR Standings, Schedules and Driver Profiles
SEATTLE, WA – May 20, 2013 – Zumobi, a leading mobile media company, today announced the latest release of their Sporting News NASCAR app for iOS devices. With more than 1,500 races taking place at 100+ tracks this season, this comprehensive guide provides real-time standings, race results, schedules, and driver profiles allowing users to easily keep up with their favorite sport.
“From high-quality content and the likes of Bob Pockrass to the latest driver standings, this is the best on-the-go resource for the avid NASCAR fan,” said Shaun Koiner, SVP, Product Innovation at Sporting News. “We’re excited to have a platform that allows users to access our great content no matter where they are.”
Additional features include Facebook and Twitter integration, allowing users to easily brag about their favorite racers to their networks, and trending articles from the world-class writers at Sporting News to learn about the hottest happenings in NASCAR.
“Sporting News and Zumobi have been a great team in the mobile app space for the past four years and this new update to the Sporting News NASCAR app is a prime example of that.” said Ken Willner, CEO of Zumobi. “We’re delighted to partner with them once again to optimize this compelling NASCAR content for mobile screen.”
This marks the sixth app that Sporting News has partnered with Zumobi to create, with apps featuring the latest news from the MLB, NBA, NFL, and NCAA currently in the Zumobi Network. Visit the Zumobi App Gallery to view and download them all.
Be sure and visit the iTunes store to download the Sporting News NASCAR app.
About Zumobi
Zumobi is a leading mobile media company that partners with top media brands to publish applications and provide integrated advertising experiences on next-generation smartphones and connected devices. Zumobi's portfolio of applications comprise The Zumobi Network, a premium mobile app network that offers brand advertisers a high-quality, transparent and brand safe environment to showcase their brands and engage with their audiences. Through Zumobi's Brand Integration (ZBi) rich media ad platform, the company enables leading advertisers to truly connect with consumers in a way that is highly immersive, yet organic to the app experience. To learn more, visit www.zumobi.com or follow Zumobi on Twitter @Zumobi.
Media Contact
Richard L. Tso Barokas PR for Zumobi Zumobi@barokas.com (206) 264-8220
Zumobi's Marla Schimke Honored as 2013 Mobile Woman to Watch
Schimke Makes Mobile Marketer’s Coveted Annual List for Her Potential to Help Evolve the Mobile Industry SEATTLE, WA – January 15, 2013 – Zumobi, a leading mobile media company, today a...
SEATTLE, WA – January 15, 2013 – Zumobi, a leading mobile media company, today announced that Zumobi’s Vice President of Marketing, Marla Schimke, was selected by Mobile Marketer as a 2013 Mobile Women to Watch. Schimke is amongst only 25 women executives expected to make a difference in mobile advertising, marketing, media and commerce in 2013.
“I feel that as an industry, we are just now diving deep into the real potential of mobile advertising. We must think about the possibilities beyond mobile banners to help brands and publishers alike enable native experiences that are truly optimized on mobile devices,” Schimke said. “At Zumobi, our goal is to captivate consumers with brand integrated experiences on mobile as it has become the screen of choice in 2013 and beyond."
Honorees include a wide variety of women executives from brands, agencies, market researchers and mobile services such as Sephora, Rovio Entertainment, Coca-Cola, Google, BigFish Media, and Forrester Research. Although they work in different industries, these women are all role models in the mobile space and share qualities including dedication to the craft, ambition, and leadership potential.
“Gaining a spot on Mobile Marketer’s Mobile Women to Watch 2013 list is an acknowledgement of a simple truth: this executive has tremendous potential to shape the future of mobile in the year ahead, using her smarts to understand how marketing should be ahead of the consumer and not vice versa,” said Mickey Alam Khan, editor in chief of Mobile Marketer, New York. “Mobile Women to Watch honors not just the potential of this executive, but also her willingness to push the envelope to move the cause of mobile in the multichannel mix. She is a role model and an exemplar, and may influence those who follow her into doing as well or even better.”
The commemorative Mobile Marketer guide can be downloaded here: http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/opinion/classic-guides/14452.html
About Zumobi
Zumobi is a leading mobile media company that partners with top media brands to publish applications and provide integrated advertising experiences on next-generation smartphones and connected devices. Zumobi's portfolio of applications comprise The Zumobi Network, a premium mobile app network that offers brand advertisers a high-quality, transparent and brand safe environment to showcase their brands and engage with their audiences. Through Zumobi's Brand Integration (ZBi) rich media ad platform, the company enables leading advertisers to truly connect with consumers in a way that is highly immersive, yet organic to the app experience. To learn more, visit www.zumobi.com or follow Zumobi on Twitter @Zumobi.
About Mobile Marketer’s Annual Mobile Women to Watch List
Based in New York, Mobile Marketer is the world’s largest publication covering mobile advertising, marketing, media and commerce. Mobile Marketer’s Mobile Women to Watch is an annual list honoring the 25 women who show the most potential to influence and shape the future of mobile for advertising, marketing, media and retail purposes. This is the fourth annual listing.
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Contact Richard Tso Barokas PR for Zumobi Zumobi@barokas.com (206) 264-8220
Media Industry Leader Scott Crystal Joins Zumobi As Chief Revenue Officer
Former CEO of TV Guide Poised to Drive Revenue Strategy and Exponential Growth SEATTLE, WA – November 29, 2012 – Zumobi, a leading mobile media company, today announced the appointment o...
SEATTLE, WA – November 29, 2012 – Zumobi, a leading mobile media company, today announced the appointment of highly respected media veteran Scott Crystal as chief revenue officer based in their New York office. Crystal brings more than 20 years of experience in the media industry and numerous achievements driving revenue for iconic brands including TV Guide, Fast Company, National Geographic, and Ziff-Davis. In the newly created CRO position, Crystal will oversee the monetization of Zumobi’s Brand Integration (ZBi) platform and will lead all revenue generating operations.
Prior to Zumobi, Crystal served in pivotal roles at major media companies that include Vice President of National Geographic, Executive Vice President of Ziff-Davis, President of Fast Company, and CEO & President of TV Guide. Crystal began his career at the New York Times, later leaving to help launch USA Today. Most recently, Crystal led lifestyle brand The Daily Meal, as president and CRO where he oversaw nine different premium content channels. Crystal was also elected to the American Advertising Federation's Advertising Hall of Achievement for his role in elevating the perception, profile, and profits of National Geographic Magazine.
“As a respected leader in the media industry and someone that I’ve known for many years, I am thrilled to welcome Scott to the Zumobi team,” said Ken Willner, CEO of Zumobi. “Scott has an outstanding record of success at scaling emerging media businesses and I look forward to his contribution toward accelerating Zumobi’s growth trajectory.”
Crystal’s professional accomplishments include orchestrating the dramatic reinvention of the TV Guide brand, which drove higher consumer engagement, better reader demography, and sustainable profitability. He also established the Business Innovator marketing platform for Fast Company and Inc. magazines, and launched National Geographic Adventure while driving record revenues for National Geographic Magazine and National Geographic Traveler.
For over six years, Zumobi has been an innovation leader in the mobile media space. Zumobi is well positioned for significant growth as the mobile advertising industry is forecasted to almost double this year to $1.2 billion.
“Premium content publishers have recognized the importance of delivering compelling content across all digital devices and Zumobi has raised the bar with ZBi by enabling seamless brand integration into premier mobile apps,” Crystal said. “Zumobi has been ahead of the curve since they were founded in 2006 and I’m honored to join such a talented team to leverage my extensive multi-platform media experience while spearheading revenue strategies for the company.”
About Zumobi Zumobi is a leading mobile media company that partners with top media brands to publish applications and provide integrated advertising experiences on next-generation smartphones and connected devices. Zumobi's portfolio of applications comprise The Zumobi Network, a premium mobile app network that offers brand advertisers a high-quality, transparent and brand safe environment to showcase their brands and engage with their audiences. Through Zumobi's Brand Integration (ZBi) rich media ad platform, the company enables leading advertisers to truly connect with consumers in a way that is highly immersive yet organic to the app experience. To learn more, visit www.zumobi.com or follow Zumobi on Twitter @Zumobi.
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Zumobi's Premium Apps Take Home Three W3 Awards
MSN Autos Wins Coveted Gold Award; MSN Money and Sporting News NCAA Football Apps Receive Silver Awards SEATTLE, WA – November 6, 2012 – Zumobi, a leading mobile media company, today an...
SEATTLE, WA – November 6, 2012 – Zumobi, a leading mobile media company, today announced that three of their premium apps were honored with W3 Awards for creative excellence in mobile. Zumobi’s MSN Autos app was named a Gold Winner and placed among the top 10 percent of all entries. The company also received Silver awards for their MSN Money and Sporting News NCAA Football apps. The 2012 W3 Awards competition drew more than 3,000 entries created by some of the best interactive agencies and designers worldwide.
“Enabling the most engaging mobile experiences possible is at Zumobi’s core and we’re honored that our work is being recognized among some of the most innovative digital programs of the year,” said Ken Willner, CEO of Zumobi. “With our apps as a brand expression vehicle for both advertisers and publishers alike, we pride ourselves on providing an authentic experience for the consumer.”
Zumobi has a rich history in app publishing, having launched more than 60 apps for premium publishers including MSN, Source Interlink Media’s Motor Trend, Sporting News, NBC News, Good Housekeeping and many others. By embedding the Zumobi Brand Integration (ZBi) platform, the company also enables brand-safe, transparent, and predictable environments for leading advertisers to seamlessly take their brand messages to the mobile screen in a lush and interactive way.
"We are honored to once again recognize creative excellence on the Web, and are humbled to witness all the amazing work being done throughout the industry" said Linda Day, Executive Director of the W3 Awards’ sanctioning body, the International Academy of the Visual Arts. "From everyone at the Academy, we congratulate our 2012 W³ Award entrants and winners for their contributions and commitment to the online world in which we live."
The W3 Awards honors creative excellence on the web and recognizes the creative and marketing professionals behind the best digital campaigns of the year by honoring outstanding websites, web advertising, web video, and mobile apps. The W³ is sanctioned and judged by an invitation-only body consisting of top-tier professionals from a "Who's Who" of acclaimed media, interactive, advertising and marketing firms.
For more information about Zumobi, their premium apps and the ZBi platform, please visit www.zumobi.com. For a full list of 2012 W3 Awards winners, visit www.w3award.com.
About Zumobi Zumobi is a leading mobile media company that partners with top media brands to publish applications and provide integrated advertising experiences on next-generation smartphones and connected devices. Zumobi's portfolio of applications comprise The Zumobi Network, a premium mobile app network that offers brand advertisers a high-quality, transparent and brand safe environment to showcase their brands and engage with their audiences. Through Zumobi's Brand Integration (ZBi) rich media ad platform, the company enables leading advertisers to truly connect with consumers in a way that is highly immersive yet organic to the app experience. To learn more, visit www.zumobi.com or follow Zumobi on Twitter @Zumobi.
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Zumobi PR Contact: Stephany Rochon Barokas Public Relations for Zumobi Zumobi@Barokas.com
Zumobi Brand Integration (ZBi) Platform Received Highest Honor at the 2012 Mobile Excellence Awards in LA
The ZBi Platform Shines Among Major Brands and Mobile Innovators Including Disney, Bravo, Fandango, and Shazam SEATTLE, WA – October 26, 2012 – Zumobi, a leading mobile media company, to...
SEATTLE, WA – October 26, 2012 – Zumobi, a leading mobile media company, today announced that they won a prestigious 2012 Mobile Excellence Award for their leading ZBi platform. From the vast pool of entries Zumobi was selected as a winner along with an array of leading brands in the entertainment industry including Marvel Entertainment, Walmart, and the ABC Television Group. The 2012 Mobile Excellence Award winners were selected by a panel of high-caliber judges spanning both top-tier business and technology companies.
“It was inspiring to be selected among such esteemed industry innovators in the mobile space,” said Ken Willner, CEO of Zumobi. “We’re honored that the ZBi platform continues to receive industry recognition for its pioneering and holistic approach to mobile advertising.”
The ZBi rich media advertising platform offers participatory advertising and unique social features that truly engage audiences like never before. The platform enables innovative mobile media experiences for both premier publishers and leading brands to connect with consumers in a way that is highly immersive yet organic to the app experience. Operating seamlessly at the intersection of premium content and brand advertising, ZBi is at the forefront of creating compelling brand experiences in mobile.
“We congratulate all the winners who showed leadership, creativity and most importantly, overall growth and determination to better the future of the industry as a whole,” said Sarah Miller, Founder & CEO, Mobile Excellence Awards and CEO of Axis PR & Entertainment “We look forward to continuing to offer a place of recognition and leadership as we approach the 2013 MEAs next Fall.”
The 2012 Mobile Excellence Awards are presented by Little Monster Media in partnership with Axis Entertainment and produced by AEG LIVE. For more information about Zumobi, visit www.zumobi.com. For a full list of winners in 2012 Mobile Excellence Awards, visit www.mobilexawards.com/finalists/winners.
About Zumobi
Zumobi is a leading mobile media company that partners with top media brands to publish applications and provide integrated advertising experiences on next-generation smartphones and connected devices. Zumobi's portfolio of applications comprise The Zumobi Network, a premium mobile app network that offers brand advertisers a high-quality, transparent and brand safe environment to showcase their brands and engage with their audiences. Through Zumobi's Brand Integration (ZBi) rich media ad platform, the company enables leading advertisers to truly connect with consumers in a way that is highly immersive yet organic to the app experience. To learn more, visit www.zumobi.com or follow Zumobi on Twitter @Zumobi.
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How Native Advertising is Ideally Suited For Mobile
‘Mobile advertising is the next big thing…’ How many times have we all heard this statement? While the industry continues to tout this disruptive idea, publishers and advertisers are lef...
‘Mobile advertising is the next big thing…’ How many times have we all heard this statement?
While the industry continues to tout this disruptive idea, publishers and advertisers are left wondering what it will really take to bring mobile advertising to the next level. Current industry effective CPMs hover around $0.75 on mobile, compared to $3.50 on the desktop, making sustainability a key consideration for the industry. Clearly, there is a disparity between desktop and mobile advertising that needs to be addressed before brands will be able to fully utilize and embrace the small screen.
Since mobile advertising first emerged on smartphones with the basic and very limited 320x50 banner, the recent introduction of in-app contextual ads and innovative native approaches have begun to move the needle for advertisers. Recent reports indicate that mobile ads have finally begun to mature to rival their desktop counterparts due to significant advancements in mobile ad technologies, fueling the transfer of eyeballs to the small screen. In March 2013, MotorTrend and Chevrolet announced results from a native mobile ad campaign that supports the notion that mobile ads have finally matured, reporting a 37% engagement rate, 3x over industry benchmarks for mobile. I would argue that native ad experiences (those that are organic to the content experience and leverage the native capabilities of the device) are the future of mobile as a media platform and are imperative to making consumer brands as contextually relevant as possible to their target audiences.
Why is Mobile the Next Advertising Frontier? And why mobile over desktop? With nearly 110 million mobile smartphone subscribers and 30 million tablet users in the US, consumers are accessing content anytime, anywhere. As this trend continues, every publisher invested in mobile needs a more comprehensive monetization strategy that better addresses the unique consumption patterns of mobile users. It is not enough to simply apply the old ad formats from the web to mobile. Today, savvy publishers are going deeper to create engaging ad experiences for consumers.
Here are a list of native advertising capabilities that lend themselves to providing a more enhanced brand experience for advertisers, publishers and consumers:
In-Stream Advertising – This truly native ad experience mirrors editorial content and is delivered alongside existing content. This type of advertising is even more relevant on a mobile device because it satisfies an immediate content request in a short window of time. People don’t have time to click through a banner ad to an inconsistent content experience.
Real-time Ads with Dynamic Text – This innovation feeds real-time, dynamic text into rich media ad units on mobile devices, providing users with timely information such as breaking news, online deals and even stock information.
Geo-location – The device’s native capability allows brands to tap into geo-location information to drive action such as providing users with the ability to search for the nearest store location to drive foot-traffic and ultimately sales.
Passbook integration – This is another device-specific native feature on iOS that allows brands to present users with relevant coupons, gift cards and travel documents that need to be easily accessible while on-the-go. When coupled with geo-location now brands can deliver real-time deals to nearby devices and save them into Passbook in the form of coupons, boarding tickets and itineraries.
Long-form Content Modules – Since users often have the time to browse on mobile during downtime throughout their days, why not invest them in your brand through singularly focused, interesting content that captures and holds their attention? Here, brands have the opportunity to act as publishers by providing content that keeps people engaged.
Branded Loading Screens – This organic ad unit is engrained into the app itself and begins the brand experience as soon as the user launches the app, providing an elegant “presented by” content sponsorship that users of free apps and mobile content will value.
Save to the Home Screen Feature – This enables users to revisit branded content and to reengage with the brand at a later time. This is significant, as mobile users may not always have the time to interact with branded content in real-time.
How Do Publishers Drive Value for Brands? And how do advertisers better serve consumers? By combining several of the features above into a cohesive brand experience, one can only imagine the possibilities they will be able to unlock for on-the-go consumers.
Imagine a first-time mom sitting in a doctor’s reading an article about the top elementary schools in the Parenting app and being served a real-time Target ad that talks about a new sale on school supplies. She can click on the ad, pull up the promotion flier and be provided with the school supply shopping list she can save to Passbook, and is then presented then with local Target stores in her area along with coupons where she can pick up the items after her doctor visit. This is powerful advertising.
The global mobile advertising market will generate revenues of $12.8 billion in 2013, according to the latest research published by Informa Telecoms & Media in its “Mobile Advertising: Global Market Analysis and Forecasts 2011-2016.” That’s up from $8 billion in 2012. eMarketer also projects that U.S. mobile advertising will be at $7.28 billion industry in 2013. As people move away from their hardwired desktop computers and take on a mobile lifestyle, advertisers will need to shift strategies and adopt a better way to reach consumers on their most trusted personal computing devices – the ones that fit in the palm of their hands.
Ken is the CEO of Zumobi and has been actively involved in the development of mobile as a media platform since 2002. Read the full article on Wired here, and visit Zumobi.com to learn more about Zumobi's award winning ZBi ad technology.
About Zumobi
Zumobi is a leading mobile media company that partners with top media brands to publish applications and provide integrated advertising experiences on next-generation smartphones and connected devices. Zumobi's portfolio of applications comprise The Zumobi Network, a premium mobile app network that offers brand advertisers a high-quality, transparent and brand safe environment to showcase their brands and engage with their audiences. Through Zumobi's Brand Integration (ZBi) rich media ad platform, the company enables leading advertisers to truly connect with consumers in a way that is highly immersive, yet organic to the app experience. To learn more, visit www.zumobi.com or follow Zumobi on Twitter @Zumobi.
Media Contact
Richard L. Tso Barokas PR for Zumobi Zumobi@barokas.com (206) 264-8220
The 30 Most Creative People In Mobile Advertising
John SanGiovanni, co-founder and VP of product design at Zumobi SanGiovanni started experimenting with "native advertising" — pairing apps with major brands — when he founded Zumobi half ...
John SanGiovanni, co-founder and VP of product design at Zumobi SanGiovanni started experimenting with "native advertising" — pairing apps with major brands — when he founded Zumobi half a dozen years ago.
He has worked with Chevy, American Express, NBC News, and more to create immersive ad experiences that are user-friendly and experiment with interface design.
Read the full article on Business Insider here, and visit Zumobi.com to learn more about Zumobi's award winning ZBi ad technology.
Zumobi's Month-By-Month Mobile Advertising Calendar
A visual guide to monthly relevant themes for engaging consumers via mobile advertising. As early innovators, Zumobi has gained unparalleled industry experience that allows us to skillfu...
A visual guide to monthly relevant themes for engaging consumers via mobile advertising.
As early innovators, Zumobi has gained unparalleled industry experience that allows us to skillfully build, execute and optimize mobile campaigns that drive outstanding results. Mobile is our forte and we are pleased to share our wealth of knowledge including when, where and how to spend your dollars most effectively. Click on the graphic below to see full info-graphic!
Zumobi Sees the Mobile Threat as Opportunity
Do you know you have a mobile problem? Because if you’re a traditional print or Web publisher, you likely have a mobile problem -- whether you realize it or not. Most of the big digital ...
Do you know you have a mobile problem? Because if you’re a traditional print or Web publisher, you likely have a mobile problem -- whether you realize it or not.
Most of the big digital players have already seen mobile become a significant part of monthly audience. In a September 2012 Media Metrix Multi-Platform report, top-ranked Google showed a mobile audience 58 percent as large as its desktop population. For commerce leader Amazon, mobile visitors were 55 percent of desktop. And music site Pandora already has a mobile majority, with an audience size double that of desktop.
The problem for publishers, even if you are among the crowd generating all those mobile pageviews, is that advertiser appetite is not keeping pace. According to analysis from Magna Global (a unit of IPG), although it grew by 53 percent last year, mobile ad spend still commands just 1.3 percent of total ad revenue and 6 percent of digital advertising.
The result of high mobile publisher volumes and low advertiser adoption? A glut of undifferentiated inventory resulting in low CPMs.
Totally depressing? Not really.
Mobile advertising benefits from a unique connection with the consumer -- it reaches them at moments that were previously off-limits to dynamic advertising, whether that’s at a kid's Little League game, boarding an airplane or standing in the checkout line. Click-through rates and engagement outshine Web advertising metrics. And advertisers will, soon enough, follow the consumer to mobile in greater numbers.
On the flip side, publishers that take advantage of the unique characteristics of mobile media -- in both the consumer experiences and integrated advertising opportunities -- are already attracting ad dollars (and at competitive or print-level CPMs). Mobile media’s rapid consumer adoption has clearly left many publishers and advertisers far behind, still focused on TV and print and the classic digital display of the 90s. It's not too late to catch up, however, and draft on the lessons learned so far.
For publishers, here are some of the guiding principles to follow when going mobile:
Leverage the unique capabilities of the mobile device and operating system. Tailor the app experience with mobile content consumption in mind. Make it easy to share your content socially, since most readers will be on a device already signed in to Facebook or Twitter. Take advantage of camera and location functionality. If you have travel content, don’t just encourage users to comment, build in the utility to enable uploading a picture from the camera roll or take a picture immediately and add to an article. Most importantly, align your advertising experiences to the app feature set: social, sharable and with exportable utility.
Map content to consumer intent. Remember used-car listings in your local paper? (Well, maybe not, depending on how old you are.) That teaser print listing started a chain of inefficient tasks, from calling for more information to getting directions, to somehow figuring out a fair price for the vehicle. On a mobile device, that same car listing today is immediately actionable, from researching pricing info to finding it on a dealer lot and placing a quick call to confirm availability. Standout content experiences in mobile don’t stop at the first step. For instance, take how-to articles and enhance them with list functions that are easily exportable, such as developing an "add to shopping list" feature for recipe content.
Help your advertisers make the leap into mobile goodness. Many advertisers are not fully prepared to take advantage of creative opportunities on mobile. They may not understand what’s possible in your app, or with mobile generally. And the lack (until recently) of ad functionality standards has made some agencies wary of the resources required to effectively execute a mobile campaign at scale. Be ready and willing to provide creative support to take standard online campaigns native on the mobile device -- especially if you offer unique ad sizes, functionality or integration.
Think beyond the standards. The mobile industry, through the IAB, has spent the last two years shaping a framework for mobile advertising functionality -- now known as MRAID, for Mobile Rich-Media Ad Interface Definitions. MRAID is basically programmer guidance that ensures an ad unit can execute advanced functionality (such as expanding in size or accessing device features) in a consistent way across publishers. It’s an important milestone for the industry and you should ensure that your apps comply with MRAID guidelines. But don’t stop there. Soon enough, every publisher’s apps will be MRAID compatible, and then where’s your differentiator? Leverage distinctive characteristics of your app or audience through organic ad units, tailored to the app and content experience. (But see point #3 above, and be prepared to build the experience for your best advertisers.)
Go big. And long. Resist the urge to trim your content experience; small screen doesn’t mean small content. It’s counterintuitive, but mobile consumers often have more time to spend with your content than their Web counterparts. Long-form content, video clips and episodes, deep photo galleries all have a place in a mobile experience. And that holds true for advertisers as well -- mobile is a great storefront to distribute the content you’ve already diligently created for “earned” media placements. And it will be consumed on a device that’s the birthplace of viral media.
Magna Global estimates that within five years, mobile will represent more than 20 percent of U.S. media consumption. The players then will likely be the publishers who are creating compelling, differentiated mobile experiences today.
Read the full article on MediaPost here, and visit Zumobi.com to learn more about Zumobi's award winning ZBi ad technology.
What’s All the Hype About Native Ads, Anyway? Looking Beyond the Buzzword.
Late last year, yet another industry buzzword emerged: “Native Advertising.” The term has received a lot of media attention and excitement from brands, rich-media companies and publishers...
Late last year, yet another industry buzzword emerged: “Native Advertising.” The term has received a lot of media attention and excitement from brands, rich-media companies and publishers alike, and after cutting through the hype, one question still remains: What does it actually mean?
At the basic level, native ads are paid experiences that are complementary to the platform and content in which they are presented. While examples include Sponsored Stories on Facebook or Sponsored Tweets on Twitter, this doesn’t quite do the term justice. Truly native advertising takes things one step further, referring to seamlessly integrating brands into the medium, so much so that the consumer gets more value from the advertising as part of a greater content consumption experience. As Peter Kafka wrote in a recent article, native advertising is about “selling stuff that people want to look at.” This is key to get people to start thinking about brands, without making the ad blatant or disruptive. This can happen on all media from broadcast to digital, print to mobile, using technologies and platforms that engage with native in mind.
With months of speculation, commentary and controversy behind us, it is time to set the record straight. We need not only to reach a consensus about what native actually means, but also strive to help the advertising industry harness the power of this concept to develop compelling experiences that are organic to the content.
If I had it my way, we would only refer to an ad as native if it includes the following: --The ad is a holistic brand experience specific to the content or medium. --It is seamless and non-invasive. --The content of the ad is contextually relevant. --It is flexible but adheres to the characteristics of the device or screen.
Essentially unexplored, mobile is the next great ad frontier and is where native advertising starts getting really exciting. While most mediums have had years to develop the art of advertising, mobile is still in its infancy. With challenges including small screen size and device/platform fragmentation, there are certainly some hurdles to overcome in order to move beyond the banner and engage with consumers. But mobile devices have quickly become a lifeline for people everywhere — and tapping into the true power of native advertising will be essential to the success of brands from this point on.
There are huge opportunities on mobile to harness that consumer lifeline. Many smartphone users store their lives in their phones. From calendars to social profiles, contacts to photos, brands have the opportunity to add value in the user’s life in real-time through these features, that consumers are actually interacting with. And native ads provide the best platform to leverage these capabilities.
Some of this can be accomplished by pure utility: Creating a branded recipe as part of a cooking app, and enabling consumers to save an ingredient shopping list on their home screen or to easily locate a retailer. But native advertising can also be used to extend the consumer’s focused interest onto a brand.
As an example of a company that has done native advertising justice, Chevrolet recently partnered with Motor Trend to run an extensive, six-part article series — featuring the tech innovation that Chevy is bringing to its vehicles — and was able to place it alongside the Motor Trend news and features that readers are looking for with the Motor Trend app. Chevy was able to offer readers the ability to pin that content/ad experience to their mobile home screens so that they could review it later. By showcasing a seamless app-within-an-app experience and offering a mobile ad that doesn’t bounce you out of the app, as an industry, we just might be able to create advertisements that engage consumers instead of distract them. As a business model, the native environment will also lead to greater engagement and result in more conversions because consumers are impressed and influenced by a truly integrated experience.
Personally, I prefer the term “organic” to “native” because what brands need is a way to offer advertising that is ingrained and complementary to the content consumption experience, and is novel and sophisticated. The mobile platform is ideal for creating a seamless and organic ad experience. When you’re on a desktop computer, you can be doing many other things at once such as looking at various places on a homepage or website. Mobile is different. If you click on a mobile video or engage with a brand experience, you are essentially locked into that choice. Since the eyeballs are there, why not capitalize on that by providing a deeper, more immersive experience for the user. Instead of spending time trying to divert attention (like with most forms of digital advertising), since they already have it with mobile, brands should leverage it to their advantage by going deeper.
Lastly, as an industry, we need to focus more on the overall user experience and less on the ad units themselves because the native technologies have advanced the conversation beyond the typical 320×50 mobile banner ad. The key is to engage the user with depth and to provide multiple, comfortable ways for the user to engage with the brand, not just with a rich media banner that goes away after a few seconds. We have found that if you take this approach, the user will indeed engage deeply, even with long-form content like videos.
Whether you prefer the term “native ads” or “organic brand experiences,” the concept is really about providing consumers with meaningful content when and where they want to consume it.
-Ken Willner is the CEO of Zumobi and has been actively involved in the development of mobile as a media platform since 2002.
Read the full article on AllThingsD here, and visit Zumobi.com to learn more about Zumobi's award winning ZBi ad technology.
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