Gareth Davies, CEO of Adbrain, explains that when it comes to data, there’s no such thing as ‘too rich’

The mobile advertising space is hot right now. Latest reports from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) put digital ad spend in the UK at a record six-month high of £3 billion, with mobile advertising accounting for 14% of the total.

However, the amount of cash flowing into mobile advertising at the moment is more a reflection of the industry’s potential than what it has actually achieved.

As mobile devices get smarter, the wealth of insight they provide continues to grow, offering us the chance to positively disrupt the consumer journey with increasingly more relevant and meaningful ads.

However, the industry’s widespread neglect of issues around tracking, audience and data represents some serious missed opportunities for real innovation in the space.

How is it that these principal assets of mobile have been overlooked by so many?   

The problem is that mobile advertising remains a black-box industry – inward looking, opaque and plagued by incomprehensible jargon.

If we are to realise the full potential of mobile, it’s time for the industry to open up and become fully transparent.

Changing track: targeting the mobile consumer  

Modern consumers are savvy. They will not thank you for serving them an ad that’s irrelevant to their interests. When it comes to desktop display advertising, both advertisers and audiences are accustomed to a cookie-based system, but no method for identifying mobile users has been standardised.  

And yet, mobile devices, whether we’re talking about smartphones, tablets or wearable tech, are inherently connected to the individual and offer rich location and environmental data. Gathering and harnessing the power of this information, in a privacy compliant way, can push the mobile ad industry to the next level.

Knowing where customers are and targeting them at the right time, and understanding consumer behaviour across multiple screens and touchpoints are all made possible through mobile – if only we’d pay more careful attention to the rich insights it offers.  

Some privacy concerns around mobile identification technologies have been raised, largely due to the absence of hard and fast rules on how to gather insight into consumer behaviour on mobile. Advertisers must be transparent in how they’re using consumers’ data. Companies need to open dialogues with consumers – without patronising them.

More than this, advertisers need to take a lead on driving the privacy agenda forward; particularly given the unique relationship consumers have with their mobile devices. For advertisers to make a positive impact in this sphere, enhancing consumer choice and control is crucial.    

Combining meaningful and relevant content with being open about the ways in which personal data is used, will give rise to a win-win situation for advertisers and consumers. After all, most consumers will authorise targeted advertising on their mobile device as long as you’re adding value, and understanding consumer behaviour is the key to making smarter real-time ad decisions.

Moving beyond mobile to multi-screen

Where mobile is a relative newcomer to the mix, too many advertisers have been approaching it in silo from more traditional channels. As a result of the widespread adoption of this approach, the wider display advertising industry has become fragmented and out of touch with consumers.

According to Ofcom, 49 per cent of UK adults use their smartphones and tablets while watching TV every week,therefore consuming media on two (or more) distinct screens simultaneously. If advertisers are going to engage these consumers, they must quickly get to grips with the significance of the link between screens, as well as the new contexts in which consumers are consuming media.    

Ditching the idea of mobile as a siloed channel and instead approaching all screens – smartphone, desktop, TV – in one fell swoop will enable advertisers to deliver better targeted, more meaningful campaigns, to the most appropriate screen.   

Digital advertising on any device should be about delivering value-adding campaigns that provide the most positive customer interactions. The multi-screen approach makes this possible by ensuring that consistent and relevant messages are served to consumers, irrespective of which device they’re on.   

There’s no denying the importance of mobile in today’s advertising world. However, in order to maximise the impact of mobile advertising, we need the right toolkit.

Transparent ad tech platforms, partnered with openness to plan campaigns in new ways, will unleash the true power of mobile display campaigns. And tying mobile together with all other connected digital screens will unlock the potential of all display campaigns.