Mobile advertising spending will total more than $4 billion by the end of 2012, according to eMarketer estimates. And new research by Millennial Media reveals that certain industries have seen tremendous growth (more than 400% year-over-year) in mobile advertising.
The third quarter of 2012 saw a 574% jump in mobile ad spending for the automotive industry year-over-year. Close competitors for this growth in mobile advertising include:
- travel, with 431% growth since Q3 2011
- education went up 421%
- sports grew 417%
However, eMarketer cautions that these numbers “should be taken with a grain of salt” since many brands and companies may be shifting resources into mobile for the first time.
Where were these mobile ads leading viewers? Site searches were the destination for 41% of mobile ad campaigns, followed by app downloads (32% of campaigns). Just under 3 in 10 (28%) of mobile ads sent viewers to social media actions.
The most common goals for mobile ad campaigns were maintaining a market presence and driving traffic to websites.
eMarketer speculates that the incorporation of “native” ad formats in social media may have helped drive the high growth of ad spending. Do you agree?
