Lately, the question I am most frequently asked is, “Where do you think the next big area of growth is?” My answer is: Mobile Advertising and Delivery of Content. My outlook is based on observations over time and trends overwhelmingly leading towards the Mobile Advertising industry. It can be best described using one word: Evolution.

We have all seen the evolution from print to web, and now, the same evolution is transitioning from web to mobile. The digital advertising ecosystem is continuously evolving and I believe mobile advertising is still in its nascent stage with great growth potential.

My vision for mobile ads is that they will become more engaging, robust, transactional, and interactive with the end-user. Also, with the number of Smartphone users increasing and over 7 Billion apps expected to be downloaded by 2013, I suspect the combination will ultimately fuel growth in mobile advertising.

A significant example of the evolution we are experiencing and the opportunity for growth in this segment was affirmed by Google. Earlier this week, Google announced they were purchasing AdMob for $750 Million in stock; Google’s third largest acquisition to date. Most recently, Google has focused mainly on search ads. AdMob has focused on Web Display Ads and App Display Ads. The acquisition has accelerated Google’s entry into the mobile advertising space and has provided Google with powerful tools to monetize growing mobile traffic.

Certainly, the acquisition along with other recent developments in the mobile handset space have generated attention towards the mobile advertising space. In fact, AdTech, which recently took place in NY, excitedly acknowledged the power of mobile and its role in advertising, marketing, and content. Interestingly, the tone at AdTech: SF, which I attended in late April, was very different. The presence of mobile advertising was minimal; still being conceptualized by many. It was more of an “initiative” at that time, and many companies were still trying to work through the business model. It is evident, that within such a short period of time, the mobile advertising landscape has rapidly evolved and we are now seeing more companies confidently entering the space with alternative solutions that support the mobile ad platform.

One other important note: While Apple has dominated the market with over 100,000 iPhone apps, RIM’s Blackberry platform is still scarce in consumer oriented apps which creates a massive and equally lucrative opportunity.

The recent announcement by Google and the overall movement towards Mobile Advertising and Content will be interesting to follow over the next year and definitely one I plan on keeping my eye on, as this is still a fairly untapped market.


What does Google’s $750M purchase of AdMob mean for mobile advertising?
http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/ad-networks/4610.html