The Mobilization of Advertising

Ask on-the-go aviation professionals which media they spend the most time with, and it will likely be some form of a mobile device. News, flight planning, networking, weather updates, texting, ecommerce – and at the touch of a finger. Available regardless of when you check or where you are.

Tablets and smartphones are fueling the move to mobile. At ComScore’s last count, there were 234 million of us using mobile devices. Just in the U.S. Think about what that means to you. And your marketing. Millions of engagement opportunities. Millions of potential new customers.

Approach With Caution

Mobile’s ability to sell aviation products and services are obvious. It’s how best to navigate this still relatively new landscape. In considering how to leverage mobile, be upfront about what you don’t know and put mobile through your regular vetting process. Just because it’s hot, doesn’t mean it gets a free pass.

Part of the challenge of mobile stems from the sheer infiniteness of mobile communication. Android, iPhone, iPad, Xoom. Smartphones, PDAs, tablets. There’s no standardized means to create and implement ads across all these devices. And then there’s the ongoing measurement struggle. With still no industry-approved standardized means for tracking, how do you determine which mobile sites deliver the most bang for your advertising buck?

With $20 million in mobile advertising revenue worldwide predicted for 2015 (a huge jump from 2010’s $1.6 million), mobile will find its rightful place. Mahi de Silva, CEO of mobile-ad company Admarvel, said it best in a recent blog post: “What took 10 years to really refine on desktop, mobile is pulling together in a year.”