Mobiles: The Hottest Advertising Platform in India

Perhaps it has already dawned on you that your smartphone is smarter than you actually are. It multitasks with ease, remembers things that are fed into the device and what’s more, these days it even reminds you of how much shopping you could do on the go!

India is the most vibrant platform for mobile advertising and the country has taken it with all the enthusiasm. Mobile marketing in the country is much more than any other third world country for many reasons. India with its promising economy, and even better forecast in the coming years, has turned out to be the hotbed for mobile advertising. High disposable income, excellent growth of economy in urban areas increased penetration of smartphones and cell phone users to a huge population of 1.23 billion people has turned India into the most tempting mobile advertising platform.

In India, mobile advertising is growing at a record pace largely fuelled by smartphones. Mobile ad impressions are growing at a whopping 260% since June 2013, according to the recent studies done by agencies in the field. The size of mobile advertising market in India was Rs 230 crore in 2013 and is expected to reach Rs 430 crore by the end of 2014.

There is a pattern to this growth. The shift from basic mobiles to smartphones or Android devices has been noticed very prominently in the recent years. Who are the ‘drivers’ of this trend? Most obviously, it is the social sites and apps that are mostly about education and gaming.

Advertisements, for that matter, are also tailor made for gaming and apps apart from social networks. The main advantage with mobile advertising that it isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ kind of approach, but can be customised based on the user behaviour and preferences. Hence, the interest factor remains at an all time high, unless the user changes his profile or brings about some drastic changes in his lifestyle.

What makes mobile ads the fastest growing vertical in India in digital advertising space? This is primarily because people are spending more and more time browsing the Web on their phones as against their laptops, desktops or other gadgets that access the Internet.

Cut to some hardcore stats. Online advertising market in India saw a growth of 29% in the current year alone, to reach a size of Rs 2,260 crore – according to Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).

After the initial surprise and astonishment at the sector growing so fast settles down, experts will have to spend time channelising and tapping its unexplored potential to iron out challenges that may bring its growth crashing down in the near future. As of now, mobile advertising continues to grow in India with its base continuing to remain very small, despite the skirmishes regarding the usage of Internet/data consumption device.

At present, though the platform may have shown great potential, it still remains a fraction of total advertising market in India that stands at a good Rs 38,597 crore as of 2013.

Very soon, mobile advertising is expected to grow beyond this and overtake outdoor advertising in India. This way, there could be two advantages. One would be the economy part of it and the other would be that of clearing spaces in urban areas where advertisements vie with each other for space at important traffic junctions.

With advertisements in accordance to your taste, preference and interests would continue to pour on your mobile crowding it more than ever; it can actually modify your behaviour as per the preset notions about the ‘customer’ choice.

On the other, if you choose to look up from your mobile and at your city’s sky line, you may see much free space and white clouds than ever before because those ugly hoardings have gone. That would be some good news. But, here’s the bad one too. Those hoardings have just entered your phone. Now, go figure!

Image: Indiatimes