Using telcos to turn mobile advertising dreams into reality There’s a world of mobile opportunities that brands might be missing out on, writes DONALD MOKGALE.
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to stay front of mind and visible in the eyes of their consumers. So what’s the alternative for brands and brand agencies wanting to make an impact, engage with their customers, and target them with entertaining, informative and personalised content that will resonate? Enter telco-driven mobile advertising. Telcos form an important technological pillar of our society today: they provide the connectivity on top of which everything runs. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to make calls, access the internet, or enjoy the opportunities that over-the-top (OTT) services
have given us. The provision of this connectivity service means that telcos collect, store and have access to a lot of subscriber data. This ranges from what kind of device you own and how much data you consume to what additional OTT services you buy, for example cloud services, cyber security subscriptions, or even your location based on your phone’s GPS and SIM card. In many cases, they will also have more personal information such as gender and age. This anonymised insight is invaluable not only to understand subscriber behaviour but also to use as a tool for personalised, targeted advertising campaigns. Furthermore, all telcos
BY LEVERAGING NATIVE MOBILE MESSAGING CHANNELS AS A MODE OF COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT, BRANDS CAN PROVIDE THEIR CONSUMERS WITH TARGETED AND PERSONALISED MOBILE ADVERTISING
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n an increasingly digital world where consumers are constantly glued to their smartphones, grabbing their attention can become challenging for brands. Even if South African consumers enjoy receiving adverts about the latest offers or services, these can at times become overwhelming and often border on irrelevant, with many brands adopting the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to targeting their consumers. Indeed, this approach is beginning to show its cracks; according to a recent study by business messaging intelligence experts Mobilesquared, for every R1-million spent on digital banner advertising, just 0.1% derives value for brands. Sticking to the status quo via traditional channels of advertising simply won’t achieve the cut-through that brands vying for attention in increasingly competitive landscapes will need
themediaonline.co.za
30.06.21 12:00