Google reveals power of mobile app advertising

Monday, July 23, 2018 - 13:12 by Graham Miller

A new study from search giant Google has found that the majority of people who encounter ads in the mobile apps they use will choose to buy a product via safe shopping online based on this type of marketing.

The research confirmed that more than nine out of 10 consumers in the UK who have a mobile device to their name have downloaded at least one app, with half of this group reporting that they have experienced in-app advertisements in the past and felt better about the associated brand as a result.

Interestingly, this makes mobile users slightly more susceptible to ads than those who carry out safe shopping online from desktop computers; just a third of people on PCs were happy with marketing material being presented to them when visiting an e-commerce site.

Internet Retailing reports that the analysis reveals the higher levels of engagement which seem to be innate with mobile device use, meaning 50 per cent of smartphone owners would be compelled to click through on future ads after seeing a brand within an app.

A spokesperson for the report said that because mobile devices are being used throughout the day, people are less bothered by ads appearing and in many cases are more likely to actively embrace them.

By contrast when people are shopping or browsing the web from their desktop computer, it tends to be in a more focused context, which gives them a lower tolerance level for invasive marketing.

This is still an issue which splits consumers down the middle in terms of its acceptability, so it is not something that every brand and retailer should rush to embrace on a wider level. However it does reframe the way that mobile marketing can be considered going forwards.