Not Your Father’s Mobile Ad Campaign
Research suggests that display ads in mobile may get much more attention from viewers than similar ads on websites, mainly because the screens are so small that users see only one ad at a time. But automaker Buick found an even more highly targeted way to get its ads noticed: by working with ad network Millennial Media and Starcom to be the only ads users saw when they turned on their new iPhone 4 handsets from Verizon Wireless.
Starting last February and for a month, Verizon iPhone users saw the ads exclusively on a number of sites and apps within the Millennial Media network, including Accuweather, Flightview, CBS, AOL, People, Mashable, Travel Channel, Pro Football Weekly and Pandora. Users could not tell from the ads that they were being targeted to a specific device on a specific carrier, but they were. Users of AT&T iPhones saw different campaigns.
The reason for adding a layer of focus to the campaign: The ads announced the launch of the Buick Achievers Scholarship Fund for college-bound students, and Buick needed maximum exposure to allow applicants to meet the registration deadlines for the fall 2011 semester.
“We wanted to generate some quick awareness,” says Craig Bierley, director of advertising and promotions at Buick. “Normally we'd announce a program like that the previous fall, so we had a very short application period and had to take some steps to build awareness fast. We saw this as an opportunity to reach a highly connected, younger audience in a mobile platform.”
Beyond simply spreading the word about the Buick Achievers scholarships, the car company also hopes the highly targeted mobile campaign will help garner it a reputation as a tech-savvy brand — something the 18-to-24 demographic might not associate with the Buick nameplate.
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