Google punts mobile
Google is urging SA advertisers to maximise their reach, build on Google’s search platform, and to make the most of mobile advertising in one of the most mobile-friendly markets in the world.
SA has:
* A population of around 48m people, with just over 39m mobile phone subscribers (according to network Web sites) meaning a mobile penetration rate of 81%
* High mobile Internet use – according to a Market Intelligence brand report, around 60% of all those using the Internet in SA access it through their mobile phone
* A very active mobile population. According to a World Wide Worx survey commissioned by Google, 70% of mobile Internet users use their mobile device to e-mail, 52% to conduct searches and 36% to download music.
Stafford Masie, country manager for Google in SA, says: "SA has one of the highest mobile usages in the world. Whether it is consumers using their handsets to download music, or business people using their mobiles to search for commercial answers and support, SA represents a real opportunity for mobile advertising.
"Google matched the demands of mobile users and launched Mobile Ads locally in November. Advertisers can now pay for relevant text-based ads to appear next to search queries made from mobile phones. And they will only pay if a user shows an interest in their ad by clicking on it. It is simple for advertisers to set up and very similar to our traditional desktop advertising models.
"It is striking that 99,5% of mobile ads have so far come from non-South African advertisers. This means that local advertisers are underestimating the usage of mobile phones for search in their own markets and are not yet realising the massive potential of mobile advertising to their business.
"Successful advertising is about reaching potential customers at the right time in their research or buying process. With so many South Africans using their mobile phone to help inform their decisions, it is important that local advertisers maximise their potential and see mobile advertising as another means of successful marketing."
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