Study finds acceptance of mobile advertisements

The Weather Channel Interactive is touting a new study it says supports the effectiveness of advertising on the mobile Web.
The study, which was commissioned by TWC and carried out by marketing research firm Dynamic Logic, found that a recent campaign for Hampton Hotels resulted in an 11% increase in users’ willingness to stay at the lodging chain. Nearly two-thirds of those exposed to the ad said they had a generally favorable view of Hampton, while only 48% of those not exposed to the ads shared that positive view.
And Hampton effectively reached its target audience, according to Dynamic Logic, with 72% of respondents saying they had traveled within the past year.
While obviously anecdotal-and favorable toward the company that commissioned it-the study contrasts with polls indicating users are unreceptive to mobile ads. Hampton Hotels’ effort may indicate that consumers are willing to embrace mobile marketing tactics they’ve grown accustomed to on the traditional Web, such as banners and paid links.
“While we’ve seen strong growth in mobile Web usage and advertiser interest over the past year, these results are a concrete statement of how effective the platform is,” said Louis Gump, vice president of mobile at TWCI. “With the number of new ad products and the increasing availability of research and metrics, we’re going to see the mobile Web emerge as a basic line item in marketing budgets.”